November 2024

15th Annual Policy Forum on Inclusion recap now available!

On November 13-14, Inclusion Canada and People First of Canada hosted the 15th Annual Policy Forum on Inclusion.

This year's theme was "Roofs and Rights: Inclusive Housing Policy for People with Intellectual Disabilities." We were joined by policy experts, self-advocates, and industry stakeholders across the country to discuss Canada's housing crisis and find solutions that allow people with intellectual disabilities to live inclusive lives in community.

Thank you to all of the panelists and attendees who made this forum possible. A blog post detailing the event is available at the link below!

Click here to read the blog post. >

Version française. >

Government of Saskatchewan announces re-introduction of segregated schooling for persons with disabilities

On November 25, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that they would be expanding their controversial Specialized Support Classroom Pilot Program from 8 to 200 classrooms across the province.

This expansion of segregated schooling is a huge leap backwards for inclusive education. Inclusion Canada and Inclusion Saskatchewan have distributed a press release denouncing the provincial government's actions and demanding that they reverse course. We join our national initiative, Inclusive Education Canada, in asking the provincial government to keep students with disabilities where they belong - fully supported in regular classrooms where they can learn, grow and experience life alongside their peers.

Click here to read our release. >



Click here to read Inclusive Education Canada's release. >

Why the Canada Disability Benefit needs to be better: our feedback on the regulations

For many years, the disability community has been speaking out about the need for a Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). Many people with disabilities don't have enough money to live and are almost twice as likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities.

When the CDB became law last year, we were hopeful. But when we saw the draft rules, we were very disappointed. Read our blog to find out why and our recommendations to make it better.

Click here to read our blog. >

Version française. >

Source for Inclusive Education Feedback Requested!

Source for Inclusive Education has been available to the public for over 1 month! This new on-line resource provides teachers, school leaders, and parents with the foundational knowledge of inclusive practices in schools and classrooms that they need to move forward.

We invite everyone to visit and explore the site and share broadly within your networks and communities. We are also seeking feedback to improve the overall user experience on the site. If you have a few minutes, please check out the survey below.

Click here to check out our website. >

Click here to take our survey. >

It's not too late to register for the second half of the Disability & Work Canada Conference!

Join Inclusion Canada and our national disability partners from across the country at this year's virtual Disability & Work Canada (DWC) Conference.

The conference will resume from 12-3:30pm EST on December 4-5. It brings change-makers to build momentum and reduce barriers to employment for persons with a disability and employers alike.

This year's conference has a particular focus on renewing the Pan-Canadian Strategy for Disability and Work.

Click here for more info and to register. >

Our Federation - Provincial/Territorial Member Updates

Did you know that 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!

• On November 28, Inclusion Canada hosted a Day on the Hill for our Provincial/Territorial Federation members. Leadership from our P/T members came to Ottawa to meet with parliamentarians about our strategic priority work. This includes discussions of the Canada Disability Benefit, Medical Assistance in Dying, and more. Thank you to all of the P/T members who participated and made this day a success!

Inclusion Canada staff pose with Provincial/Territorial member leadership in our Ottawa office

• Inclusion Alberta - On November 5, Inclusion Alberta held their annual Changing Lives, Changing Communities Fundraising Event, which raised over $279,000!

• Inclusion New Brunswick launched their call for nominations for the 2025 National Inclusive Education Awards. The award recognizes a group or individual in New Brunswick who made a positive contribution to inclusive education in the provinces. Click here for details and the nomination form.

• Community Living Ontario released "Ending the Wait," a report detailing recommendations to reduce the waitlist for developmental services in Ontario. Read the report here.