Southwest Employment Services is sending a friendly challenge to the Town of Yarmouth, Municipality of Yarmouth and Shelburne County, and all businesses within to light up their buildings purple and blue for one historic night in October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
Participants will be recognizing all the ways people with disabilities contribute to our local businesses and industries, and to our community as a whole.
Light It Up! For NDEAM is a one-night-only, co-ordinated special lighting event happening across Canada on Thursday, October 21.
The event was started last year by the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN). This year, it’s going national through collaboration between ODEN, The Canadian Association for Supported Employment, MentorAbility Canada and many community-based agencies across the country like Southwest Employment Services.
Light It Up! For NDEAM recognizes NDEAM, how people with disabilities help companies be successful, and the business and economic importance of the disability talent pool and disability-inclusive hiring.
City and town halls, office buildings, famous landmarks, federal government buildings and interactive municipal signs across the nation are being specially lit purple and blue. Structures scheduled to be lit include The Supreme Court of Canada, the CN Tower and the Calgary Tower; city halls in Halifax, Kingston, ON, and Red Deer and Lethbridge AB; and interactive municipal signs in Timmins, Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa.
SES is leading the local drive to get businesses in the Yarmouth and Shelburne areas participating in Light It Up! For NDEAM.
“It’s a great way for our local businesses to be part of a national event and show their local commitment to disability inclusion. Access to employment is still a barrier for people with disabilities. We hope Light It Up! For NDEAM will help keep the conversation about disability and employment going with local businesses going. That can lead to more employment opportunities for people with disabilities here in our community.”
ODEN has created the Light It Up! For NDEAM web page where local businesses can find out more details about the event and where it’s happening, and submit their business or workplace as a participating location. There’s also a Light It Up! For NDEAM PR Kit local businesses can use to promote the event with their employees, and to other businesses.
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For more information please contact:
Yarmouth & Area
Sarah Gagnon
Job Developer
Southwest Employment Services, a Nova Scotia Works Centre
(902) 742-5859
sgagnon@swemployment.com