What Is DEAM and Why Is It Important?
DEAM presents an important opportunity to discuss, explore and collaborate to solve the critical issue of inclusive hiring.
Disability Employment Awareness Month or DEAM was first proclaimed in Canada in 2010 by the Province of Manitoba. Saskatchewan followed suit in 2011, and British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and New Brunswick also secured proclamations shortly after. Since then, dedicated employment service providers and community organizations have brought DEAM to life by organizing activities to engage employers, job seekers experiencing disability and the public to promote the benefits of inclusive hiring.
Every day in October, CASE, our members and our community partners will celebrate the tremendous contributions persons who experience disability make to our workplaces and communities.
We invite you to connect with us, create awareness, and help us to eliminate the barriers that prevent Canadians experiencing disability from participating fully in work and society.
Despite the considerable efforts that have been made to diversify the Canadian labour force, Statistics Canada reports that, in 2017, 3.7 million working-age Canadians identified as having a disability. Only three in five Canadians experiencing disability (59%) were employed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially intensified the situation. Currently, approximately 1 million Canadian job seekers experiencing disability are unemployed or underemployed.
Given current workforce shortages, Canadian employers coast to coast need the skills, education and experience of this untapped talent resource.