May Is Community Living Month!


Community Living Month is a province-wide annual awareness campaign to recognize the accomplishments of the Community Living movement. Join Community Living Ontario and our 123 local associations across Ontario as we show why #AuthenticInclusion matters for people who have an intellectual disability and their families!

What is Community Living?


The Community Living movement strives to promote authentic community inclusion for people who have an intellectual disability and their families. This includes the more than 100,000 people who have an intellectual disability and their families in Ontario who Community Living Ontario has been advocating for and with for over 70 years. Community Living Ontario envisions 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.

Want to learn more about our work? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions document, and read our latest Annual Report.

What is an intellectual disability?


People who have an intellectual disability face challenges in their cognitive functioning that affect areas of daily living, such as personal care, language skills, and learning abilities. They arise before adulthood and usually last throughout life. While intellectual disabilities can often be associated with negative stereotypes and assumptions, we believe that the gifts, uniqueness and innate value of each person should be celebrated, supported and acknowledged as essential to the completeness of the whole community.

What do we mean by 'authentic inclusion'?


As we begin a month of celebrating authentic inclusion, you might be wondering what this term means. The truth is that authentic inclusion can mean many different things to many different people. However, if you'd like to get a sense of what authentic inclusion means to us here at Community Living Ontario, read this message from our CEO, Chris Beesley.

Join the Celebration!


What Does Authentic Inclusion Mean to You?
On May 1st, we debuted our 2024 Community Living Month video. For this year's video, we asked you what authentic inclusion means to you — and you delivered!

Member Organizations


Find member organizations near you and learn more.
VIEW MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Press


Interested in covering Community Living Month? Check out our press kit for more information and resources for journalists and media outlets.
GO TO COMMUNITY LIVING ONTARIO'S PRESS KIT