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Light It Up! NDEAM 2024

Light It Up! NDEAM 2024

Life Directions Employment Leading the Way: A Reflection on Light It Up for NDEAM 2024

This year’s Light It Up! For NDEAM was a tremendous success, largely driven by the hard work and dedication of Life Directions Employment, which continues to lead the charge in promoting National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) across the Bruce Grey Owen Sound region and beyond. As part of the ODEN initiative, Life Directions Employment has been at the forefront of inspiring businesses, municipalities, and organizations to light it up in support of inclusive hiring practices.

The participation we received this year was nothing short of incredible. Through our leadership, municipalities, local agencies, businesses, and residents came together to show their support for workplace inclusion. From the Brightshores Health System hospitals being the first hospital system to light it up, to small businesses like Gold Spoon Café and The Falls Inn & Spa, Life Directions Employment helped galvanize the community to participate and embrace the importance of disability-inclusive hiring.

Here’s a full list of the participants we’ve been proud to partner with this year, thanks to our outreach efforts:

Municipalities Proclaiming NDEAM:

Local Agencies/Hospitals:

Businesses:

Delegations (No Proclamations):

By weaving together these partnerships, Life Directions Employment has been instrumental in increasing awareness of disability employment and advocating for inclusive hiring practices. This year’s participation was heartwarming, and it serves as a testament to how much impact can be made when communities come together under a shared goal of inclusion.

Life Directions Employment is already planning for next year’s Light It Up for NDEAM and looking forward to expanding the initiative even further. By linking to the businesses that participated this year and creating this video, we aim to show our appreciation while helping elevate their visibility online. This recognition will further encourage businesses to continue their involvement and inspire new participants to join the movement in 2025.

Reflecting on the South Grey Chamber of Commerce Business Gala

In addition to Light It Up!, this year’s South Grey Chamber of Commerce Business Gala Awards was another highlight for Life Directions Employment. As the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Award Sponsor, we were honored to present the award to Markdale Flowers, a business that has truly demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
It was a night filled with inspiration, recognition, and celebration of businesses that are making a difference in our community. Life Directions Employment has been working closely with businesses like Markdale Flowers to advance inclusive hiring practices and ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to thrive.
Each award winner had their moment in the spotlight, and it was an inspiring reminder of how strong our community is when we work together to uplift everyone. Life Directions Employment is proud to be a part of this movement and looks forward to continuing to build partnerships that drive equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Thank you once again to all the businesses, organizations, and municipalities that have supported NDEAM this year. Together, we are transforming workplaces and creating opportunities for everyone to soar.

 

Cover image credit by The Falls Inn & Spa, written by Monica Singh Soares (LDE).

 

 

Our funders from left to right: Employment Services, The Government of Canada, Employment Ontario, The Government of Ontario, Opportunities Fund, and South East Grey Support Services.