Position Statements

Inclusion Canada Position Statements make clear Inclusion Canada’s position on key priority areas. Our position statements are grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and informed by people with an intellectual disability, their families, our provincial-territorial member organizations, and our Board of Directors.

Income Security

Watch the Our Take webinar – Inclusion Canada’s Position on Income Security Below!

Inclusive and Affordable Housing

Watch the Our Take webinar – Inclusion Canada’s Position on Inclusive & Affordable Housing Below!

Employment

Position on Employment

Plain English Format – Position on Employment

Watch the Our Take webinar – Inclusion Canada’s Position on Employment Below!

Legal Capacity

Position on Legal Capacity

Access to Healthcare

Position on Access to Healthcare

Plain English Format – Position on Access to Healthcare

Position on Medical Assistance in Dying

Plain English Format – Position on Medical Assistance in Dying

Position on Genetic and Prenatal Testing Technologies

Watch our webinar on our new Position Statement on Access to Healthcare below!

Position on Access to Justice

Plain Language Format – Position on Access to Justice

We’re celebrating our 60th Anniversary this year!

How has CACL impacted your life or the life of a loved one? Want to give a shout out to the work that we do? Sign our virtual guestbook by leaving a comment below!

CACL is a family-based association assisting people with an intellectual disability and their families to lead the way in advancing inclusion in their own lives and in their communities. Without the support of families and self-advocates we would not have progressed as far as we have in the last six decades.

Of course, things are not perfect. CACL will continue to work towards an inclusive Canada.

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Keep up-to-date with Inclusion Canada’s national and international work through our monthly Inclusion Matters newsletter. Sign up here to receive a copy straight to your inbox.

View past issues:

2024

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2023

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2022

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2021

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2020

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2019

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2018

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2017

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About Us

Originally incorporated on February 10, 1986, the Inclusion Canada Foundation is a registered Canadian Public Foundation (BN 89163 4974 RR0001) and is directly responsible for raising critical funds to support Inclusion Canada’s work in:

Strengthening Families – Inclusion Canada works to strengthen families by helping them gain access to the best possible options and choices available to their child or family member with an intellectual disability.

Defending Rights – As a national organization, Inclusion Canada defends rights through policy work, public education, and intervening in legal cases where the rights of persons with an intellectual disability and their families are at stake.

Transforming Communities – Inclusion Canada transforms communities by motivating community leadership and encouraging key sectors to adopt inclusive practices. They work with educators, healthcare workers, cities, and more to provide the tools and information they need to become inclusive of all.

Our Mission

The Inclusion Canada Foundation is committed to creating inclusive communities in Canada and around the world where people with intellectual disabilities and their families are welcomed, valued and belong as contributing members. We raise funds and engage donors to assist Inclusion Canada to be a national and international leader for inclusion – in sharing information, training leaders, fostering public dialogue, connecting people and opportunities, seeding innovation and supporting research.

Our Vision

The Inclusion Canada Foundation will be a catalyst for Canada as a world leader in creating and sustaining an inclusive society.

Foundation Board of Directors

Elected Officers

Zuhy Sayeed, Co-Chair

Claudia Semaniuk, Co-Chair

Barb MacIntyre, Treasurer

Directors

Gloria Mahussier

Tracy Holod

Open minds to inclusion.

People who are informed about and committed to human rights and inclusion are the most powerful drivers for change. To end exclusion, Inclusion Canada illustrates the injustices and barriers still faced by too many people with an intellectual disability and their families and aims to invite others to take up the cause, turning ordinary citizens into champions for inclusion across Canada.

You can help us spread the word.

Inclusion Canada hosts free, 45-minute Inspiring Inclusion Tours to raise awareness of Inclusion Canada’s work toward building an inclusive Canada for people with an intellectual disability and their families.

These tours include powerful stories from people who have been supported through our organization, along with information about myths and facts around intellectual disability and our work to advance rights and reduce barriers in Canada.

Inclusion Canada’s vision is an inclusive Canada where people with an intellectual disability and their families are valued equally and able to participate fully in all aspects of society. We work to achieve this by strengthening families, defending rights, and transforming communities.

We would love to share with you our work toward a more inclusive Canada, and invite you to join us at one of our upcoming Inspiring Inclusion Tours. Additionally, we welcome invitations from businesses, not-for-profits, service clubs, recreation and volunteer groups, and coffee groups – we want to share our story with all members of our community, and we’ll come to you!

For more information or to host your own session as an Inspiring Inclusion Ambassador, please contact our staff at 416-661-9611 ext. 233 or email giving@inclusioncanada.ca.

