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Inclusion Matters
October 2026
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COME EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF BELONGING
Imagine being a child who feels welcome at school. A family that no longer feels alone. A person who starts their first day at work knowing they have
something valuable to contribute.
These may seem like simple things. But for people with intellectual disabilities and their families, being welcomed, understood, and included can change everything.
Across Canada, Inclusion Canada and its federation members are working every day to make these moments possible. To open doors, create opportunities, and build communities where people with intellectual disabilities can live, learn, work, and belong.
From November 23rd to 26th, we invite you to discover that impact in your own community.
This year, we're excited to introduce four regional broadcasts featuring more local stories, speakers, and perspectives than ever before. You'll hear directly from people with intellectual disabilities and their families, meet some of the people making a difference in your region, and discover what's possible when Inclusion Canada’s work and the support of our communities come together to create change.
In just 45 minutes, you'll see the progress being made, the opportunities being created, and the difference this work is making in people's lives, right where you live. You'll also see why continued support from communities across the country is essential to building on this progress.
We need your support to keep moving forward. This is our final newsletter before the event, and we'd truly love to have you with us. Invite a friend or colleague, take 45 minutes to be inspired, and discover the impact being made in your community, and what we can accomplish together.
Because everyone deserves to be valued and belong.
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There's still time to register!
A reminder to join us on December 3, 2026, at the Palais des congrès de Gatineau for our 17th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion,
This year's title is: 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 from people with an intellectual disability and families, as well as research and policy expertise.
Learn more and register today:
>English
>French
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Parliamentary Report
Inclusion Canada is sharing an update about two recent announcements by Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Marjorie Michel about Canada's assisted dying regime.
These have generated amuch news coverage we've featured in.
On Tuesday October 27, Legislation was introduced in the House of Commons on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Bill C-41 will permanently prevent extending doctor-assisted death to people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. This came after the government announced on October 7 that would permanently stop the expansion. We welcome and support this.
But with the tabling of Bill C-41 — the Medical Assistance in Dying Safeguards Act came new provisions. The proposed Legislation will allow people to file “advance requests” to have MAID. Inclusion Canada strongly opposes advance requests and wants it removed from Bill C-41 so that Parliament can hear from experts and conduct proper consultations, just like what was done on mental illness provisions.
Inclusion Canada CEO Krista Carr commended the government for making the mental illness exclusion permanent, which was our position. However, she added that Canada "shouldn’t be expanding an already flawed MAiD system even further. Doing so without the proper study and analysis is "premature and irresponsible".
Our President, Moira Wilson also offered her concerns. "People with disabilities need support to communicate and to have their will and preferences respected. Consent at the time MAiD is provided is a fundamental protection that Parliament should not take away. Parliament must confront the risk that someone’s attempt to refuse could be misunderstood, or that assumptions about their disability could shape judgments about their suffering.”
We will provide updates as Bill C-41 moves its way through Parliament. To learn more, here are the links to our recent media release in both English and French.
> Inclusion Canada Welcomes Mental Illness Exclusion, Opposes Advance Requests in New MAiD Bill
>Inclusion Canada salue l’exclusion permanente de la maladie mentale, mais s’oppose aux demandes anticipées dans le nouveau projet de loi sur l’aide médicale à mourir
Federal Budget to be unveiled November 5
The Federal Budget will be tabled in Parliament on Thursday, November 5. Inclusion Canada staff will be carefully reviewing the budget and providing commentary following its release. We are hoping to see progress from the Government of Canada in several policy areas to help people with intellectual disabilities and their families live fully inclusive lives.
To see our five priority budget recommendations, please review our submission
https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/451/FINA/Brief/BR14126178/br-external/InclusionCanada-e.pdf
InclusionCanada-067-250806-046-f.pdf
Please keep an eye on our website, social media platforms for our response to the budget. Inclusion Canada is active on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky and Instagram. We will also provide updates in the November newsletter.
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National Round Table on Inclusive Education:
October 14-15, 2026
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A National Round Table on Inclusive Education October 14-15 brought together more than 140 participants from across Canada to Fredericton, New Brunswick for meaningful dialogue and a shared commitment to strengthening education for all learners.
Families, educators, researchers, self-advocates, organizations, and government partners explored one central question: How do we create education systems where every learner belongs, participates, and thrives? Through lived experience, research, policy discussions, and practical solutions, attendees exchanged ideas and strengthened a collective vision for advancing education across the country.
The event featured insightful presentations and panel discussions examining education from local, national, and international perspectives.
A dynamic opening panel was moderated by Diane Richler, former Chair of the International Disability Alliance. It helped set the stage for the conversations that followed.
We were pleased to have Dr. João Costa, former Minister of Education for Portugal and current Director with the European Agency for Inclusive Education. Also participating was Jamie Cooke, Executive Director of Inclusion International who is based in Scotland.
The event also highlighted the importance of lived experience. Inclusion Canada's Charlotte Pyke shared her family's journey. Charlotte has four siblings and her oldest brother has an intellectual disability.
The Round Table welcomed New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt who provided remarks along with Claire Johnson, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister Johnson's attendance on both days was appreciated as was the participation from her department staff.
Attendees challenged assumptions, shared promising practices, identified barriers, and explored opportunities for collective action. The discussions demonstrated that meaningful change depends on collaboration across sectors, strong leadership, and a commitment to ensuring every learner can learn alongside their peers in a common learning environment.
Thank you to everyone who came to Fredericton and participated, You are helping shape the next steps toward a future where every learner belongs and has the opportunity to thrive.
Pictured top row: Andrea Cameron (Executive Director, Inclusive Education Canada)
Pictured bottom row: Charlotte Pyke (Project Officer, Inclusion Canada), Gordon Porter (Executive Director, Inclusive Education Canada), and Dr. João Costa (Director with the European Agency).
