International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2026
Ability to Rise: Celebrating Leaders in Disability Inclusion Celebration in recognition of the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities will take place on December 3, 2026.
This full-day hybrid event features motivational speakers, engaging presentations, live performances, awards ceremonies, great food, and meaningful networking opportunities. It’s a space where employers, community leaders, and advocates come together to recognize progress, share stories, and reaffirm their commitment to accessibility and inclusion in our workplaces and communities.
Call for Presentations
We invite you to submit recommendations for speakers and topics for our 2026 Ability to Rise: Celebrating Leaders in Disability Inclusion event. We are looking for 45, 30, or 15 minute presentations that highlight the theme “Disability Justice: Stronger Together.” Learn more about our theme here.
Ability to Rise is a celebration in recognition of the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This full-day event features motivational speakers, engaging presentations, live performances, awards ceremonies, great food, and meaningful networking opportunities. It’s a space where employers, community leaders, and advocates come together to recognize progress, share stories, and reaffirm their commitment to accessibility and inclusion in our workplaces and communities.
Formats could include:
Keynote: A speech that convey the theme of the event including a Q&A session
Presentation: Speaking about a specific topic relating to the theme with a power point presentation
Interactive Demonstrations: Presenters showcase a concept, tool, technique
with frequent pauses for live Q&A.
Panel Presentation: Group presentation with up to 3 panellists (and 1 moderator) sharing their different perspectives on various subjects.
Other Session Types: Have something different in mind? We are open to creative ideas, tell us your ideas!
Submission deadline: July 3, 2026
If accepted, the following deadlines will apply:
Revised Presentation Description (if required): August 28, 2026
Headshot Submission Deadline: August 28, 2026
Draft Materials Submission Deadline: October 2, 2026
Final Materials Submission Deadline: November 13, 2026
Our timeline for selection
Reviewing Submissions Period: May 21 - July 17, 2026
Contact the Result of Your Submission: By July 24, 2026
Disclaimer: While this call for presentations is specifically for Ability to Rise 2026, there may be opportunities to connect to other awareness events with our partners in the future.
For more information, check out Ability To Rise | TEAM Work Cooperative | Halifax, NS.
Nova Scotia Access Awareness Week
May 31 to June 6, 2026
Access Awareness week starts May 31st, 2026. We look forward to having you join us in raising awareness on accessibility and disability inclusion. See below for details on events, and download the Access Awareness week images below to share on social media!
About Access Awareness Week
For 40 years, Nova Scotians have organized community events, press conferences, forums, concerts and lectures during Access Awareness Week to bring attention to the importance of removing barriers for people with disabilities. Through public awareness, community partnerships education and dialogue, Access Awareness Week aims to foster an environment of equal participation for persons with disabilities. Take the time to learn more about community events and initiatives happening across the province.
Accessibility Directorate Workshops and Webinars
Understanding Ableism:
Wednesday June 3rd, from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM on Zoom.
The Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate released resources for organizations and individuals to learn about ableism and ways to prevent it. They are meant to inform and support discussions with staff, colleagues, service users, volunteers, and the general public.
The resources are available in accessible PDFs on the Access Includes Everyone Resource Hub in French, English and American Sign Language (ASL). They include:
- Frequently Asked Question Guide and ways to utilize these tools
- 3 posters - Understanding Ableism presentation with speakers notes
- Understanding Ableism video presentation
This session will showcase the Understanding Ableism presentation that is available for organizations to use, which provide real-life examples and suggestions on how to create more equitable, inclusive and respectful environments. During the session, participants will learn:
- What ableism is with real-life examples.
- The impacts of ableism.
- How to create more equitable, inclusive and respectful environments to prevent ableism.
Accessibility Supports:
- Autogenerated captions can be turned on in Zoom.
- Presentation slides and resources can be found on the Access Includes Everyone Resource Hub
- If you require CART captioning or ASL interpretation to access the session, please indicate this in your registration by Friday May 15th, 2026.
