Member IL Centre Profiles

IL Centre Resource Map

Listed below by year founded are all the Member IL Centres.
We asked each Centre to answer 6 questions in their own words to create this Resource Map.
Click on each Member Centre name to expand the profile information.

 

    

 

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Founded in 1982 as one of Canada's first Independent Living Centres, we've supported people with disabilities for over 40 years with resilience and adaptability. Despite government and societal changes, we continue to deliver key programs—including Attendant Services, Direct Funding, and our Community Resource Program—while staying responsive to evolving needs. Our commitment to independence and choice remains at the core of everything we do.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • ILWR is known for supporting people with disabilities across four (4) programs: Attendant Services, Community Resource, Direct Funding, and the Access Fund.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We want our centre to be known as a trusted leader in supporting and championing Independent Living for persons with disabilities through self-directed programs and services. Our goal is to continue growing while serving as a key resource on inclusion and disability issues, delivering impactful programs like Attendant Services and the Community Resource Program.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • PWD aged 16+
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Peer support and information & networking are core to our centre's impact. We build community through inclusive social activities and provide one-on-one guidance from staff with lived experience, helping individuals navigate barriers and access essential resources to live independently.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • it is an ongoing challenge to secure adequate and consistent funding, especially for our Community Resource Program. Youth in Motion: A safe, inclusive space for young adults (16–24) with disabilities to connect, build friendships, and prepare for independent living. Through a mix of virtual meet ups, in-person sessions at Communitech, and a free summer retreat, participants engage in games, crafts, discussions, and shared experiences. The program fosters personal growth, peer support, and lasting connections in a fun and supportive environment.

5-calgary

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • I believe our centre's greatest strength is the unwavering passion and dedication of our team. Everyone at ILRCC genuinely cares about our clients on a personal level. This deep care drives us to tailor our programs in ways that not only support our clients' goals but also challenge them to grow and reach their full potential. Our motivation to create a positive, inclusive, and opportunity-rich environment stems from this shared commitment.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Our centre is known for providing personalized, inclusive support that goes beyond programs. People come to us for life skills training, social connection, and help navigating funding, respite care, and interpreter services. Whether clients know what they need or not, we guide them every step of the way to help them thrive.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We want to be known for always doing everything we can to meet each individual's needs with compassion, empathy, kindness, and grace. Our hope is that everyone who walks through our doors leaves with a positive impression, feeling seen, heard, and supported.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • The largest demographic we currently support is adults between the ages of 30 and 40 with mental and cognitive disabilities. In addition, we work with a significant number of Deaf clients, though this group spans a wider age range. Our programs and services are designed to be adaptable and inclusive, ensuring we can meet the unique needs of all individuals who come through our doors.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • I believe we truly excel in Independent Living (IL) skills development. Our approach is flexible and inclusive—we understand that each client is at a different stage in their journey and requires support that is tailored to their unique strengths, challenges, and goals. We emphasize hands-on learning and provide space for trial and error, allowing clients to grow without fear of judgment.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Some emerging gaps or needs include: enhancing ILRCC's social media presence, working toward developing a comprehensive, user-friendly website that consolidates relevant and current information on local resources in Calgary, more  accessible mental health services, transitional supports (ex: high school to adulthood)

13-toronto

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • unwavering commitment to the Independent Living (IL) philosophy and consumer-led structure— “for people with disabilities… by people with disabilities.”
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • The most in-demand services are the Direct Funding (DF) program—which allows Ontarians with disabilities to hire and manage their own attendants—and the Attendant Service Application Centre (ASAC), a centralized access point for attendant services in Toronto and York Region. CILT also offers skills training, peer support, service navigation, disability inclusion training (IDE+A), parenting support, and facilitates the GTA Disability Coalition.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • CILT's evolving vision is working to support the social and economic equity of people with disabilities. We will continue to advance the Independent Living principles of empowering people with disabilities to lead and make decisions about their own lives. We have also taken significant steps to incorporate equity practices to support our goals of diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • CILT primarily serves adults with physical disabilities in the GTA and across Ontario through the Direct Funding (DF) program and the Attendant Service Application Centre (ASAC). These programs support thousands of consumers. Beyond DF and ASAC, CILT reaches a broader disability community through initiatives like IDE+A (disability inclusion training), the Parenting with a Disability Network, and Independent Living skills training, peer support, and service navigation. Newcomers are an audience we are trying to reach out to more but not there yet.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Independent Living skills development is a central pillar for CILT. From the Direct Funding (DF) program that allows people with disabilities to manage attendant care to our Core programs that empower consumers on how to direct their own lives.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Accessible and affordable housing, povery reduction, comprehensive data of PWD and their struggles

