Thank you CANADA for participating in Red Shirt Day 2022, and posting your photos and pledges on social media!
Mark your calendar for the next Red Shirt DayTM on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 and National AccessAbility Week from May 28 to June 3, 2023.
Countdown to the next Red Shirt DayTM on Wednesday, May 31, 2023
What is Red Shirt DayTM?
Red Shirt DayTM (of Action for AccessAbility and Inclusion) is a day when people across Canada come together and wear red in schools, workplaces and spaces everywhere in order to create a visible display of solidarity: to show their support for persons and families who are living with disabilities, celebrate the achievements of people living with disabilities, and to pledge their commitment to help create a fully accessible and inclusive society that honours and values the contributions of people of all abilities in all aspects of life in Canada.
Red Shirt Day takes place on the Wednesday of National AccessAbility Week each year. In 2023, Red Shirt Day will take place on Wednesday, May 31 during National AccessAbility Week (Sunday, May 28 to Saturday, June 3).
On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, post a selfie or a group photo of you with your friends, classmates or colleagues – with your Red Shirt Day pledge and in your red shirts/attire – on social media with the hashtags:
#RedShirtDay, #RedForAccessAbility, #EasterSeals, #unstoppABLE.
Red Shirt Day is an Easter Seals initiative and was first celebrated in 2019.
By wearing red on Red Shirt Day, you also commit to making a Red Shirt Day Pledge: Click here to learn more about the Red Shirt Day pledge.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The next Red Shirt Day is on Wednesday, May 31, 2023
National AccessAbility Week: Sunday, May 28 to Saturday, June 3, 2023
If your school, workplace, or group is planning on taking part in Red Shirt Day 2023, let us know. Join the Red Shirt Day mailing list and we will send you updates on Red Shirt Day and free resources to help you mark National AccessAbility Week and Red Shirt Day.
Download a reminder (.ics file) to your calendar.
“Building an inclusive and accessible Canada—creating real social change—is going to take a huge collaborative effort and a significant shift in the way we approach the physical, social and attitudinal barriers that currently exist for people living with disability in this country. Easter Seals is proud to be at the forefront of this shift, and we’re excited about the awareness that the new National AccessAbility Week and Red Shirt Day will bring to these efforts.”
– Dave Starrett, President and CEO, Easter Seals Canada
THE RED SHIRT DAY PLEDGETM
Disability, accessibility and inclusion does not end with just a one-day annual event. In order to make Canada a truly accessible and inclusive society, it requires the constant, year-round commitment and efforts of all Canadians to put it into practice in order to make it real, and to also advocate and take action to increase accessibility and inclusion.
As such, by wearing red on Red Shirt Day, participants are also encouraged to make a commitment – a pledge – to educate and inform themselves on issues related to disability, and do what they can – individually and collectively – to remove physical, attitudinal and systemic barriers in their schools, workplaces and communities in order to make Canada a truly accessible and inclusive places/environments for people of all abilities.
So, on Red Shirt Day, write down your Red Shirt Day pledge on a sheet of paper (or the pledge form below), and take a selfie/group photo of yourself/your group with your pledge(s) while wearing red. Or include your Red Shirt Day pledge in the text of your social media post. Click on the following links to download the Red Shirt Day pledge form.
Red Shirt Day pledge form (ENGLISH) | Red Shirt Day pledge form (FRENCH)
RED SHIRT DAYTM RESOURCES
Posters for Red Shirt Day & National AccessAbility
Recommended books for children and adults
Colouring sheets for children
Recommended TED Talks, movies and videos
Podcasts on inclusive workplaces
Articles on diverse topics authored by persons with disabilities
Check out our Resources Page for free posters, inspirational quotes from famous persons with disabilities, as well as read our recommendations of some of the best TED Talks, books, and films about disabilities, accessibility and inclusion.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
The following are some additional suggested activities that you, your family, school or workplace can do to celebrate and observe National AccessAbility Week and Red Shirt Day.
- On Red Shirt Day, wear red with your family members or colleagues and post your selfie or group photo on social media with the hashtags #RedShirtDay, #RedForAcccessAbility, #EasterSeals. In your post, share the reason why you have chosen to wear red and participate in Red Shirt Day, and what you pledge to do in the year ahead to enhance accessibility and inclusion in your workplace, school, and other community spaces.
- Tell other people about Red Shirt Day and encourage them to take part as well.
- Provide the colouring sheets in our Resources section to your children/students to encourage them to colour-in. The colouring sheets are also a great way to open up about discussion about disabilities and inclusion.
- Together with your children/students, create positive messages of support for people and families living with disabilities, as well as your commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Put them down on construction paper and decorate them with drawings, etc, and put them up on the walls or windows of your home, classroom or school.
- Read books or watch movies and video clips that feature characters with disabilities or which touches on disability, accessibility and inclusion. Then have a discussion with your family members, friends or colleagues about what you have read or watched. Check out the Red Shirt Day resources page for suggested books, films and other materials.
- Get together with your colleagues, friends and family members to think about accessibility in your home, workplaces, school and community spaces. How are they accessible and in what ways are they not? What can you and your community do to help make private and public spaces, policies, programs and activities more inclusive and accessible?
- Get Involved! Look up your local Easter Seals or other organizations serving people with disability in your communities. Sign-up to volunteer, donate or organize your own fundraising event to help enable these organizations to provide services in support of people and families with disabilities.