NDEAM 2021
ODEN’s annual NDEAM campaign
Each year ODEN leads a campaign for its members to raise disability-inclusive employment awareness. Our annual National Disability Awareness Month (NDEAM) campaign focuses on the many ways disability-inclusive hiring:
- Changes employees’ lives and helps them succeed in the workplace
- Enables businesses to fill required roles from the talent pool of people who have a disability
- Allows businesses to increase productivity, employee engagement and profitability
- Drives cultural change within a business
- Strengthens brand reputation and customer loyalty for many businesses
A look back at the 2021 campaign
Engaging Talent in the Disability Inclusion Evolution
Disability often gets left out of the business conversation about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. That is changing. Organizations that understand the power of investing in the talent of skilled people who have a disability, invest in success.
Throughout October, the 2021 campaign focused on:
- Why now, more than ever, is the time to start the journey of making disability-inclusive hiring “business as usual” if it isn’t already
- Why it’s important to have a comprehensive hiring strategy that includes disability; and to not lose sight of your strategic inclusion goals amid change
- Key ways businesses can make sure they’re disability-inclusive
- Why disability inclusion needs to be driven from the top down
- How the combination of forces mentioned earlier is changing the nature of work and creating disability-inclusion opportunities
Campaign highlights
- The 2021 NDEAM campaign was the most robust, dynamic and successful one since ODEN began celebrating NDEAM in 2016.
- The campaign reached over 35 million people — almost the entire population of Canada.
- Community agencies, disability-inclusive hiring and the awareness-raising behind NDEAM and Light It Up! For NDEAM™ were highlighted in local, regional and nationally syndicated news stories online; on radio and television; and in print publications.
- The campaign even reached an international audience, with the disability-inclusive hiring awareness movement in Canada featured in Forbes Magazine.
- There was outstanding participation. A combined total of almost 4,000 people across Canada used the NDEAM PR Kit and/or the Light It Up! For NDEAM PR Kit to take part.
Light It Up! For NDEAM event
- The first national Light It Up! For NDEAM™ event, on Thursday, October 21, happened at over 300 locations in 113 cities across all 10 provinces and in two territories.
- Hundreds of locations were lit purple and blue, and the event ignited conversations about the importance of disability-inclusive recruiting and hiring.
- Locations included municipal, provincial and federal government buildings; famous landmarks; bridges; and businesses large and small. Visit the photo gallery and watch the videos to see some of the many locations!
Mayoral proclamations
- In Toronto, Mayor John Tory proclaimed October National Disability Employment Awareness Month for the third straight year.
- The City of Halifax recognized NDEAM for the first time.
- Around Ontario, there were NDEAM mayoral proclamations in Newmarket, Collingwood, Essex and North Bay.