Click here to register: Understanding Ableism Access Awareness Week Webinar
Accessibility Foundations and Accessibility Confident Leadership
The Accessibility Directorate has also scheduled the following workshops in 2026:
Accessibility Foundations: This 3 hour, virtual and interactive workshop will introduce you to foundational concepts about accessibility, disability, barriers and the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act.
Accessibility Confident Leadership: This 3 hour, virtual and interactive workshop helps managers and leaders build the skills and confidence they need to lead in an inclusive way and support employees with disabilities in the workplace.
For more information, and to register, check out our Workshops and Learning page!
Community Events
The following events are being hosted by community organizations in Nova Scotia:
Access to Success 2026: This event celebrates possibility, opportunity, and independence through entrepreneurship, offering a supportive space for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and grow. Attendees will hear inspiring stories and insights from a panel of entrepreneurs and a keynote address by Tia Upshaw, entrepreneur and advocate for Black women in business. The event also features a local marketplace showcasing community businesses, along with opportunities for networking and building connections. Hosted by Otni Chinenere through TEAM Work Cooperative, with music by Universal Soul and DJ IV.
May 26, 2026 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Mental Health in the Workplace: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Employers: Mental health is part of workplace accessibility. In this interactive session, employers will explore how to create environments where people can work well, ask for support, and stay engaged. We will unpack common myths about mental health at work and look at the difference between performance management and support.
Hosted by Sea Change CoLab.
May 27, 2026 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion: Hosted by the Accessible Canada Directorate, this fourth annual virtual, accessible, and inclusive event will support the sharing of insights to help shape accessible and inclusive communities and workplaces across Canada. This year’s theme is "Building a Strong, Accessible Canada". The Congress will kick-start National AccessAbility Week. It will bring together: persons with disabilities, disability organizations, public and private organizations, academics, innovators, and thought leaders
May 28, 2026 1:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Proclamation Ceremony and the Mel Hebb Hourglass Action Awards Presentation: Kicking off Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia with proclamation and remarks for the week from the Halifax Regional Municipality and Government of Nova Scotia to showcase the importance of access awareness. After the proclamation will be the presentation of the Mel Hebb Hourglass Action Awards to celebrate the community leaders who have taken action toward increasing accessibility and improving the lives for people with disabilities.
Building an Accessible Canada: Ideas, Impact, and Innovation: Join Easter Seals Canada online for a series of thought-provoking and engaging discussion panels all about creating a more accessible Canada. This free virtual conference features a variety of Canadian experts in the disability community - those with lived experience and others dedicated to increasing accessibility and inclusion.
AAWNS 2026 Scholarship Luncheon: Celebrate the accomplishments students with disabilities joining our luncheon. This luncheon will be for the 2026 recipients of the scholarships for students with disabilities administered by the PAANS committee and presented by our sponsors.
Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy Update: Learn about the Human Rights Case Remedy and how the Province of Nova Scotia is rectifying a finding of discrimination towards persons with disabilities. Hear about the progress to date, what’s coming up, and what this means for people in your community. Presented by the Department of Opportunities and Social Development.
June 10, 2026 10:00 -11:00 a.m.
Universal Design for Learning at Work: Designing for Access from the Start: Universal Design for Learning is not just for classrooms. It is a powerful framework for designing workplace training, communication, and systems that work for more people from the beginning. In this session, we introduce the core principles of Universal Design for Learning and apply them to hiring, onboarding, professional development, and internal communications. Hosted by Sea Change CoLab.
June 17, 2026 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Check out Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia Events - NSLEO for more events throughout the week!
National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2025
Light It Up! For NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month) is a national lighting event held the third Thursday of October, now in it's sixth year.
On October 16, 2025 this coast-to-coast collaboration illuminates the nation purple and blue for one night, spotlighting disability-inclusive employment. It highlights the many ways people who have a disability contribute to businesses and their communities, helping companies be successful and competitive. It sparks engagement and conversation about disability-inclusive hiring between job seekers, families, community organizations, businesses and local governments, all across Canada.
For more information check out the Light it Up! For NDEAM, including a public relations kit in both English and French.
Stay tuned for information on NDEAM 2026.