NDEAM CANADA  TORONTO
event & premiere screening of
A HIRE AWARENESS a great success!

Keynote speaker
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, The Honourable
David C. Onley
(Pictured below escorted by his Aide de Camp)



Master of Ceremonies
Ing Wong-Ward, CBC RADIO ONE
Additional speakers
Olivia Nuamah, Executive Director, The Atkinson Foundation
Mark Wafer, Owner of 7 Tim Hortons franchises
Liz Marshall, of LizMars Productions, Producer, A HIRE AWARENESS
Pardeep Nagra, TDSB
Joe Millage, Director of Business Development & Government Relations, Shoppers Home Health Care

Attendees at the event heard how NDEAM’s past success in the U.S. can be attributed in large measure to the extent of involvement of businesses in its programs and activities and how NDEAM Canada will seek to emulate this model. A major aim of NDEAM Canada will be to raise awareness and widely disseminate the persuasive business case for hiring persons with disabilities - by use of Canada-wide workshops, publicity campaigns to promote hiring of persons with disabilities and online resources. Participants also heard how NDEAM Canada will powerfully address a concern expressed by so many employers willing to hire persons with disabilities, but unable to source candidates and support systems: NDEAM will link businesses to community agencies and government resources which can assist with recruitment of qualified candidates, training, sustenance of employment and advancement and promotion of hired individuals.

Importantly, NDEAM will also work closely with community agencies across the country, to aid in development of programs that truly understand and reflect business concerns and employer expectations. Participants were also interested to hear that NDEAM Canada plans to regularly organize and run job fairs specifically targeting persons with disabilities. This will enable efficient gathering of job seeking persons with disabilities across the range of employment disciplines to meet recruiting employers and enable connections and ultimately, hires to result. Also planned by NDEAM Canada are periodic recognition ceremonies to highlight employers who have made outstanding efforts to recruit, retain and promote persons with disabilities within their organizations.

Event participants were also apprised of NDEAM Canada’s critical goal to, with collaboration and contribution of stakeholders, develop a national strategy on disability employment. This strategy will aim to identify continuing barriers to employment experienced by persons with disabilities, chart out an (evolving) action plan to reduce or eliminate these barriers and provide guidance and best practice advice to businesses and social service providers. A lofty goal, but one well worth pursuing.

Attendees viewed 'A Hire Awareness', a mini-documentary world- premiered at the events, that presents the business case for hiring persons with disabilities and highlights success stories of working people with disabilities. Attendees in large numbers provided positive feedback for the film and requested copies to share with their colleagues.

Participants all - business leaders, government supporters of this issue at all levels and the non-profit sector - were urged to join the NDEAM team, to vigorously promote the business case for hiring persons with disabilities, to participate in the coming NDEAM pilot project’s workshops and programs and to help plan events and activities for their own communities. Followup to all will begin in earnest over the coming weeks and months and NDEAM Canada’s pilot project is hoped to be launched in October 2011.

Staff of LinkUp and Event Coordinators L to R, Rukia Jama, Nadia Bassett, Marianne Cooke, Bob Santos, Mary Daniel, Ali Mohamed, Ruth Spray, Matt Heng

A HIRE AWARENESS - THE FILM