Inclusion Canada’s corporate and foundation partners are crucial to building our programs for people with an intellectual disability and their families, and we are grateful for their unique and valued contributions.

Our flexible approach to partnerships ensures that your involvement with us is tailored to meet not only our goals, but yours as well. When your organization partners with Inclusion Canada, you become part of a group of like-minded people working to create immediate and lasting change in the lives of people with an intellectual disability and their families.

Here’s How Your Organization Can Join Us

Annual Support

Undesignated annual support gives Inclusion Canada the flexibility to direct your contribution to the area of most need.

Project Support

Your organization can directly support one of our current projects by choosing a specific project or initiative to focus your organization’s giving toward. We will provide progress reports across the lifespan of your project.

Cause-related Marketing

Most consumers agree that – price and quality being equal – they’re more likely to buy a product or service that’s associated with a cause they care about. Cause-related marketing is a powerful way to link your products and services with Inclusion Canada; strengthening your customers’ loyalty to you while helping people with an intellectual disability and their families across Canada.

Matching Gifts

Many companies will match any charitable contributions made by their employees either directly or via their corporate/employee foundations. To find out if your company has a matching gift policy that will double your support to Inclusion Canada, please contact your Human Resources or Charitable Giving departments.

Depending upon your employer’s program, recent donations you’ve made to Inclusion Canada may be eligible for matching. Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or their employees’ spouses.

If you are interested in discussing how your company or foundation can support Inclusion Canada, please connect with us at giving@inclusioncanada.ca.

Because everyone has something to give.

Have you considered the change you could make in the world for people with an intellectual disability and their families, if you could make just one substantial gift? For many donors, the best way to see your vision accomplished is to make a legacy gift, knowing that your thoughtful generosity will continue to help Inclusion Canada build a more inclusive future for all.

Giving to Inclusion Canada means you truly understand that inclusion—full citizenship and broad participation in every aspect of everyday life— means a better life for people with an intellectual disability, their families, and the rest of our community.

Planning a legacy gift is one of the most effective ways to help Inclusion Canada continue to address barriers to inclusion well into the future. Not only can you help ensure that our efforts in strengthening families, defending rights, and transforming communities have lasting impact, but you can also reduce your taxes, supplement your income, and maximize the benefits to your estate and its beneficiaries.

We are happy to support your gift planning in any way possible and encourage you to consult with your legal or financial advisor about the best giving option for you.

What Can You Give?

Making a legacy gift can be very rewarding. With a little advance planning, you can demonstrate your enduring commitment to the Inclusion Canada Foundation and the many programs and services it helps make possible.

Bequests – The Simplest Way to Give

By naming the Inclusion Canada Foundation as a beneficiary in your Will, you can make a significant gift that might not have been otherwise affordable during your lifetime. A bequest gift will also generate significant tax credits that will help offset the final taxes payable by your estate.

Learn more about bequest gifts here.

Life Insurance – A Flexible, Cost-Effective Way to Give Generously

When you designate the Inclusion Canada Foundation as the owner and beneficiary of a new or existing life insurance policy — on which you continue to pay premiums — you receive a charitable receipt for the fair market value (FMV) of the policy and for all future premiums paid. However, if you choose to name the Inclusion Canada Foundation as a beneficiary only, then the policy proceeds will be paid directly to the Inclusion Canada Foundation upon death and your estate will receive the donation receipt. The generous tax credits that result can then be used by your estate to offset taxes owing on up to 100% of your taxable income.

Appreciated Securities – Tax Preferred Giving

Funding a charitable gift with appreciated securities (publicly listed stocks, mutual fund units, etc.) is often a better option for funding an outright gift than writing a cheque, because the capital gain in a gift of qualifying securities is now completely exempt from taxation. 

Have an idea that you don’t see listed here?

Please contact Jason Carr, Executive Director of Community Engagement & Development, at 416-661-9611 ext. 201 or by email at jcarr@inclusioncanada.ca for more information and to discuss your legacy gift options. Determining what gift is right for you is just as important as your decision to make a gift.

Please note that the information above does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be substituted for appropriate professional counsel. The Inclusion Canada Foundation encourages you to seek qualified, legal and financial advice before deciding on a course of action.

Inclusion Canada’s national federation includes 13 Provincial/Territorial member organizations and over 300 local associations. As part of an international federation, Inclusion Canada is a member of Inclusion Inter-Americana and Inclusion International, the regional and global federations working to advance the full inclusion and human rights of people with an intellectual disability and their families.