8-thunderbay

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our greatest strength is our ability to adapt while staying rooted in the Independent Living philosophy. Guided by lived experience, our small, dedicated team fosters inclusion, peer connection, and a welcoming space. We continuously evolve through participant feedback to keep our programs responsive and relevant.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • We're known for being a safe, accessible space where people can connect to community, resources, and support that meet them where they're at. People often come to us for help navigating systems, disability-related barriers and services, and for peer support. We're also recognized for our Essential Product Cabinet, which provides community members with necessities in a way that respects dignity and choice. In addition, we're well known for our employment programs, which support a wide range of participants in building skills, gaining experience, and finding meaningful work opportunities.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We want to be known as a hub for disability leadership, community building, and systemic change, where people not only access support but also co-create programs, shape local advocacy, and influence broader conversations around disability justice. We also hope to grow our rural and Indigenous outreach, ensuring our services reflect the full diversity of the communities we serve.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Our largest demographic includes adults with disabilities who are navigating poverty, isolation, and system complexity. Many participants are living on fixed incomes, dealing with housing insecurity, and seeking connection, advocacy, or help with day-to-day needs.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • We excel most in Peer Support and Skill Development. Whether it's informal connections through drop-in activities or structured support around system navigation, our participants consistently reflect how meaningful it is to talk to someone who understands disability from lived experience. We are intentional about creating low-barrier spaces where people can share, listen, and grow together.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • We're seeing growing need in areas like mental health support, cost-of-living relief, and access to safe, affordable housing. Many of our participants are also facing digital exclusion, which limits access to services and isolation. There is also a need for culturally relevant programming, especially for Indigenous and racialized disabled people. Lastly, more people are expressing interest in systems change and want to get involved in advocacy but need support to do so accessibly.

20-monteregie

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • The greatest strength of our centre is having a very present board of directors who work to find different possible solutions to help people living with disabilities.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • People come to us because they know we are proactive and recognized for our availability and presence on the ground. Our well-known services include physical assistance and our quick response to support the community.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We would like to be recognized throughout the province as a point of reference for our generosity and our human approach.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • The largest demographic group we serve is people aged 18 to 35 with various disabilities.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Regarding the four pillars, we strive to serve all four. If I had to choose one, it would be peer support. We focus on what we can do to provide the maximum available service to our users. Our main mandate is to provide as many services as possible to people who request our help, whether it be for adapted transportation, wheelchairs, or helping them get out of their daily routine to attend different shows or events they might not otherwise be able to experience.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • The new needs we have for our users would include a building and land donated by the city so we could offer respite to parents and welcome different people living with disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, or physical disabilities.

15-kingston

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Direct funding, lending library, women's programs
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Our centre is known as the “hub” for disability resources is in our community. People come to us for many reasons but the most common is for assistance with systems navigation. We offer wrap around supports on disability issues which means that we address all issues and concerns that individuals with disabilities have. Some of the most common requests are for accessing income supports, housing options, and mental health programs.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • Accessible yoga post move, community centre type feel, better outside space
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Homeless people, mental health, physical, 40-70yo,
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Info and referral, income support, encompasses many services
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Lack of beneficial services, mental health lacking, housing resources, lacking rehab centres, lacking accessibility, financial inequality and lacking resources to get financial assistance

12-ottawa

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • We have a strong sense of community and all our programs and membership are free of charge and accessible to all no matter their financial status.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Our peer support program is the main program we see people engaging with us in, followed by the direct funding program. Mainly to attend our activities and workshops.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We want to be known as a leader in our community with how we run our programs and engage with our membership. By following the IL Canada philosophy, we are able to embody true self-determination and skill development as directed by our community.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • People with disabilities (across disabilities) from 25-40, however, we serve all ages and do have all ages from 16+ registered with us and regularly attending programs.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • We believe that the peer support pillar is where we excel the most, and we are able to provide services to a large number of people within our community.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Other programs (aside from ours) that offer free programs or at least affordable programming. Transit could be more accessible.

