What a year it’s been! With numerous events, presentations, and an ever-growing network, we’re deeply grateful for the connections we’ve made and the many opportunities that came our way in 2025. Early in the year, AEFN opened applications for Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) grants. We awarded funding to 21 events, adding to an already vibrant roster of DEAM activities …
Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) 2025 at Alberta Employment First Network
In October, AEFN hosted three DEAM events, bringing together representatives from multiple industries, government, employment support providers, advocates, and members of the disability community. DEAM marked its eighth year of official celebration in Alberta following the 2017 proclamation, though community-led events have taken place for more than a decade. Across the province, numerous grant recipients held local DEAM events with …
Imagining a Barrier- Free Alberta
Movements rarely begin with big headlines. Most often, they begin with a conversation and community. For Alberta’s disability advocacy community, that conversation began in 2007, when someone within the Calgary Ability Network recognized a troubling pattern: organizations were working in silos, often duplicating efforts and missing the opportunity to amplify their collective voice. That conversation has since grown into a …
AEFN in the media
For the second year in a row, AEFN joins Global News in Edmonton and Calgary to speak on the importance of DEAM and why you should attend the DEAM IDEA Conference. Check out Sahana Parameswara and Michael Wing in Edmonton below from September 9th : And check out Angela Flaman and Chantelle Robinson in Calgary from September 10th : We …
What events are we attending soon?
August has just begun which means our events calendar is being slowly filled for upcoming events (even some DEAM ones). Here’s what’s coming up for us from now into mid September! 1.3rd Annual Queerly Disabled – Join us at the Calgary Scope Society, Friday August 22, 2025 from 1 pm – 4:30 pm for the 3rd Annual Queerly Disabled Event. Queerly …
AEFN presenting at the Alberta Council for Disability Services Impact 2025 Conference
Alberta Employment First Network in collaboration with Catalyst Works are presenting at the upcoming ACDS Impact Conference in Calgary, Alberta. AEFN Director Angela Flaman, Marketing Lead Mariebelle Sawma, and Catalyst Manager Mitch Lawson will be presenting “Building Authentic Relationships : Strategies for employer engagement”. AEFN and Catalyst are working to build a better, more inclusive employment ecosystem for people with …
AEFN at the Alberta Chambers of Commerce AGM and Policy Plenary Session
AEFN’s Director Angela Flaman will be a panelist at the upcoming Alberta Chambers of Commerce AGM and Plenary Session in Medicine Hat. She will be joined in a conversation about retention, remote work, and inclusive team-building. You’re invited to experience the vibrant spirit of Alberta’s sunny southeast at the Alberta Chambers of Commerce’s three-day Annual General Meeting, co-hosted by the …
AEFN Supporting the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction
Alberta Businesses Deserve Celebrating “The Alberta Business Awards of Distinction are held annually to recognize businesses and organizations demonstrating outstanding achievements and contributions in their communities.” Join the Alberta Chambers of Commerce in honouring the outstanding accomplishments of Alberta’s business leaders at the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction 2025! Taking place on June 19 at The Calgary Hotel & Conference …
2025 AEFN DEAM Grant Application is Open!
The Alberta Employment First Network (AEFN) is delivering grants across Alberta to support DEAM events during October 2025. The purpose of DEAM is to promote employment inclusion and increased participation in Alberta’s economy, raise awareness, celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities, and support employers to have inclusive hiring practices. The AEFN DEAM grant maximum request is $5000 per organization …
Collecting data for AEFN
Alberta Employment First Network (AEFN) is a provincially funded project that works with businesses to connect them with employment resources and supports to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion within the Alberta workforce. The project’s main goals include increasing employer awareness and understanding of the benefits of hiring, retaining, and promoting workers with disabilities as well as seeing an increase in …