2026 Equitable Employment Leadership Summit: Universal Design

Join the 2026 Equitable Employment Leadership Summit online to explore how anyone and everyone can play a role in applying Universal Design

2026 Equitable Employment Leadership Summit (EELS): Universal Design- Make Anywhere and Everywhere Inclusive

Event Details:
📅 May 26, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
💻 Virtual: Zoom

The Equitable Employment Leadership Summit (EELS) returns this year in a reimagined, virtual format—bringing together leaders, changemakers, and practitioners from across sectors for a powerful two-hour panel experience during National Accessibility Week.

For over a decade, EELS (formerly the Mayors Luncheon) has served as a cornerstone event in Alberta—sparking dialogue, strengthening leadership, and advancing inclusive employment practices across communities.

In 2026, the conversation evolves. This year’s Summit explores the benefits and real-world application of Universal Design (UD)—a transformative approach that challenges us to build workplaces, programs, and systems that are accessible from the start.

This year’s Equitable Employment Leadership Summit is a collaborative effort, co-hosted by Gateway Association, the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation, Multicultural Health Brokers, and LearningCITY Collective. Bringing together expertise from disability inclusion, international development, newcomer-serving organizations, and learning and innovation, the Summit offers a unique, cross-sector perspective on Universal Design. By exploring how Universal Design applies across these diverse fields, the conversation will highlight shared challenges, innovative approaches, and practical ways to create more inclusive, accessible systems that better serve individuals, workplaces, and communities.

This cross-sector panel brings together voices from disability inclusion, learning and development, newcomer communities, and international development, offering a rich, intersectional perspective on how Universal Design can:

• Strengthen workforce participation
• Improve program and service design
• Create more responsive and inclusive communities

Featured panelists are:

• Dr. Alissa Overend (she/they) - MacEwen University
• Dexter Lam (he/him) - LearnCITY Collective
• Stephen Wright (he/him) - Gateway Association

along with Story Weaver Judy Sillito (she/her) of Multicultural Health Brokers

moderated by Sahana Parameswara - Executive Director of Gateway Association

Participants will gain foundational knowledge of Universal Design, followed by a dynamic panel discussion and interactive engagement designed to connect ideas to action.

EELS continues its legacy of bringing together employers, service providers, and community leaders to explore innovative solutions that drive inclusive and sustainable employment.

What you’ll gain:
✔ Fresh, cross-sector insights on Universal Design
✔ Practical ideas to apply in your workplace or programs
✔ A deeper understanding of intersectional approaches to inclusion
✔ Connection to a network committed to equitable employment

Join us as we reimagine inclusion—not as an add-on, but as something we design from the start.