STRATEGIC GOALS
Our Strategic Plan 2023–2028, developed through extensive engagement with the people we support, their families, our staff, and our partners, guides how we prioritize, make decisions, and invest. Rooted in our commitment to empowering choice for people with intellectual disabilities, it sets a clear direction for building a more inclusive future.
Now at the midpoint of this plan, we are seeing that vision come to life. Over the past year, we have made meaningful progress and advanced key initiatives. Below is a snapshot of some of these achievements.
1 Put people we support first
One of the 13 projects we advanced this year in support of our goal to “Put people we support first” was the implementation of structured activity schedules, enabled by a new digital tool and supported by staff training. This project focused on giving the people we support more choice in their daily lives by introducing personalized, meaningful experiences in their homes. Using a digital tool to manage and track schedules, we have been able to offer activities to over 300 people across 49 Supported Living locations. These shared experiences include laughter yoga, sensory comfort sessions, guided mindfulness music, piano lessons, and colour bingo to name just a few.
2 Grow to meet increasing demand
Two of the 34 projects we implemented this year in support of our goal to “Grow to meet increasing demand” was enhancing our housing transition plans and upgrading our fundraising platform. We developed a planning roadmap to identify future housing opportunities and explore how existing CLTO-owned properties could be repurposed for emerging needs. This work has generated additional housing spots beyond what was needed for those directly impacted by a move, allowing us to offer those surplus spots to new individuals. Since our first Inclusive Vertical Community was established in 2012, we have created places for 170 people, in 114 apartments, in 7 buildings across Toronto.
Through a modernized Raiser’s Edge fundraising platform, we improved data security, streamlined internal processes, and enabled better analysis of donor engagement and data. With the new platform in place, we can further strengthen how we manage donor relationships and secure the funds that support our programs and services.
3 Contribute to fostering communities
Two of the four projects we implemented this year in support of our goal to “Contribute to fostering communities” included the implementation of our Domestic Anti-Human Trafficking (DAHT) initiative and the continued growth and expansion of MyJobMatch, one of our employment initiatives supporting people with disabilities.
In response to staff identifying increasingly complex and concerning situations, we implemented a DAHT resource hub to help staff navigate the network of public services and partners available when supporting individuals at risk. The project brought together expert guidance to create a dedicated resource group equipped to respond to a wide range of situations.
A strategy was also created to sustain the growth of MyJobMatch, an employment initiative that helps people with disabilities find meaningful work matched to their skills, interests, and community. This strategy is designed to adapt to changes in Ontario’s employment programs going forward.
To learn more about our Strategic Plan 2023-2028 visit www.cltoronto.ca/strategic-plan-2023-2028.
Erica, who has participated in LIGHTS and CLTO’s employment programs, stepped into an important advocacy role this year through her work with Listen, Include, Respect (LIR), which is a set of guidelines developed by Inclusion International with input from self-advocates and families around the world to help organizations understand how to meaningfully include people with an intellectual disability in their work. Alongside her fellow CLTO Influencers, she was trained in the LIR guidelines, building a strong understanding of how to put these principles into practice.
Following the training, Erica played a key role in bringing this work back to CLTO by co-facilitating LIR sessions for fellow CLTO Influencers and the Board of Directors. Most notably, she also helped deliver this training to a group of leaders from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, an opportunity that highlights the growing recognition of self-advocates as leaders within the sector. Through these experiences, she has found her voice as an advocate, sharing, “This was impactful for me because we are making people aware and providing them with education.”