Communities across Canada, including Belleville and Quinte West are lighting up purple and blue this week for the Ontario Disability Employment Network’s annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) campaign.
The campaign spotlights the many ways people who have a disability contribute to businesses and their communities and raises awareness about the importance of disability inclusion in business, in employment and in our communities.
Light Up for NDEAM has been happening on the third Thursday in October since 2020.
In 2024, 800 locations in 200 communities across Canada illuminated purple and blue.
In Belleville, the city’s signature sign, the Bridge Street Bridge, and the Fire Station #1 Memorial will be lit up on Thursday as will the Quinte West signature sign and Veterans Skyway Bridge.
“When we Light It Up! Together, we show what disability inclusion really is,” says Amy Widdows, CEO of the Ontario Disability Employment Network, which leads the national initiative. “It’s more than a lighting event, it’s about lighting the path for equity, and opportunity for every person in every community.”