1-victoria

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • The Victoria Disability Resource Centre's greatest strength is its deeply person-centred, lived-experience approach to supporting people with disabilities. This unique lived-experience foundation fosters genuine connections and empowers clients with dignity and respect.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Information and Referral, Peer Support and Social Connection, LEAD, Friendly staff
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • A leader in delivering comprehensive, individualized support across all aspects of independent living
    • Strong voice in community development, influencing policy and social change
    • Innovative peer-led programs, especially for those experiencing invisible disabilities, chronic illness, and mental health disabilities
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Adults with disabilities of all ages, but the largest demographic includes individuals aged 40–70
    • With mobility, chronic pain, neurological, mental health, or invisible disabilities
    • On fixed incomes, e.g., Persons with Disabilities (PWD) benefits, CPP Disability
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Information and Referral: Staff combine professional knowledge with personal lived experience, delivering guidance that's practical, relatable, and empathetic
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Clients struggling with digital tools, affordable and accessible housing, mental health support, navigation of new disability benefits, support for invisible disabilities, expensive and inaccessible transit
    • LEAD: successful and well received, storytelling to raise awareness and combat stigma, students often report better understanding of the realities of PWD, teachers frequently rebook sessions

16-niagara

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Information coming soon.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Information coming soon.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • Information coming soon.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Information coming soon.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Information coming soon.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Information coming soon.

2-cowichan

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our greatest strength is our relationship within the community they seem to embrace and appreciate our services and because of that we have noticed through word of mouth our medical loans program is starting grow
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • On a daily basis most of our clientele come in for our free income tax program, medical loans and of course disability parking placards
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We are hoping that we can restart some of our in house programs once funding has been secured. This will include some Art programs, advocacy, and game/movie day's
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Definitely seniors make up a huge portion of our clientele and of course people with disabilities.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Information and networking would be the strength for this centre we provide answers an direction to people constantly through out the day. Anything from housing information, resources to take care of elderly parents, programs for persons with disabilities in the Cowichan valley. In addition to those we help people who struggle with computers and paperwork to fill out forms online and or mail/fax applications for them.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • People in the Cowichan Valley are struggling to find any medical professional to fill out forms pertaining to the disability tax credit, pwd, work safe and any other medical portion that is required. A large portion of our clients do not have a primary care physician.

21-abitibitemiskaming

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • We create a welcoming, supportive environment that is deeply informed by the real-world experiences of people with disabilities. This ensures our services are relevant, person-centred, and genuinely empowering.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • We're known as an innovator in the world of accessibility. People come to us for our progressive approach to inclusion, our leadership in removing physical and systemic barriers, and our strong commitment to creating accessible environments for people of all ages and abilities.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We aim to be recognized as a leader in shaping universal accessibility standards and inclusive design. Our goal is to not only respond to barriers but to influence how spaces, systems, and communities are built with accessibility and inclusion at their core.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • We serve individuals with disabilities from age 4 and up, encompassing a wide range of needs and abilities.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • We excel in peer support, which is the heart of everything we do. Our programs are built on shared experience, creating strong connections between individuals with disabilities.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • There is a growing need for universal accessibility and true inclusion in all community spaces. Many individuals with disabilities still face environments where they are not welcomed, included, or considered.

7-saskatoon

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our greatest strength is our cross-disability, community-driven approach. Majority of our decision-makers live with disabilities themselves, ensuring that our programs are built on lived experience, empathy, and genuine understanding.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Entrepreneurship support, Skill development and pre-employment training, peer support groups, mental health counselling
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We aim to be recognized as a hub for innovation and inclusive leadership—a place where people with disabilities not only access services but shape them. We want to expand our reach in community development and advocacy, helping to redesign systems and spaces to be more inclusive for all.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Our largest demographic includes adults with self-declared disabilities, mental health barriers, or long-term health conditions. We serve individuals across all backgrounds, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • We excel most in the area of Peer Support, particularly through our Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP). This initiative creates a powerful peer-led environment where individuals with disabilities build businesses, access mentorship, and develop entrepreneurial skills alongside others who share similar lived experiences.
    • Through EDP, participants gain one-on-one coaching tailored to their business goals, group workshops that build confidence and foster community, direct access to networks of support, including other entrepreneurs with disabilities and sector professionals
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Accessible mental health support, Digital literacy training, Support navigating social systems (including housing and employment, filling out forms), Culturally responsive programming that reflects the diversity of our community
    • Mental health couselling: recently came back in March, It is a good service to offer our clients when they need it the most especially for those with financial barriers.

