Council’s Presentation about “Long-Term Care and Aging in Place” in Fanshawe College
In July, Council members Nicole, Judy, Amber, and the Council representative to the CLO Board of Directors, James presented to a Gerontology Inclusive Practice class at Fanshawe College. They discussed their advocacy priorities for people labelled with intellectual disabilities, emphasizing the Council’s priorities in supporting these individuals to maintain independence in their homes and communities.
Council Presentation on their 2024 achievement during the PEDG AGM
On September 17th, during the CLO Conference, Council members Nicole, Niko, Amber, and Farrah presented the Council’s 2024 accomplishments to Provincial Executive Directors Group (PEDG).
Council Presentation on “From Housing to Human Rights” at the CLO Conference
During the CLO Conference on September 18th, Council members Niko, Robert, Amber, and Hudson delivered a presentation titled “From Housing to Human Rights.” They discussed key topics such as poverty, housing, employment, and social justice while sharing their personal experiences. Their presentation served as a powerful reminder of the importance of awareness and action.
Election Results: The Council of CLO 2024-2025
Council Executive
Amber Taylor – President
Niko Pupella – Vice President
Judy Noonan – Secretary
Farrah Sattaur – Treasurer
Council Members
Robert Smith
Dzidra Halar
Jem Moeller
Sean Travis
Stella Curtis
Brianne Taggart
Brandon Bain
Keith Metcalf
The Council election for the 2024-2025 term took place during the CLO Conference on September 19th, with 11 candidates running for 6 open positions. The election results were announced at the closing ceremony by Chris, the CEO of CLO. The six positions were filled by three re-elected members (Niko, Farrah, and Amber) and three new members (Brianne, Brandon, and Keith).
The Council Executive Election took place on October 18th— where the council members elected the Council President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer for the year 2024-2024.
Council’s Advocacy Efforts and Key Correspondence with Government Officials
In recent months, the Council has sent letters to government officials advocating for better support for people with disabilities. In July, they urged Minister Khera to increase the Canada Disability Benefit, calling for automatic approvals and clawback protections. They also wrote two letters to Minister Parsa, expressing disappointment with the lack of effective action and inviting him to discuss these concerns. In August, through their letter to Minister Parsa they addressed the negative impact of benefit clawbacks and emphasized the importance of including people with disabilities in policy decisions.
Meeting with Minister Parsa
On October 7th, the Council of Community Living Ontario met with Minister Michael Parsa in Toronto to address key issues impacting people who live with the label of intellectual disability, including poverty, ODSP clawbacks, and Passport funding access. Council members emphasized that financial insecurity and limited resources hinder their independence and community involvement. They called for policies that improve income security and access to services. The Council urged Minister Parsa to commit to not clawing back Canada Disability Benefit payments from ODSP, and to enhancing Passport funding so that people can access their full Passport allocation.
On October 10th, Council member Sean presented at Father Henry Carr Secondary School in Etobicoke, discussing Inclusion. He also addressed the barriers to full inclusion such as communication needs, choice, and the differences between integration and inclusion, while highlighting the Council’s advocacy for inclusive practices.
On October 19th, Council members Judy, Niko, and Farrah presented “From Housing to Human Rights” at the Speaking Out Conference. They discussed the Council ‘s advocacy priorities for 2024, focusing on poverty, housing, employment, and abuse. They highlighted the challenges faced by people labeled with an intellectual disability, sharing personal experiences and recent statistics to underscore the urgency of these issues across the province.
On October 31, Niko, a council member, presented with Chris Beesley, CEO of CLO, to discuss the current state of developmental services in Ontario. They covered the range of services available, recent developments, and how the sector is adapting to meet the diverse needs of the individuals it serves.
On October 15th, Amber Taylor, Council member, was featured on CityTV News, providing her thoughts on “what it takes to live in the city with a disability.”?
