Do you have a store front or office that needs upgrading? Is your business ready to comply with the Accessibility Act guidelines by 2030? Are you looking to broaden your hiring practices with inclusive hiring, but don’t know where to start?

Becoming accessible doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming! The Halifax Chamber, along with our partners, are bringing together industry experts to help you start, or continue, your journey of accessibility and inclusion.

Join us on Wednesday, May 29th as we look at several key areas that businesses need to address in their physical and digital spaces, hiring practices, and available resources as we work towards a more inclusive and accessible future for all Nova Scotians.

This event will feature a series of speakers sharing knowledge at a high and comprehensive level, followed by an opportunity to join smaller breakout discussions with more specific topics including built environment, broadening your hiring practices, and more.

We are excited to bring these speakers together so our members can learn more on this important topic.

You should attend if you want to:
– Walk away with a clear vision of how DEAI will show up in your organization,
– Access the resources you need to become an accessible employer,
– Improve your supplier diversity,
– Connect with businesses and start the DEAI journey together,
-Learn from experts in fields related to implementing DEAI strategies in organizations.Meet our Speakers

HOST

Hon. Joanne Bernard, ECNS

Joanne Bernard has been building communities for 25 years in Nova Scotia.
In 2002, Joanne established the Margeurite Centre, the only residential facility for women recovering from addictions in Nova Scotia.

In 2005, she was tasked to lead Alice Housing, which offers second stage housing for women and children leaving abusive relationships.

Elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in 2013, Ms. Bernard was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where she served as Minister of Community Services and other high profile portfolios. Ms. Bernard was the first openly gay MLA/Cabinet Minister in the history of Nova Scotia government.
She is currently President and CEO of Easter Seals Nova Scotia and since 2017 has grown the physical and operational footprint of the organization provincially.

Ms. Bernard holds of Bachelor of Arts (Political Science with Distinction) from Mount Saint Vincent University and a Masters of Arts (Political Science) from Acadia University.

In 2011, she was awarded the Peter F Drucker award for Non-Profit Management in Canada. In 2023, Joanne was named Business Leader of the Year by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. She was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Mel Hebb Hourglass Award for Exceptional Service in the field of disabilities.

Joanne will be assuming the Vice Chair position of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce in 2024 and will bringing a focus on accessibility and inclusion to that work over the next 2 years.

Joanne is married to Annette, mother to son Taylor and her greatest joy is granddaughter Kalliope.

Kevin Murphy

Kevin Murphy

Kevin Murphy grew up in a small business family and is a lifelong advocate for persons with disabilities after having sustained a spinal cord injury in 1985 at age 14 while playing competitive hockey.  Kevin is a commerce graduate of St. Mary’s University and a self-described “serial entrepreneur” with a career that includes business ventures in entertainment, publishing, advertising, restaurants, junior hockey, motor coach operations and disability consulting.

Kevin has held management positions with the Canadian Paraplegic Association and the Rick Hansen Foundation, while volunteering for executive board positions the HRM Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Metro Transit Access-A-Bus Advisory Committee, Independent Living Nova Scotia and many more minor sports and community-based organizations.

Kevin was the elected Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for Eastern Shore from 2013-2021, and the fourth longest serving Speaker in the history of the Assembly, serving 8 consecutive years in the position. Kevin was an integral part of Government’s passing of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act in 2017.

In his role as the senior Speaker in Canada, in 2019 Kevin founded and served as the first Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Network. For the past two and a half years, Kevin has been the Senior Policy advisor to the Federal Minister responsible for persons with disabilities handling such files as the Accessible Canada Act, the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, the Canada Disability Benefit and Medical Assistance in Dying. Kevin lives in Porters Lake with his wife of 25 years Stephanie, and their children Rachael and Jackson, and their Nova Scotia Duck Toller, Penny.

Pratibha Popat

Pratibha Popat, CPHR, brings a wealth of experience in Human Resources and employment support to her current roles as the Employer Engagement Specialist and Client Service Coordinator at TEAM Work Cooperative, Nova Scotia Works. A respected figure in HR and Career Development, Pratibha is dedicated to creating empowering and inclusive work environments and is celebrated for her deep understanding of employment practices and labor market trends.

Her work is focused on fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Accessibility in the workplace, demonstrated through her community focused leadership and advocacy. This dedication shows through her pivotal role in the creation and leadership of the Future Ready Program, designed to empower individuals facing employment barriers. Moreover, her contributions as a Consultant to the EquitAbility program highlight her commitment to creating accessible and inclusive work environments by offering crucial insights into employers’ perspectives on hiring and retaining persons with disabilities.

Pratibha’s rich HR background includes work in public, private, and non-profit sectors, enhancing her approach to a variety of employment contexts. She has previously held significant positions, such as Regional Senior Human Resources Advisor at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Regional Resourcing Consultant at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, where she provided comprehensive HR services in recruitment, training, staff development, and performance management.

Pratibha holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology minoring in Psychology from Acadia University, a Post-graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from Nova Scotia Community College and has her designation as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR).

Outside of her professional endeavours, Pratibha has a green thumb for her office plants, loves traveling and hiking, finds joy in music of ABBA, and is a proud mother to her son Amar and her 17-year-young puppy, Rama.

Jen Popkey

Jen Popkey is a member of TD Bank’s Canadian Diversity Sourcing team, focused on meeting and supporting great candidates with disabilities from across Canada grow their careers with TD.  She is also a qualified Sign Language Interpreter, disability inclusion advocate and has worked and volunteered in the PWD space for over 20 years.

With a passion for disability advocacy, Jen’s focus has always been on accessibility and inclusion. She was previously the Chair of the Accessibility Advisory Committee in Guelph, ON for 10 year and rejoined in 2022 to support pan-disability accessibility at the municipal level.  At TD, Jen is a member of multiple PWD committees, supporting business goals while aligning with D&I enterprise strategies. In her personal life, Jen is an advocate for her autistic son and lives with a non-apparent disability.

Thank you to our Partners

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