6-regina

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our Team!  We have an incredible corporate culture.  When staff join SSILC they rarely leave.  We have some employees in their third decade of employment!  We truly are a ‘work family' with shared believes and values in how we live IL philosophy in all we do!
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • We're known as a welcoming hub that connects Consumers to over 200 community partners. Our key strengths are in employment support through programs like Employment Services, Entrepreneurs with Disabilities, and Business of Living for youth. We're also recognized for our Supported Independent Living Program, helping individuals with cognitive disabilities live and work independently.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • As the first choice for people wanting to work in the disability sector or those PWD needing support
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Our largest demographic includes individuals facing socio-economic barriers, with a strong representation of Indigenous, newcomer, and visible minority communities. Most participants are adults aged 25–60, with a nearly even gender split across programs. Youth ages 14-18 and individuals with cognitive disabilities are also key groups served.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Peer support is the strongest pillar as we embrace peer-to-peer in our work with each other, with consumers, and support consumers in peer-to-peer engagement.  Again, all four pillars are intrinsically woven into all of our programs and into our strategic values
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Supporting newcomers to Canada is likely the largest growing area of need for SSILC.

4-vernon

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Support, youth group, mental health support, skills development
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Reference for housing, parking permit, navigating systems, filling forms
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • Future support programs, anti-racism
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • New immigrants, broad age range (youth 18-29)
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Independent Living Vernon centre excels at the core pillars of peer support and IL Skills, even though we often are doing things like collecting data for further community development and strongly supporting networking within the community and surrounding area. We are currently running two main peer support programs which of course focus on social support and building communication skills, but one of the peer support groups geared for youth/young adults further encourages the growth of IL Skills. Constantly we are also helping numerous individuals in this community and surrounding areas with building their own strengths, advocating for themselves, and building confidence in the skills they have to be further independent. When individuals are coming into the centre, we are often learning from each other. For example, they may be coming into ILV to obtain some brief information, but the staff of ILV is also growing by learning about possible further challenges in the community for people with disabilities that we were unaware before, or we are presented with further information that needs to be researched. Therefore, you could say that the peer support is going two ways. Another example includes how when running a program for nutrition and healthy meal planning, there is also the growth of peer support between all the group members. When the group would meet up even though the primary focus was the nutrition, there was still an undeniable exchange of additional information for emotional support and well being. I guess it could be seen how on a daily basis here at ILV we are touching on all four of the pillars, but in all areas peer support and growth of IL Skills stand out as the top successes.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Income assistance, housing, mental health, employment, building a guide to better serve members more efficiently
    • More accessible physical activities, paired with adaptive equipment and education

