Find Empowerment Through Connection
Welcome to British Columbia’s biggest learning event for intellectual and developmental disabilities, inclusion, and diversity. This year, we’re celebrating Inclusion BC’s 70th anniversary by partnering with Inclusion Canada and Aspire Richmond for a national event. This conference is a fantastic opportunity to connect, share, and get the latest information and resources on inclusion and diversity.
Everybody Belongs! is open to everyone, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, advocates, educators, government representatives, volunteers, disability support workers, and allies of inclusion and diversity.
Richmond welcomes you!
Richmond is a unique island city in Metro Vancouver, on the traditional lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Indigenous Peoples. It offers all the perks of city living, plus beautiful parks, dike trails, and cultural heritage attractions like the Britannia Heritage Shipyards and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
Call for Proposals!
This year’s event promises to be an extraordinary opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals from across the country, share innovative ideas, and share cutting-edge information and resources on inclusion and diversity. Join us for this landmark celebration and be a part of shaping the future of a Canada where Everybody Belongs!
The deadline to submit a proposal is January 15, 2025.
Read more and submit your proposal by following the link below.
If you have personal or professional experience with disabilities, we welcome your proposals for workshops and presentations in the following areas:
Personal Development
Ways to enhance well-being through improved health and wellness, sexual education, social engagement, dignified housing or financial security. Art, movement, interactive workshops and presentations are welcomed.
Families and Children
Advice or creative applications of inclusive education, inclusive childcare, and family supports.
Employment and Transitions
Best practices for transitions from school to employment, training, social enterprise, finding work and professional development.
Community Development
Strengthening the grassroots capacity of people, families and communities to work collaboratively, drive change and support inclusion.
Advocacy
Advancing our global advocacy movement by deepening our shared understanding of challenges and identifying strategies to build a stronger voice for inclusion.
First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Urban Indigenous Experiences
Stories of success, as well as topics around legacies of institutionalization, disparities in service or health outcomes, culturally sensitive services, and opportunities for collaboration.
Since we are celebrating our 70th anniversary, we would welcome presentations and workshops that showcase the themes of “celebration” and “everybody belongs”.
Sponsor Everybody Belongs 2025
The conference will bring together people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, advocates, educators, government representatives, volunteers, disability support professionals, and allies of inclusion and diversity. We will host over 40 unique workshops on advocacy and personal development, education, employment, Indigenous engagement, and community building.
Your brand will be presented to an active and engaged national audience of over 400 attendees from across the country.
We hope you will join us in a partnership—to help you achieve your goals and to work together as we build a world where everybody belongs.
Click the link below to read more and sponsor Everybody Belongs 2025!
Scholarships
We have a small number of scholarships each year, available to people experiencing financial barriers. Scholarship funding will be available to cover registration costs, and some funds will be available to cover travel and accommodation expenses.
Priority for the scholarships is given to self advocates, family members, people who have never been to the conference before and those who have not received a scholarship in the past 3 years.
Applications for scholarships are expected to open in late February 2025.
Travelling to Richmond?
Richmond is home to the Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island, and BC Ferries offer service from Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. There are also several major freeways and the rapid-transit Canada Line into and around Richmond.
Get in Touch
Need help or have questions about our 2025 Everybody Belongs Learning Event?
Ariel Pavic
Special Events Coordinator
