September 2025

Barrier-Free Benefits Program: NOW LAUNCHED!

Our new program, Barrier-Free Benefits, has finally launched! We are so excited to see this much-needed program finally get started for individuals and families.

This program offers FREE, one-on-one help with disability benefits. Our Navigators will be here to help you apply for benefits like:

• Disability Tax Credit (DTC)
• Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
• Canada Disability Benefit (CDB)
• Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)
• ... and others.

We can also provide general information and advice on filing your taxes and links to free services. We’ll walk you through the process — from start to finish.

We will have 5 navigators covering the Western, Northern, Central, Atlantic, and Quebec regions. Services will be tailored to each person's location and circumstances.

If you or your family member needs help navigating the process of applying for federal disability benefits, we will be there to help at every step along the way, and at your pace.

Visit our website for more information on the program, how to contact our navigators, and the various services they provide.

We encourage you to share this news widely within your own circles and networks!


EN Website >

FR Website >

16th Annual Policy Forum on Inclusion - Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open for this year's policy forum. The theme is "What's holding us back? The future of inclusive education in Canada."

This year’s policy forum will be a 3-part virtual series exploring the realities of inclusive education in Canada. The series will bring together self-advocates, family members, educators, and policy experts. Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities says that people with disabilities have a right to an inclusive education at all levels. We will explore what gets in the way of these rights in Canada and highlight examples of how we can overcome these barriers together. 

Format: 3-part virtual event via Zoom webinar. The forum will include a series of panels and interactive Question & Answer periods. Panels include perspectives of lived experience from people with an intellectual disability and families, as well as research and policy expertise.

3-part virtual event via Zoom webinar

• Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 7pm-8:30pm Eastern
• Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 7pm-8:30pm Eastern
• Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 7pm-8:30pm Eastern 

Click on the links below to register.



Launch of the National Exclusion Tracker

The National Exclusion Tracker is a tool launched by Family Support Institute of BC, in partnership with Inclusive Education Canada. This is a tool for families to report and track their own or their children's experiences of exclusion from inclusive education. Whether that is being excluded from learning, sent home, not being included in class activities, field trips, extracurricular activities, or being denied access to child care / out-of-school care. If a child or youth feels excluded, it counts.

If you have a story to share, please do so. Stories are what drive change, and we hope to use these stories in our advocacy work.

Visit the website >

The Future of Supports in Inclusive Hiring: Innovative Practices from the Field

Join our staff at our Ready, Willing & Able initiative on October 8 at 12PM EST for a webinar on "The Future of Supports in Inclusive Hiring: Innovative Practices from the Field!"

Hear from agencies at the forefront of the shift to embrace innovation, flexibility, and person-centred approaches. Learn practical knowledge and forward-looking ideas to shape the future of inclusive hiring.

More information and registration here: https://rwawebinar2025.eventbrite.ca

Inclusion Canada in Action

• Inclusion Canada staff attended Community Living Ontario's Inspiring Possibilities Conference. Natalia Hicks, Director of Community Justice and Health Equity, spoke on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Income Security and other strategic priorities. We also introduced our new Barrier-Free Benefits program to the participants.

• Inclusion Canada staff were thrilled to participate as a charitable organization in Allstate Canada's Day of Service. Together we strategized on how to raise public awareness about inclusive housing for people with intellectual disabilities. Thank you to Allstate Canada for their continued support to our My Home My Community work.  

• Thank you to Inclusion NB for inviting Inclusion Canada to their 2025 AGM. Tara Levandier, Executive Director of Operations & Social Impact, gave the keynote address, highlighting shared issues in inclusive education, income security, and medical assistance in dying legislation.  

• On September 23, Jeff Ferguson, Executive Director of Knowledge Mobilization and Transformation, represented the National Disability Network—of which Inclusion Canada is a member—at the raising of the Deaf Flag on Parliament Hill. Organized by the Canadian Association of the Deaf, the ceremony marked the International Day of Sign Languages and the International Week of Deaf People.

• From September 15-17, Inclusion Canada staff and board members participated in Inclusion International's World Congress in Sharjah . They spoke on various themes, including MAID Track 2 as a warning sign to other countries and the importance of family leadership in the inclusion movement. Over 72 countries came together spanning 4 days to collaborate, network, and learn from each other on inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities. See pictures below 👇

Inclusion Canada CEO Krista Carr

Inclusion Canada Past-President Robin Acton

Inclusion Canada President Moira Wilson

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!

• Community Living Ontario hosted its 2025 Inspiring Possibilities AGM & Conference in London, Ontario, where they discussed the challenges and celebrated strides within the Community Living Movement. A keynote speech was delivered by Madison Tevlin, a well-known self-advocate and Hollywood star.

• As Albertans prepare to vote for school trustees on October 20, they should know that some school divisions still utilize the practice of seclusion rooms. Inclusion Alberta continues to call for a ban on these practices, and has compiled an informational page about seclusion rooms, where they exist, and what you can do. Read more here.