23-novascotia

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • ILNS's greatest strength lies in our adaptability and commitment to person-centered, trauma-informed practice. We respond to the evolving needs of persons with disabilities across Nova Scotia through individualized supports that promote choice, empowerment, and community inclusion. Our dedicated team and strong partnerships enable us to deliver high-impact programs that make independence achievable for everyone we serve.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • ILNS is recognized as a trusted provincial leader in advancing independent living and inclusion for persons with disabilities. People come to us for:
      1. Independent Living Supports (ILS) and Complex Care programs.
      2. Shared Services and Self-Manager Payroll Services pilot programs.Disability Tax Credit (DTC) Navigation across Atlantic Canada.
      3. Inclusive community initiatives like the Art of Disability Festival, Community Cooking & Connections, and the ImSET program (IndependentMindset Skills for Empowerment & Transition).
    • We are known for innovation, responsiveness, and genuine connection to the community we serve.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • ILNS strives to be recognized as a provincial and Atlantic-regional leader in:
      1. Accessible housing and individualized funding models.
      2. Innovative community living supports grounded in equity and inclusion.
      3. Policy and systems leadership in advancing the Human Rights Remedy work in Nova Scotia.
    • We want ILNS to symbolize empowerment, inclusion, and innovation — where people with disabilities define and direct their own lives.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • ILNS primarily serves adults with physical and developmental disabilities who require varying levels of support to live independently. Many of our participants are navigating transitions from institutional or shared settings to community-based living. We also support individuals facing overlapping barriers such as mental health challenges, housing insecurity, and social isolation, across both urban and rural communities.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • ILNS excels in Independent Living Skills Development and Peer Support.
      1. Through ILS, we deliver individualized, trauma-informed training that builds daily living, budgeting, and community engagement skills.
      2. Through Peer Support, we create opportunities for connection, mentorship, and shared learning — fostering belonging, confidence, and mutual empowerment.
    • These pillars are at the heart of our mission to help individuals achieve their goals on their own terms.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • We are seeing increasing needs in:
      1. Accessible and affordable housing
      2. Workforce stability within the disability support sector.
      3. Navigation of individualized and direct funding
      4. Integrated mental health and trauma-informed supports.
      5. Digital inclusion and equitable access to technology.
    • ILNS continues to respond to these challenges through collaboration, advocacy, and program innovation.

14-collingwood

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • its inclusive, hybrid delivery model and ability to reduce social isolation through engaging, accessible programming. The consistent participation numbers, breadth of programming, and adaptability (virtual + in-person) highlight a strong community presence and service delivery capacity.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Connecting with seniors program, diabetes information group
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We want our centre to be recognized not just for the array of programs and supports we offer, but for our leadership in inclusive, community-driven initiatives like our hybrid Connecting with Seniors program. We also hope to further elevate the visibility of our Direct Funding work, which remains a vital part of our commitment to self-directed, independent living for people with disabilities.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Our largest demographic includes adults of all abilities between the ages of 30 and 80. This spans members, Consumers, and the general public who access programs like Connecting with Seniors, the Diabetes Group, Direct Funding, and tax clinics. We serve a broad geographic area across Simcoe, Grey, and Bruce Counties, with the seniors' program reaching even further.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • This centre excels in peer support through both one-on-one and group-based activities like Bingo and Friendship Café. It offers strong Independent Living skills development through workshops on budgeting, cooking, digital literacy, and wellness. Information and networking are delivered through resource navigation and community programming, while partnerships, hybrid delivery, and outreach demonstrate a strong commitment to community development.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • We're seeing emerging needs in areas like mental health support, digital inclusion, and accessible housing. There's also growing engagement from younger adults with disabilities, alongside continued challenges related to transportation and mobility. These trends guide our efforts to adapt and expand our programs to meet evolving community needs.
    • Diabetes Information Group: A vital community resource offering expert-led education sessions on diabetes and pre-diabetes management. Participants benefit from nutrition-focused field trips to organic farms, grocery stores, farmers' markets, and health food stores, all within a supportive environment that fosters shared learning and community connection. With a focus on empowerment through education and healthy living, the program helps individuals take charge of their health and well-being.

9-kapuskasing

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Information coming soon.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Information coming soon.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • Information coming soon.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Information coming soon.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Information coming soon.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Information coming soon.

17-london

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our greatest strength is the strong, one-on-one relationships we build with our clients. Being a smaller centre means we can offer highly personalized support, and that makes a big difference in the lives of the people we serve.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Most people come to us for our peer support activities, which are very well-loved and central to our work.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We'd love to continue being known for our warm, community-focused peer support, while also growing our reputation as a creative hub that empowers individuals to share their voices and talents more widely.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • We primarily serve adults with physical disabilities, though our peer support activities often attract a diverse range of participants across age groups.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Our strongest pillar is definitely peer support. It's where we see the most engagement and impact, as it creates meaningful connections and fosters a sense of belonging among participants.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • We're seeing a strong need for connection, especially post-pandemic, as many individuals continue to experience isolation. There's also a need for ESL programs tailored specifically to persons with disabilities, which could help bridge language barriers and open up more opportunities for engagement.
    • Research and Community Funding: This program has been very successful so far, even though it's still in its pilot phase this year. We've sponsored farmers markets and community booths within our catchment area to empower creators from our centre to share their work and talk about what we do. Under the same umbrella, we've also created resource manuals tailored to smaller local areas. These guides are free, shareable, and bring together updated community resources in one place.

