The Belong initiative will strengthen tourism's capacity to offer inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible, leading (IDEAL) workplaces.
The project seeks to increase the awareness of disability inclusion and enhance the understanding of the significant benefits of hiring, retaining, and promoting persons with disabilities.
Belong is a three-year, pan-Canadian initiative generously funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) under the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities.
As part of the initiative, Tourism HR Canada will undertake a suite of activities, including:
- Accessible and inclusive tourism employment training, including online, on-demand courses and facilitated workshop modules
- Employer disability inclusion toolkit
- Train-the-trainer workshop session content
- Research to understand how disability impacts people with multiple marginalized identities in tourism workplaces
- Accreditation program guidelines and evaluation
- Inclusive employment events
- National Tourism Employment Inclusion Partnership
- Community Talent and Service Referral Program
- Disability Inclusion Consulting Clinic, including a mentorship model
- Audit of Tourism HR Canada’s web presence and communication materials
Tourism HR Canada will work closely with national, provincial/territorial, and local stakeholders to promote the project, recruit participants, and identify and support the needs of employers, community associations, and persons with disabilities.
Current Belong Activities
Tourism HR Canada is conducting a short survey to gauge tourism employers’ awareness and practices related to disability inclusion, workplace culture, recruitment, training, and accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Your feedback will help shape training and resources to help employers build accessible workplaces.
Watch for resources, training, services, and more to support the long-term labour market integration of persons with disabilities across Canada’s tourism sector.
