Families who have a family member with an intellectual disability disproportionately face poverty, labour force exclusion, and social exclusion in their communities, and are without needed supports.
Families supporting a family member with an intellectual disability must have the supports and services necessary to assure the full inclusion of their family member. Including a family member with an intellectual disability within the family unit must not negatively impact a family’s economic security and financial well‐being. An inclusive and accessible Canada recognizes that families are the fundamental unit of our society and that families provide an essential bridge to the realization of citizenship and the full inclusion of their family members with disabilities.
Families access the supports and opportunities they need to assure inclusion for family members with an intellectual disability through their lifetimes, and to secure family social and economic well-being.
A defined role for Inclusion Canada in supporting families who have a family member with an intellectual disability.
Current Work
Inclusion Canada’s Values, Vision, and Action Workshops are weekend retreats provided to groups of 20-25 family members in communities across the country, in partnership with our provincial-territorial members. The workshop is highly interactive, consisting of individual and panel presentations, small group sessions, and a variety of informational videos. Participants gain a deeper understanding of the history, values, and vision of the inclusion movement, the changing perspectives on disability within our society, and the role families can play in translating this vision into a ‘good life’ for our family members.
Families’ values, vision, passion and commitment have inspired and led this movement for over 60 years. The purpose of the leadership series is to share our values and vision and to provide resources, support and tools to assist families in imagining change, pursuing it, connecting for social change and leading the way to inclusion.
Inclusion Canada’s Family Voices Task Force is a committee of the Inclusion Canada Board of Directors comprised of family members from across Canada. This Task Force produces the Coming Together… to Create Change national family newsletter, works on shared policy agendas, and advises Inclusion Canada on its work. The Task Force has also produced a Family Lens Document to support organizations in their considerations of families in their work.
Click here for resources on support to families.
