Community Living Ontario continues to be a leader for social change in disability rights.

Inclusion is at the core of what Community Living is all about. We see inclusion as the act of embracing people who are often excluded from our community. We do this by reducing barriers that prevent people from truly belonging and having meaningful lives. We include people by welcoming, supporting, respecting, and valuing all people and groups. Inclusion involves equity, ensuring fair and just practices, allowing all people access to resources and opportunities.

As the Province of Ontario continues to grow, our communities are becoming increasingly diverse.  Barriers to inclusion and equality may happen because of a person or a group being identified only by their disability, gender, class, sexuality or where they are from. This list is endless. Unfortunately, people are often excluded based on one, some or all these identities. We will develop more understanding of how these identities “intersect” and can lead to even greater barriers to inclusion.

As Community Living Ontario continues to work towards creating inclusive communities across Ontario, we will be more purposeful about increasing our understanding of all people and improving our approach to inclusion. There is more work to be done, but with our continued efforts at advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we will get there.