July, 2026

Canada's labour shortage is growing, yet nearly 500,000 people with intellectual disabilities and autism who are ready and able to work remain jobless or underemployed.

In a current opinion piece, Inclusion Canada CEO Krista Carr and Autism Alliance of Canada Executive Director Jonathan Lai discuss how the Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) program is tackling this gap by linking employers with capable job seekers.

Since 2014, RWA has generated over 6,300 job opportunities nationwide- a story we've been proud to share across print, digital, broadcast and social media throughout July.

Building on this momentum, Inclusion Canada and Autism Alliance of Canada have jointly filed an RWA pre-budget submission with recommendations to boost inclusive employment and workforce participation.

Here are some of the ways we've been sharing the success of RWA:

Click above to watch Krista Carr on CTV Vancouver

Join us December 3, 2026, at the Palais des congrès de Gatineau for our 17^th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion, From getting by to getting ahead: Eliminating poverty and building financial stability.

This year's policy forum will explore what it takes to eliminate poverty and build financial stability for people with an intellectual disability and their families. This in-person event will feature a series of panels and interactive question & answer periods. Panels include lived-experience perspectives as well as research and policy expertise.

Learn more and register today at https://www.inclusioncanada.ca/page/2026-policy-forum

Inclusion Canada in Action

Medical Assistance in Dying back in court



Inclusion Canada had intervener status during proceedings at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on July 20 and 21.

The Court heard a motion seeking an interim exemption from the Criminal Code provision that excludes mental illness as a sole underlying medical condition for medical assistance in dying (MAiD).

Track 2 of Canada’s MAiD framework provides a pathway for persons with disabilities whose natural deaths are not reasonably foreseeable to receive MAiD from a physician or nurse practitioner. The law currently excludes persons whose only condition is a mental illness. An individual applicant, a physician and a lobby group are challenging that exclusion, and this motion is part of that challenge. 

Inclusion Canada was an intervener on the motion. Our position is straightforward. An interim order is meant to hold the line and prevent harm that cannot be undone while a case is being decided. This motion asked the Court to do the opposite: authorize a death that no trial and no later judgment can undo.

“Constitutional questions this big should be decided on full evidence, after a full hearing,” said Krista Carr, Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Canada in the Globe and Mail.

As the Supreme Court of Canada recognized in Harper v Canada (AG), 2000 SCC 57, courts should be reluctant to grant interim orders that effectively deliver the final result before a full hearing. Inclusion Canada intervened to protect the integrity of that process for persons with disabilities. 

The hearing takes place as Parliament’s Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying recommended in June that the exclusion for mental illness remain in place. It also comes as two constitutional challenges involving Track 2 MAiD are before the courts, including a challenge to Track 2 itself brought by Inclusion Canada and its co-applicants. Inclusion Canada is calling for Track 2 MAiD to be repealed and government to address the systemic issues that impact persons with disabilities – from poverty to lack of accessible housing, cost of living, access to health care, and other community-based supports

In May, Inclusion Canada and 89 other disability and mental health organizations wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney, federal cabinet ministers and parliamentarians urging the Government of Canada not to expand MAiD for persons whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.



Leaving a Legacy of Inclusion

What kind of future do you hope to help create?  For many supporters of Inclusion Canada, the answer is simple: a future where people with intellectual disabilities and their families are valued, supported, and fully included in their communities.  

One way to help make that vision a reality is through a planned gift. We have launched Inclusion Canada’s Planned Giving: Your Legacy program to provide the opportunity to those looking to make a lasting impact on inclusion. 

Many people are surprised to learn that planned giving is often much simpler than they think. You do not need a large estate to make a meaningful difference, and you can continue to prioritize your loved ones while supporting a cause that reflects your values.  

Whether through a gift in your will, life insurance, or appreciated securities, Your Legacy can help ensure that Inclusion Canada's work continues for generations to come.  



If you have ever wondered about planned giving, we invite you to learn more. You may discover that leaving a lasting legacy of inclusion is easier than you think.  

Our Federation- Provincial/Territorial Member Updates

Did you know Inclusion Canada has a federation of 13 provincial/territorial and over 300 local member associations across Canada? In this section, you'll learn more about their work to advance inclusion across the country!