Annual Light It Up! For NDEAM

On October 15, Canada Lights Up. 

From city halls and office towers to community centres and local landmarks, organizations across the country will illuminate their buildings in purple and blue in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Join hundreds of organizations in demonstrating your commitment to disability-inclusive employment and help shine a light on the skills, talents, and contributions of people who have a disability.

One night. Hundreds of locations. One shared commitment to inclusion.

Get Drink Fall Down Sculpture located in Halifax, Nova Scotia is lit in purple and blue, supporting Light It Up! for NDEAM

QUICK LINKS:

Submit locations  |  PR Kit  | List of 2026 locations  | Light It Up! For NDEAM Ambassadors League  | Frequently Asked Questions

Light It Up! For NDEAM By The Numbers: 900 plus locations participated in 2025. 200 plus communities engaged. 13 provinces and territories represented. 3150+ locations since launch. From 28 locations in 2020 to a national movement spanning every province and territory.

Why Light It Up? 

More than 740,000 working-age Canadians who have a disability have work potential but are not currently participating in the labour force. 

People who have a disability contribute valuable skills, perspectives, and experiences to workplaces across Canada. Yet many continue to face barriers to employment and career advancement. 

Light It Up! For NDEAM™ shines a spotlight on the importance of creating workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. It is an opportunity for organizations to raise awareness, demonstrate leadership, and join a growing national movement supporting disability-inclusive employment. 

When people who have a disability have the opportunity to contribute their skills and talents, communities become stronger, businesses gain access to a broader talent pool, and Canada’s economy benefits. 

Brantford, Ontario City Hall illuminated purple and blue.
Brantford, ON, City Hall
Fitzsimmons Covered Bridge, Whistler, BC
The interior lobby ceiling lights of the federal Complexe Guy-Favreau building in Montreal are illuminated purple.
Federal Complexe Guy-Favreau, Montreal, QC (Government of Canada)

2026 Participating Locations and Communities

These are the towns/cities and locations that have confirmed they’re participating in 2026:

Updated: June 23rd, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET

NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR — 0 locations | 0 communities

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND — 0 locations | 0 communities

NOVA SCOTIA — 0 locations | 0 communities

NEW BRUNSWICK — 0 locations | 0 communities

QUEBEC — 0 locations | 0 communities

ONTARIO — 0 locations | 0 communities

MANITOBA — 0 locations | 0 communities

SASKATCHEWAN — 0 locations | 0 communities

ALBERTA — 0 locations | 0 communities

BRITISH COLUMBIA — 0 locations | 0 communities

YUKON — 0 locations | 0 communities

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES — 0 locations | 0 communities

NUNAVUT — 0 location | 0 communities

How You Can Participate

Whether you’re illuminating a landmark, engaging employees, hosting a community activity, or sharing your support online, there are many ways to participate in Light It Up! For NDEAM™.

Employers
Demonstrate your commitment to disability-inclusive employment by lighting up your workplace in purple and blue. Alternatively, your team can wear purple and blue.
Municipalities & Public Institutions
Help make disability inclusion visible across your community by illuminating municipal buildings, landmarks, bridges, public spaces, or community facilities. Consider issuing a proclamation or sharing campaign messages with residents.
Employment Service Providers
Lead local participation efforts by recruiting employers, municipalities, landmarks, and community partners. Promote Light It Up! For NDEAM™ within your network and help raise awareness of disability-inclusive employment in your community.
Community Organizations & Landmarks
Join organizations across Canada in raising awareness of disability-inclusive employment. Light up your building or landmark, share your participation online, and help inspire conversations about inclusion in your community.

Participating in Light It Up! For NDEAM is easy 

Use the resources in the Light It Up! For NDEAM PR Kit to get involved in lighting up the nation purple and blue on October 16! The Kit has all the resources you need to learn about the event, spread the word about it, submit lighting requests and show your support by wearing purple and blue the day of Light It Up! for NDEAM.

Access the PR Kit

Promotional Material

Post Cards

(All PDFs have printer’s marks for commercial printing; bilingual on reverse side)

Templates

Tip Sheets & FAQs

Graphics

 

Accéder au kit RP

Matériel promotionnel

Cartes postales

(Tous les PDF ont des marques d’impression pour l’impression commerciale; bilingue au verso)

Fiche-conseils et questions fréquemment posées

Graphisme

 

Light It Up! For NDEAM Photo & Video Gallery

From the Terry Fox Memorial at Mile Zero in St. John’s, to the Vancouver Convention Centre on the West Coast, we’ve put together a collection of some of the best images of structures and landmarks around the country that have illuminated purple and blue for Light It Up! For NDEAM.

Visit the gallery

Watch and share these Light It Up! For NDEAM highlights videos:

A photograph of a giant iron ore haul truck lit purple and blue, including the tires and wheel rims. There is a lighted sign across the front of the dumper that says, "Light It Up! For NDEAM". There are also graphics that say National Disability Employment Awareness Month, on the truck.

Media & Interview Requests 

For media inquiries, interview opportunities, campaign information, or requests to connect with participating organizations, please contact: 

Pawrnaa Perinpanayagam

Communications Strategist 

p.perinpanayagam@odenetwork.com 

Brief History: From One Night to a National Movement 

What began as a one-night lighting event in Ontario has grown into a national movement that brings together employers, municipalities, community organizations, landmarks, governments, and Employment Service Providers to promote disability-inclusive employment across Canada.

  • 2020

    • 28 locations illuminated across 16 Ontario communities
    • First-ever province-wide lighting event for National Disability Employment Awareness Month

  • 2021

    • Expanded nationally for the first time
    • Over 300 locations participated across all 10 provinces and two territories
    • Federal government participation begins

  • 2022

    • Nearly 440 locations participated nationwide
    • Government of Ontario participates for the first time
    • Light It Up! For NDEAM™ continues to grow beyond a lighting event into a national awareness movement

  • 2023

    • 641 locations illuminated across 147 communities
    • 45 federal buildings participated nationwide
    • Record participation and growing community engagement across Canada

  • 2024

    • 833 locations illuminated across 199 communities
    • Participation in every province and territory
    • 49 federal buildings and 21 provincial government buildings participated nationwide

  • 2025

    • 908 locations illuminated across Canada across 150 communities
    • 55 federal buildings and 14 provincial government buildings participated nationwide
    • Saskatchewan surpassed 200 participating locations, more than doubling participation from the previous year
    • Participation in the Northwest Territories and Yukon doubled, reflecting growing momentum across Northern Canada

Today, Light It Up! For NDEAM™ is one of Canada’s largest disability employment awareness initiatives, engaging hundreds of communities and organizations from coast to coast to coast in a shared commitment to disability-inclusive employment.

Take the next step and submit your Light It Up! For NDEAM locations today!

YES, I want to submit a location now!

Have a question or need guidance?

Light It Up! For NDEAM is a trademark of the Ontario Disability Employment Network.