10/01/2026
🕑Every October, Canadians come together to recognize the contributions of people who have a disability and advance disability inclusion in employment.
It’s an opportunity to celebrate talent and take action to build stronger, more disability inclusive workplaces and communities.
The 2026 theme, Skills Grow Economies. Disability Inclusion Fuels the Growth, focuses on the skills already available in Canada’s workforce and the role disability inclusion can play in helping businesses access talent, strengthen performance, and grow.
Why NDEAM Matters
Canadian businesses are looking for skilled talent. 63% of employers identify skills gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation between 2025 and 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2025).
At the same time, valuable skills are being underutilized:
🔵More than 741,000 Canadians who have a disability had the potential to work but were not employed (Statistics Canada, 2024)
🔵Nearly 1 in 3 employed people who have a disability were overqualified for their jobs (Statistics Canada)
🔵71% of employers not hiring people who have a disability cite a lack of awareness of their skills (CCRW, 2017)
🔵The challenge isn’t necessarily a lack of talent. It’s recognizing the skills that are already here.
The business case is clear. Disability inclusive companies report 2.6x more net income, 1.6x more revenue, and 25% higher productivity (Accenture, 2023).
Inclusive organizations also report 8x stronger outcomes in innovation, retention, and customer service (Deloitte, 2023).
This NDEAM, we’re encouraging employers to take a closer look at how talent is identified, developed, and retained.
We are celebrating our local inclusive employers today, this month, and all year!
The local businesses who give those living with disability the chance to show what a great employee they can be!
