YEAR IN REVIEW
TOGETHER WE ARE CREATING TOMORROW
Part of our work to fulfil our vision of “A society where everyone belongs. A society where everyone is valued,” is advocating for people with intellectual disabilities to ensure they are reflected in policy conversations and included in decisions that shape their lives. This work builds on the strong self-advocacy of the people we support, who continue to raise their voices, share their experiences, and influence change in meaningful ways. Below are a few ways we continued to advance our advocacy efforts this year.
Securing investment: Ontario Budget 2026
A key advocacy achievement this year was the Government of Ontario’s 2026 Budget commitment of $407 million over 3 years to strengthen community-based services, representing a 3 per cent increase to base funding. This funding will help stabilise services, address rising operational costs, and help ensure that organisations like ours can continue delivering critical support. This directly reflects sustained sector advocacy, including our pre-budget submissions and ongoing engagement with government. It also represents an important recognition that people with developmental disabilities deserve reliable, long-term investment to thrive in their communities.
Addressing the housing crisis
As our sector supports fewer people while demand continues to grow, we intensified efforts to advance practical, scalable housing solutions by engaging federal, provincial, and municipal partners on initiatives such as Inclusive Vertical Communities and the Lawson Redevelopment Project as models for inclusive, mixed-use communities. This marks a shift toward actively shaping solutions and partnerships that deliver new housing opportunities. We also continue to help ensure people with developmental disabilities and their families are explicitly included in funding programmes, financing models, and policy frameworks designed to support them.
Maintaining a strong and consistent presence
The annual Community Living Day at the Legislature, co-hosted with Community Living Ontario, continued to bring developmental services to the forefront for decision-makers, with self-advocates, families, and staff meeting directly with Members of Provincial Parliament, attending Question Period, and participating in an evening reception. Building on this momentum, we also sponsored and co-organised the Intentional Community Consortium Day on the Hill. This national effort seeks to advance supportive, affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities. Over two days, we joined sector partners from across Canada to meet with Members of Parliament and civil servants, reinforcing the urgent need to expand housing supply and better align housing with support services.
People-centred decision-making
We advanced the Listen, Include, Respect (LIR) guidelines, developed by Inclusion International and Down Syndrome International in alignment with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These guidelines ensure that people with intellectual disabilities are involved in decisions that affect their lives. By co-hosting a three-day LIR training session with international facilitators, we engaged more than 25 self-advocates, staff, Board members, and MCCSS officials, and launched a Self-Advocate Community of Practice. Three CLTO Influencers have also since become trainers and presenters across the sector.
Raising awareness about the provincial service waitlist
We continued to support the #WaitingToBelong campaign; a province-wide initiative led in partnership with Community Living Ontario and OASIS (Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs). The campaign is focused on highlighting the struggles and barriers faced by over 50,000 people with intellectual disabilities and their families waiting for services in the province. We are grateful for the support we received this year from the Government of Ontario and our other partners. While the demand for services continues to grow, this support provides access to essential resources including housing, meaningful work, and opportunities for community connection.
With roughly 500,000 working-age Canadians with intellectual disabilities, yet only one in four employed, The Social Brew is reimagining what employment can look like. The café helps people gain independence, build skills, and create opportunities that reflect their unique talents.
In 2025, The Social Brew Café continued to grow as both a training program and a vibrant community hub, with 10 participants completing the program and nine securing permanent employment in roles ranging from barista positions to catering and hospitality. Through strengthened community partnerships, an expanded social media presence, and participation in local events, the café is not only providing jobs but actively advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce.
I am proud to endorse the incredible work being done by CLTO at The Social Brew,” said David Smith, MPP for Scarborough Centre. “This café and marketplace provide meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities, promote inclusion, and bring our community together.”
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