Canadian Association for Supported Employment
Menu
FR
Menu
Menu

Working Together – 30th Annual National Supported Employment Conference

Front of welcome card. Welcome. 30th Annual National Supported Employment Conference. Bienvenue. 30e Congrès annuel pancanadien du soutien à l'emploi. June 17-19 juin 2025. Moncton, NB. Artist/Artiste Gordon Robertson. Painted: blue sky with lines of white dots; yellow background with orange and black daisies on long green stems; blue/grey dirt at bottom with scallop edge and a red dot in each scallop.

Working Together

30th Annual National Supported Employment Conference

Hosted by the Canadian Association for Supported Employment in partnership with avenueNB

The special 30th Annual National Supported Employment Conference, Working Together, took place from June 17-19 in Moncton, New Brunswick, the Hub City of the Maritimes.

More than 360 attendees joined us from almost all provinces and territories to participate in more than 45 sessions and activities!

Attendees received a welcome card with “Spring” (on the left) by art contest winner Gordon Robertson, who creates art at Chrysalis, An Alberta Society for Citizens with Disabilities. Gordon has found his voice in painting the beauty of nature he sees around him, and he pays great attention to detail in his artwork. 

Opening Ceremony and Keynote

At the opening ceremony, Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer, shared highlights and recommendations from her second report to the minister responsible for the Accessible Canada Act – which was released just the day before.

Next, keynote speaker, Doug Crandell, described how a movement in the US challenged the subminimum wages for workers experiencing disability and how that work supported changes in Canada. Engaging panels and sessions discussed how organizations cooperate, share, and work together to support clients, to gain insights, to troubleshoot issues, and to tackle solutions.

Mental Health and AI Popular Session Topics

One of the recurring topics this year was mental health, including research around interdisciplinary collaboration and supports for people with complex barriers and the meaning of systemic compassion in the workplace. Digital strategies and how AI can empower workplace accessibility were also popular issues. 

Photo: Stephanie Cadieux. Person in a wheelchair with shoulder length brown hair and glasses and wearing a brown suit on a stage speaking to an audience. Photo: Doug Crandell. Tall person with no hair and a beard standing in front of an audience and wearing a brown suit.

Supported Employment Past, Present, and Future

A panel of CASE board members revisited the history of supported employment in Canada and the federal government’s status with implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Lively discussion groups followed around key issues in supported employment.

Read more about their presentation and the results of the group discussions in this CASE blog post. (Link will be added shortly.)

Maritimer Dinner and Band at Gala

Fresh east coast seafood was the star of the gala dinner, followed closely by good company and conversation. Then, the Big Bad Party Band turned up the volume with non-stop Top 40 tunes that got everyone on the dance floor.

Big Bad Party Band on stage and many people dancing.

Participation of MentorAbility Mentees

An exciting addition at this year’s conference was the valued and active participation of MentorAbility mentees. Mentees shared their experiences and insights at a MentorAbility workshop aiming to collect best practices for inclusive mentorships. Mentees also had opportunities to network with other attendees and to take part in conference sessions. 

Entrepreneurs Marketplace

Throughout the day Thursday, people flocked to the Entrepreneurs Marketplace for a wide variety of quality products.

Entrepreneurs marketplace seller - metal artwork.

CASE Awards

Congratulations to all 15 CASE Awards nominees! Every single one of you is a winner to your community and to all the people you have impacted.

CASE Mark Wafer Award for Business Excellence

Kathy Malley

Malley Industries

Garth Johnson and Kathy Malley holding the award.

CASE Phillip Emmerson Award for Employment Excellence

Libby Searle

Clements Centre for Families

2025 Awards - Phillip & Libby

CASE Wiltshire Award of Excellence in Supported Employment

Prescott Group

Conference Sponsors

A very special thank you to all our sponsors, without whom this conference would not have been possible.

Major Partner

Logo: CANWIN. Operated by Open Door Group.

Supporting Partners

Government of Canada   |   WorkSafeNB – Travail sécuritaire NB   |   MentorAbility Canada

ImSET (Independent Mindset – Skills for Empowerment and Transition)   |   Key Industries   |   Therap Canada

CARF Canada   |   Key Industries   |   CBDC Restigouche / Hire for Talent   |   Destination Moncton-Dieppe

Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) and Inclusion NB   |   Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA)

2026 Annual National Supported Employment Conference

See you next year in Ontario! Stay tuned for more news in the coming months.