When the planning began for the Bonnyville DEAM event, no one could have imagined how far its message of inclusion would reach.
On October 16th, EmployAbilities North (EAN) and Labour Force Link (LFL) joined forces to host an event for employers in Bonnyville to celebrate and raise awareness for Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM). The event was shared with employers from the Bonnyville Chamber of Commerce Business Support Network meeting. Each employer received copies of the Inclusive Hiring Handbook and the Wage Subsidy Information Sheet.
A brief PowerPoint showed how small, thoughtful changes can make workplaces more welcoming for everyone and guided employers to free templates on the EmployAbilities website. The event brought together 33 local business and community representatives, including our government procurement officer, who shared enthusiastic feedback about the presentations and overall discussion.
The following evening, at the Chamber’s Business Resiliency Awards, Serena Lyons spoke warmly about the value of inclusive hiring. She went on to highlight both resources used at our DEAM event as tools to help employers build welcoming workplaces. On each elegantly decorated table, tucked between the wine glasses and centrepieces, were copies of both resources. This gave local businesses in attendance a simple but effective place to start learning more about inclusive hiring and accessible workplaces.
The night brought an unexpected twist when a stray hockey puck from a nearby game struck a sprinkler, setting off the fire alarm during dinner! Though the hockey game ended early, the awards continued—a quiet reminder that even small, unexpected moments can have a wide impact, much like the DEAM presentation’s message of inclusion.
Photos from the Bonnyville DEAM Business Support Network Meeting
