Explore Our May 2025 Diversity Calendar

The May 2025 Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Calendar is attached. We encourage you to print it for communal spaces, share it with the people you support, and keep a copy handy for your personal reference.

Discover the richness of our EDIB calendar—a thoughtful compilation of key dates that celebrate diverse traditions, milestones, and initiatives. From cultural events to health awareness and spiritual observances, this resource invites us to deepen our understanding and embrace inclusion. Let’s honour these moments and weave them into our regular activities, with respect and appreciation.

At Karis Disability Services, our true strength lies in our people—those we support and the dedicated team at our core. Together, we celebrate inclusive communities where Everybody belongs. This month’s image symbolizes that we can always create connections with those around us.

Let’s embrace connection, joy, and courage, creating safe spaces where laughter and stories unite us. Thank you for being part of this journey towards belonging for all!

In May, we celebrate and remember:

• Community Living Month: The Community Living movement strives to promote authentic community inclusion for people who have an intellectual disability and their families in Ontario. We envision a society where people who have an intellectual disability belong and have equal rights, respect, acceptance, a sense of self-worth, and opportunities for growth.
• Asian, Dutch & Jewish Heritage Month: An opportunity for us to learn more about the diverse culture and history of Asian, Dutch and Jewish communities in Canada, as well as to acknowledge the many achievements and contributions of people of Asian, Dutch, and Jewish origins who, throughout our history, have done so much to make Canada the country we know and love.
• Mental Health Awareness Month: A time for fostering understanding, promoting resilience, and raising awareness about the importance of mental well-being for all Canadians. This year’s theme is “Unmasking Mental Health”, which aims to educate the public and reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues.
• Red Dress Day on May 5: A day to honour and bring awareness to the thousands of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people who have been subject to disproportionate violence in Canada. Red Dress Day was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project installation, in which she hung empty, red dresses to represent the missing and murdered women. Red dresses have become symbolic of the crisis as a result of her installation.
• Mother’s Day on May 11: A celebration honouring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.
• Vesak on May 12: Commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Vesak is celebrated by Buddhists in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and around the world on the full moon of the second lunar month, known as Vesākha or Vaiśākha. The exact date may vary depending on the calendars and calculations used in different traditions and countries.
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia on May 17: Created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.
• Victoria Day on May 19: Celebrated in honour of the birth of Queen Victoria, the first sovereign of Canada, post-Confederation. Victoria Day is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of Canada’s ten provinces and all three of its territories. The holiday has always been a distinctly Canadian observance and continues to be celebrated across the country. It is informally considered the start of the summer season in Canada where parks, outdoor restaurants, bicycle rentals, city tour operators, etc., will open.
• World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on May 21: A day to educate people on the importance of cultural diversity and to raise awareness of the related issues faced in today’s society.
• Feast of the Ascension on May 29: This day commemorates the Ascension of Jesus into heaven on the fortieth day after Easter. The ascension of Christ means that Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, with all things under His feet, and the coming Spirit is imminent.
• National AccessAbility Week – May 25 to 31: A week to celebrate the valuable contributions and accomplishments of Canadians with disabilities and to recognize the need to promote a culture of inclusion to combat the ongoing discrimination against persons with disabilities.
• Red Shirt Day of Action for AccessAbility and Inclusion on May 28: A day when people across Canada come together and wear red to create a visible display of solidarity: to show their support for people with disabilities and their families, celebrate the achievements of Canadians who experience disabilities, and to pledge their commitment to help create a fully accessible and inclusive society. Red Shirt Day was first celebrated in 2019. It takes place on the Wednesday of National AccessAbility Week each year.