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Inclusion Canada’s CEO, Krista Carr, received the Honourable Frank McKenna award from the Canadian Public Policy Forum at an event held in Moncton, New Brunswick October 29.
The award recognizes outstanding Atlantic Canadians whose vision, ingenuity, and leadership have strengthened public policy throughout the region and the country.
This is a well deserved recognition for Krista due to her tireless work on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Krista has made it well known that she doesn’t wish to receive any awards or personal recognition. She has done this work for over 30 years because she truly wants a country where everyone belongs and is valued for their contributions and abilities.
Below is an excerpt of her remarks.
“The gap between Canada’s stated values and the lived reality of individuals and families remains far too wide. We should measure the success of our public policy not only by the strength of our economy or of our public institutions but by whether people who have historically been excluded see and feel the difference those policies make in their everyday life."
"Awards like this recognize work that has already been done. But they also remind us of the work that remains. My hope is that we continue to have the courage to challenge what we have come to accept, the humility to listen to those whose voices have been overlooked, and the determination to build a Canada where inclusion is not simply an aspiration but a lived reality.”
Thank you to the Public Policy Forum and Honourable Frank McKenna for the honour. Congratulations also to the other honorees, Don Mills and Chief Terry Richardson of Pabineau First Nation for their achievements.
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Inclusion Canada in Action
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Milestone Anniversary of the Eve Case
40 years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada made a groundbreaking ruling that stopped people from forcing adults with intellectual disabilities to be sterilized.
The court matter is known as the “Eve” case.
A mother on Prince Edward Island went to court to get permission to have her 24-year-old daughter, "Eve," sterilized. Eve had an intellectual disability. The mother was worried that Eve might get pregnant and that she would not be able to care for a baby. The Supreme Court of Canada ultimately ruled that the answer was no. That unless a medical operation is necessary to save a person's life or treat a serious illness, no one else—not even a parent or a judge—has the right to take away a person's ability to have children without their consent.
The unanimous ruling proved that people with intellectual disabilities have the exact same right to control their own bodies as everyone else.
It was a massive victory for self advocates and disability rights groups.
We thank Dulcie McCallum for sharing her reflections with us on this case. Dulcie is a prominent human rights lawyer, author, and fierce advocate for the equality and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. McCallum served as Ombudsperson for the Province of British Columbia, Special Advisor to Canada's Delegation to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Nova Scotia Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Read the blog in English here >
Read the blog in French here >
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Inclusion Canada in the News
Our work continued to make headlines in October
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Following the October 27 and 7th federal MAiD announcements, Inclusion Canada's CEO, Krista Carr, spoke with CTV News about the permanent exclusion of mental illness as a sole underlying condition for MAiD, and the proposed legislation on advance requests.
Carr was also interviewed by Postmedia in a story that appeared nationally.
Critics cheer MAID mental illness ban, but fear advance requests | Toronto Sun
Inclusion Canada appeared in over 200 broacast, web and print stories on these issues.
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2025-2026: A Year of IMPACT
We are pleased to share Inclusion Canada's Impact Report for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year that ended in June.
The report shows the impact of our work made possible because of the support of people like you.
Thank you for being part of the movement for inclusion.
Read it in English here >
Read it in French here >
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Our Federation - Provincial/Territorial Member Updates
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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!
- In 2023, Inclusion NB introduced an award in honour of the late David Jory, A parent from Saint John, Jory was a strong advocate for inclusive education for over 40 years and had an unrelenting passion for human rights. This year's recipient of the David Jory Award, is Gordon Porter, Executive Director of Inclusive Education Canada. Porter has been a champion for inclusive education through over four decades of systemic reform, policy advising, international training and human rights advocacy.. We extend our sincere congratulations to Gordon. To learn more: The 2026 Dr. David Jory Award - Inclusion NB
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Community Living Ontario is celebrating 30 years of advocacy and leadership by inviting people with lived experience to share their stories. The campaign highlights the power of self-advocacy and the many ways people use their voices to create change. Send your submission to communications@communitylivingontario.ca by December 1, 2026.
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SQDI is hosting its major gathering November 12 and 13, 2026, at the Lévis Convention Centre. They will celebrate the SQDI’s 75th anniversary with a special program. Under the theme “Take a Stand!”, the event will highlight the SQDI’s priorities, along with those of the broader intellectual disability community. It will also emphasize the importance of political engagement and collective mobilization to advance issues affecting people with intellectual disabilities. Thursday, November 12, features a banquet to celebrate the SQDI’s 75th anniversary inviting people with intellectual disabilities, member organizations, partners and collaborators. Friday, November 13, will feature three sessions of workshops and presentations. Register here: Grand Gathering on Intellectual Disability 2026 Grand rendez-vous de la déficience intellectuelle - SQDI
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Inclusion BC is holding a youth employment summit November 27th in Burnaby. It is inviting local employers to become exhibitors and connect with youth ages 15-30 with disabilities who are exploring their future careers. The purpose is to have employers meet emerging talent, inspire career possibilities and build a more inclusive workforce. For more details and to register, please contact employment@inclusionbc.org.
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Inclusion Alberta is hosting its Changing Lives, Changing Communities Fundraising Breakfast Events. They are scheduled for: Nov 5th, 7:30am - 8:30am Edmonton Inn (11834 Kingsway) and Nov 17th, 7:30am - 8:30am Calgary Sheraton Eau Claire (255 Barclay Parade SW). Learn more here
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PEI Association for Community Living is holding community workshops on "Persons with Intellectual Disabilities & the Justice System on PEI". PEI ACL is inviting people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and support persons, to join them for one of three upcoming community workshops focused on experiences with the justice system in PEI. See more information here
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