June 2025

Canada Disability Benefit Applications now open!

It's finally here!

You can now apply for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB).

The CDB is a new monthly payment from the Government of Canada. It is meant to help reduce poverty for working-aged people with disabilities who have low incomes.

We have created a short info sheet detailing how you can apply. You can view the sheet by scanning the QR code above, visiting the link, click here.

We will continue to work to raise the benefit to an adequate amount. In the meantime, if you are eligible, we encourage you to apply.

Click here to view the info sheet. >

La version française. >

Inclusion Canada at the United Nations

On June 10-12, Inclusion Canada senior leadership members attended the 18th Conference of States Parties (COSP) at United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Krista Carr, Kurt Goddard, and Tara Levandier were part of the the Canadian civil society delegation and spoke at various events regarding Canada's implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

In the above video, Inclusion Canada's CEO, Krista Carr, delivers remarks at the COSP 18 Civil Society Forum. Krista speaks about the importance of inclusive education, human rights, community inclusion and more.

"We have courage. We have the Convention. We have each other. And we are NOT going anywhere."

In the above video, Krista speaks at the UN General Assembly, calling on Canada to repeal track two MAiD, close institutions, end segregation in all its forms, and deliver on a real and fulsome national disability benefit.

Schooling for Quinn - Inclusion Matters

In this article, parent and inclusive education advocate, Martha Wells, discusses her family's efforts to ensure their daughter is fully included in the classroom and community. Their advocacy and the encouraging results stand in testament to the importance of family persistence and engagement with education and medical system stakeholders.

Click here to read the article. >

• This month, we had two staff members leave us! Judith Butler, Senior Officer, Board Relations & Senior Management Support, and Marc Muschler, Senior Communications Officer. Judith has been a part of the inclusion movement and with Inclusion Canada for 30+ years supporting the board administration and federation. Marc has been with us for 7 years supporting our greater communication work. We are grateful for the time and effort they dedicated to us. While Judith is retiring, Marc is off to join the Ontario Medical Association. We wish them the very best with the next step in their journeys and thank them for all they have done for our organization and movement!

Last Day of School 2025 - Inclusive Education Canada Update Recording now available!

On June 26, we hosted a roundtable inclusive education update reflecting on the state of inclusive education in Canada. Leaders and advocates from four provinces joined us. We are grateful for the panelists and for everyone who attended. If you could not join, you can watch the recording below!

Click here to watch the recording. >

Save the Date for the 16th Annual Federal Policy Forum!

We will be hosting our 16th Annual Federal Policy Forum in November, and this year's topic is inclusive education. More details and registration links to come, but we wanted you to save the dates in your calendar!

• November 5, 7PM-8:30PM - Part-time school has a full-time impact: The realities of partial day schooling
• November 12, 7PM-8:30PM - Behind closed doors: A call to end seclusion & restraint in schools
• November 19, 7PM-8:30PM - The ripple effect: How inclusive education changes lives and communities

Inclusion Canada attends Inclusion BC's Everyone Belongs 2025 Conference

From June 19-21, Inclusion Canada staff were pleased to attend and participate as moderators and panelists Inclusion BC's Annual Family Conference. Everyone Belongs 2025. This year's event was co-hosted by Inclusion Canada and Aspire Richmond.

The conference brought together people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, advocates, educators, government representatives, and more to participate in the province's biggest learning event for intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Inclusion Canada's President, Moira Wilson, Past President Robin Acton, and CEO, Krista Carr, provided an amazing keynote closing presentation on June 21.

Click here to learn more about the conference. >

Inclusion Canada's Federation Meeting June 21 & 22, Richmond, BC

Concurrent to the BC Conference, the Inclusion Canada Federation met over two days in Richmond, BC. It was great to have a full representation of federation members from each province and territory.

We had a packed agenda with an overview of our new three-year Strategic Plan, which we plan to launch very soon, an update on our inclusive housing work, some news on the launch of the Canada Disability Benefit, and a briefing on the recent Concluding Observations from the UN CRPD Review Committee and its comments on the Government of Canada's implementation of the CRPD and shortcomings.

The Federation meeting was followed by a full Inclusion Canada Board Meeting.

It was great to see everyone in person, after many meetings over Zoom the past several months.

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!

• From July 19-21, Inclusion BC hosted their annual family conference, Everyone Belongs, in Richmond BC. The event brought together over 600 stakeholders from across the province. Click here to learn more.
• From June 6-7, Inclusion Saskatchewan hosted its annual Inclusion Conference. This year's theme was "Heading in the 'Rights' Direction," and included speakers and panels focused on the UNCRPD, accessible voting, and more. We were pleased that our own Kurt Goddard provided the Keynote address.