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 100+ local associations across Ontario as we celebrate #CLInspiringPossibilities for the inclusion of 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 80,000 people who have an intellectual disability and their families in Ontario who Community Living Ontario has been advocating for and with for nearly 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.

Join the Celebration!

As it does every year, Toronto’s CN Tower will be helping to promote Community Living Month by lighting up in blue and green as part of Community Living Ontario’s Shine a Light on Community Living initiative.

This year, Community Living Ontario is encouraging other landmarks across Ontario to join us on Friday, May 6, 2022 by changing their exterior lights to blue and green in support of the Community Living movement.

If you know a landmark in your community that would look good in our Community Living colours, you can use our template letter (available in English and French) to invite them to participate.

Do you want to help spread the word about Community Living Month? Use the #CLInspiringPossibilities hashtag on social media to share your inspiring Community Living moments and connect with others! Not sure what to say? We’ve got you covered with images and text you can use in your social media posts, on your website, and more!

And don’t forget to follow us on social media for more content:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Journey to Belonging: Moving from Vision to Reality

In honour of Community Living Month, Community Living Ontario and the Provincial Executive Directors’ Group is hosting a series of four webinars that will focus on key issues in developmental services. Each webinar will highlight community living organizations that are working to fulfill the Ontario government’s new Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion strategy, and will also address barriers they are facing in this work.

Click each event below to view session recordings and access resources.

Week one — April 29th: Creating an Individualized Funding Framework and Options in Your Community
Week two — May 6th: Supporting People to Live in Housing of Their Choice
Week three — May 20th: Supporting Transition-age Youth: The Experience in Northern Communities
Week four — May 27th: Supporting People to Age in Place, and Reducing Placements in Long-term Care

#ITookABreak22

Feel like you need a moment or two? On Tuesday May 31, we encourage you to help us celebrate Community Living Month by taking a “break” together!

Celebrated annually since 2000, Community Living Toronto’s “I Took A Break” social media campaign sees thousands of voices across Ontario join together to “take a break” in support of the rights and choices of people with an intellectual disability. This year, we’ll be taking a virtual break together to share our favourite snacks, be entertained by a musical guest, and watch the premiere of our Community Living blue and green photo montage! Join us as we:

Reflect on the amazing work that Community Living friends, members, and staff do each day to support people who have an intellectual disability
Relax during a busy time of the year for 30 minutes
Recharge for the rest of the day with a favourite snack and enjoy music of a talented Canadian musician
Remember the month that was with a celebratory montage filled with your blue and green photo submissions!"

Member Organizations

Find member organizations near you and learn more.

VIEW MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Press

Interested in covering Community Living Month? Check out our Community Living Month press release and our press kit for more information and resources for journalists and media outlets.

GO TO COMMUNITY LIVING ONTARIO'S PRESS KIT