Community Living Ontario (formerly ''Ontario Association for Community Living'') is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

for people with intellectual disabilities. Community Living Ontario is a confederation of more than 105 local associations (known as affiliates) and a provincial affiliate of Inclusion Canada.

History

Community Living Ontario was founded on April 27, 1953 as the Ontario Association for children with intellectual disabilities. In 1987, the name of the organization was changed to the Ontario Association for Community Living. In 2008, Community Living Ontario added eight new affiliates. In 2009, Community Living Ontario and its local affiliate members saw the closure of three remaining mass institutions for people with intellectual disabilities in Ontario. The Community Living movement is celebrated in Ontario every May with Community Living Month, highlighted by Community Living Day in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

Advocacy

The organization has been noted by a book as "one of the most influential advocacy groups in Canada" for people with intellectual disabilities. It promotes

inclusive education Inclusion in education refers to all students being able to access and gain equal opportunities to education and learning. It arose in the context of special education with an individualized education program or 504 plan, and is built on the ...

so that people with intellectual disabilities can "go with their neighbourhood friends, to their neighbourhood schools where they further their growth and development together.". It also advocates for the inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of community life. This includes advocating for de-institutionalization, with a major milestone realized in 2009 when Minister of Community and Social Services

Madeleine Meilleur Madeleine Meilleur (born November 22, 1948) is a Canadian nurse, lawyer and former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2016. She represented the riding of Ottawa—Vanier. ...

proclaimed the closure of Rideau, Huronia and the

Southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

Regional Centres. On April 1, 2009 Community Living held its 10th Annual Day at the Legislature, where close to 300 people—including people who have an intellectual disability, their families and friends, volunteers, and staff of Community Living associations, and other community advocates—joined together at Queen's Park to celebrate the closures and the dawning of a new era in Ontario. In advocating for de-institutionalization one of Community Living Ontario's current concerns is the trend toward placements in

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...

s. According to Professor Patricia Spindel, a senior adviser to the organization, people with intellectual disabilities are being increasingly funneled into nursing homes instead of other more appropriate housing options. Community Living Ontario was also an important contributor to Bill 77, the "Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act" of 2008. Seven of the fifteen recommendations made by the organization to the

Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...

were adopted. "We're very encouraged to see the concept of social inclusion named in this legislation," said Dianne Garrels-Munro, past president of Community Living Ontario.

Notes

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External links

Official Community Living Ontario websiteCanadian Association for Community Living
Health charities in Canada Medical and health organizations based in Ontario Disability rights organizations