2025 DEAM Idea Conference
Alberta Employment First Network
Location: Telus Convention Centre(136 8 Ave. SE)
Date: October 3, 2025
Cost: $210
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 3. 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 is the conference for?
The conference content on October 3 is best tailored for leadership, enterpreneurs, hiring managers, HR, EDI leads, managers, supervisors and anyone with the power to make or instigate inclusive change in a workplace. We also invite employment service providers to join to network and learn key insights from community members who are informing the content. Community members with disabilities are encouraged to attend the networking event on October 2.
What’s special about our program this year?
During the afternoon of the DEAM IDEA Conference on October 3, we have a special all encompassing workshop that walks attendees through the life cycle of an employee with a disability. You will be provided a handbook, evidence based information and real stories. This is the PD opportunity you can’t miss!
Who is our keynote speaker? It’s Dr. Kathleen Sitter!
Joining us at the DEAM IDEA Conference is a Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. She is also the Canada Research Chair in Multisensory Storytelling in Research and Knowledge Translation.
The Multisensory Studio strives to provide an accessible environment to support the creation, engagement and enactment of stories by, for, with, and alongside the disability community.
Grounded in disability justice, participatory research and community-led design, Dr. Sitter’s projects focus on improving access, transitions and experiences across systems that impact disabled people’s lives, including healthcare, employment, training, education and social policy. Her work has been published in international journals, and she has led over 200 multi-sensory initiatives which have been featured in more than 100 invited and juried exhibitions.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit 2025 DEAM Idea Conference Tickets.
DEAM IDEA Conference – Networking Event
Date/Time: October 2, 5 – 8pm
Join us for a pre-conference event! There will exhibitors, a chance to build capacity with fellow Albertans and to share stories about inclusive employment. Come for chit chats, community centered storytelling, a fun activity, prizes and snacks.
