Join us on October 2nd & 3rd in Calgary!
Register now!
In celebration of Disability Employment Awareness Month, Alberta Employment First Network (AEFN) is pleased to present the fourth annual DEAM IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility) Conference in Calgary at the Telus Convention Centre on October 3rd. This conference will provide attendees with the opportunity to build upon their knowledge of inclusive and equitable employment and recruitment. Attendees will walk away with actionable steps they can use in their communities and workplaces. Get your workplace ready to hire people with disabilities in every industry, role, and help make sure the work is sustainable and promotes career development based on the interest of the individual. The 2025 conference call to action is "Authenticity in Action".
Who's at the conference?
Keynote Speaker
Afternoon workshop
Emcee
Our exhibitors!
Vecova is a leading edge organization that has been meeting the lifelong and changing needs of persons with disabilities since 1969 through our programs and services, social research, innovation and enterprises. Notably, our Employment Services team is committed to breaking down barriers to employment. We believe that everyone who is ready, willing, and able to work should have the opportunity to do so. We offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to youth with barriers to employment, adults with developmental disabilities, as well as our newest service supporting newcomers to Canada facing intersectional barriers to employment.
Through the power of work, Goodwill provides individuals with disabilities or barriers to employment the opportunity to enhance their lives. Goodwill will be recognized as a leader for the provision of employment opportunities for people with disabilities or barriers to employment through best practices in community and environmental stewardship. They are a people oriented, purpose driven enterprise. "Our pillars are People, Profit with Purpose and the Planet."
Since 1989, MCG Careers has been providing Career and Employment Services to Albertans across the province. Their organizational philosophy emphasizes client-focus and result-orientation; this philosophy has resulted in increased working partnerships with community agencies and employers, allowing us to provide a full continuum of client services.
Programs and services are crafted and delivered via the principle of guiding clients through an individualized, customized, realistic, and supported developmental process toward independence, and goal accomplishment.
AWES is a non-profit organization dedicated to workplace skills training, research, and curriculum development. We specialize in developing customized skills training solutions for employers, organizations, and practitioners that respond to workplace skills needs. As leaders in essential skills training and development, we’ve been serving communities at the local, provincial, and national levels for over 30 years.
Since 1988 the Centre for Newcomers (CFN) has been a key resource for immigrants and refugees of all nationalities in Calgary. A social profit organization, CFN views the integration of newcomers as a two-way process of experience, influence and impact between newcomers and the communities that welcome them.
Lifemark is a proudly Canadian, national healthcare company delivering over 25 years of service excellence across community rehabilitation services, workplace health and wellness, and independent medical assessment services. With over 6000 employees in offices and clinics across the country, they are one of Canada’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare service providers.
Better Belonging began with a shared vision to do better – to create spaces where belonging isn’t conditional, it’s foundational. Their work is grounded in lived experience and shaped by professional expertise in mental health, education, operations, and change management. They take a collaborative approach to everything we do, because they believe transformation happens when we work together.
AAISA is a non-profit umbrella organization representing agencies that provide resettlement, settlement, and integration services to newcomers in the province of Alberta.
CFT7 is a leader in economic development, employment, training, advising and collaborating with Treaty Seven First Nations and their members to build on collective and unique strengths for successes.
Where members matter and benefits count. Alberta Chambers of Commerce knows that community is everything. A healthy community means healthy business conditions. Their role as representatives is to do everything they can to maintain an inclusive, thriving economy in Alberta.
Our sponsors!
A close collaborator of ours that offers great services is this year's DEAM IDEA Conference Lunch Reception Sponsor.
MentorAbility is a national initiative that creates mutual mentorship opportunities for people experiencing disability. This initiative is built on a supported employment foundation that promotes the recruitment, employment, and retention of people experiencing disability. If you're an employer, get involved by becoming a mentor.
SupportABILITY by CBI Health - our breakfast reception sponsor - is a free, comprehensive employment service for folks living with mental health issues or neurodivergence—diagnosed or self-diagnosed—or disabilities, and who face multiple barriers to employment. As Canada's most trusted name in community health care, CBI Health believes a holistic view of health for everyone must include vocational health. SupportABILITY's tailored-to-you and evidence-based program is back by 28 clinical trials and over 25 years of experience helping jobseekers and employers achieve sustainable employment outcomes.
Deaf & Hear Alberta is our Accessibility (ASL) sponsor. Thank you for supporting us for the second year! DHA is "pushing for a proactive way to make sure ALL information can be accessed by ALL people in Alberta". In Alberta, there are around 40,000 Deaf people and about 1.2 million people who are hard of hearing or late deafened.
They offer :
💫 Services and technology choices for Deaf and hard-of-hearing Albertans
💫 Programs and education for everyone to improve fair communication
ATB is a champion of belonging. Their success comes from more than 5,000 team members who deliver remarkable experiences to nearly 835,000 clients through more than 260 branches and agencies, 24-hour Client Care Centre, two entrepreneur centres, digital banking options and 240 ATM locations. Everything they do is focused on how they can power possibility for the people they serve: their communities, team members, Shareholder and clients across personal, business, agriculture, corporate, investment banking and wealth management. For the past several years, they've been named a top employer by Great Place to Work Canada.
