Indigenous Disability Awareness Month
Honouring Strength, Culture, and Inclusion
November is Indigenous Disability Awareness Month, a time to honour and celebrate the achievements, contributions, and resilience of Indigenous peoples who are living with disabilities across Canada. It is also a time to recognize the importance of inclusion, respect, and understanding within all communities. Positive Developments proudly joins many others across Canada and the world in proclaiming November Indigenous Disability Awareness Month (IDAM).
This month invites us to reflect on how we can continue to create communities where every person is valued and supported. Indigenous peoples living with disabilities often face unique challenges shaped by historical and ongoing barriers, yet their stories also reflect strength, cultural pride, and perseverance.
Indigenous cultures hold deep knowledge and teachings about balance, community, and caring for one another. These teachings align closely with our code of ethics and values of dignity, inclusion, and respect. Many Indigenous communities view disability through a lens of wholeness and belonging rather than limitation. This perspective reminds us that true inclusion goes beyond accessibility. It is about ensuring every person feels seen, heard, and valued for who they are.
Across Canada, Indigenous persons with disabilities continue to lead with resilience and creativity. They are advocates, artists, community leaders, and knowledge keepers who strengthen the fabric of our society. By recognizing their contributions, we take another step toward reconciliation and equity for all people.
In Calgary, we acknowledge that we live, work and on the traditional territories of the Treaty Seven Nations. This includes the ancestral and traditional territories of the Blackfoot confederacy, made up of the Siksika, Piikani, Amskaapipiikani and Kainai First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations; and the Tsuut’ina First Nation. We also recognize the Métis Nations of Alberta, whose people have long called this land home.
Understanding these connections reminds us that reconciliation is an ongoing journey that requires compassion and commitment. Indigenous Disability Awareness Month gives us the opportunity to listen, learn, and build stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities. It encourages us to reflect on how disability supports and services can be delivered in ways that are culturally safe, respectful, and empowering.
At Positive Developments, we are proud to work alongside individuals of all abilities and backgrounds. This November, let us celebrate Indigenous Disability Awareness Month with open hearts and minds. Let us honour the voices and experiences of Indigenous peoples living with disabilities and continue to work toward a future built on understanding, equity, and respect for all.