24-newfoundland

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our Centre's greatest strength is supporting our members with community engagement and supporting their skill development for independence.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • We are currently known for providing accessibility supports and offering professional development sessions on accessibility with our corporate sector
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We are keen to increase our service delivery.  We wish to provide the same services on a larger scale.  We have over 100,000 people with disabilities in our province and keen to provide education in any capacity to increase a barrier-free environment.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • The average demographic of members is between the ages of 38 - 65. These folks have many intersections including identifying with the 2SLGBTQIA+, indigenous folks as well as a minimum new comers. Many individuals we provide services to have more than one disability and seek out different services depending on their current needs and concerns.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • We excel in Peer Support through the delivery of many events and activities shared by folks with common lived experience.  We also excel in providing individuals with skill development opportunities depending on common community activities.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Increasing accessibility education, working towards Accessibility Plan completions and creating barrier-free environments with our business partners

11-parrysound

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Information coming soon.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Information coming soon.
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • Information coming soon.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Information coming soon.
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Information coming soon.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Information coming soon.

22-newbrunswick

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Human/individualized approach to providing services, collaborating with families, institutions, and partners, will for constant innovation to tackle new barriers to inclusion
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Employment aid, support which promotes independence and inclusion
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • To  be a place of innovation and inclusion. A centre that is visited not just for aid but for doing projects, achieving independence, and fully participating in society. Wanting all PWD to be welcomed, respected, and supported in their choices.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Young people with autism
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Research and Community Development (employment aid)
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Lacking autism evaluations for people in rural areas or people without a mode of transportation, support for isolated people in rural areas or people without a mode of transportation, insufficient cultural and social participation

3-richmond

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Our commitment to supporting people with diverse abilities to have the opportunity to thrive, gain independence with confidence and dignity.
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • It is wide ranging as we offer diverse and varying programming. Information and referral, life skills programs/activities, IL skills, jobs club, recreational activities, accessible parking permit program, friendships, safety
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • That we have provided each person with the skills necessary to lead a fulfilling, independent, happy, and positive life. In an ideal world, we would hope that every person no matter the disability is welcomed and accepted as integral, involved, valued members of society.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Young adults and adults
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Difficult to say as all four are intertwined. Our programs are diverse enough that we are able to work within each pillar successfully. For example, various staff attend key community committee's that contribute to the further development of the city as it pertains to persons with disabilities which in turn provides us with the opportunity to showcase our programs and services to a broader scope. Our inhouse programs and service are adaptable as needs arise. There are areas we are currently working on through our strategic planning that we will be further developing.
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Services for youth and young adults. Employment in particularly is a huge gap for that age group.

19-montreal

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Human approach anchored in lived experiences, service by PWD for PWD, treating people equally
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Members of this centre feel heard, understood, and respected, VA Montreal is a stimulating and caring space for PWD
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • A role model of inclusive pre-employment support, developing a skills development component that takes into account the cognitive, physical and psychological realities of individuals.
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • adults living with physical, neurological, or sensory disabilities, often paired with chronic pain, mental health issues, or neurodevelopmental disorders. Many live below the poverty line, disconnected from the workforce, and many experience significant loneliness. We also welcome people from diverse cultural backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ individuals
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Peer support is at the heart of what we do, staff share the same struggles and experiences as the members of the centre meaning the staff are better equipped to provide relevant support. This connection can stop isolation and elevates confidence
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Psychological distress caused by housing insecurity, inaccessible resources and fatigue from fighting for their rights. Digital disconnect: PWD are excluded from online resources because the tools were not designed inclusively and accessibly. There is a lack of structured opportunities to develop skills.

10-sudbury

  1. What is your centre's greatest strength?
    • Empowering our members to live more independently and advocate for themselves. We don't just support people—we help them discover the confidence and tools to take charge of their lives
  2. What is your centre currently known for? What do people come to you for?
    • Our vibrant peer support programs (including our popular Talk Tuesday), daily hot lunches and weekly food boxes, and community-driven events like National Accessibility Week, summer bake sales, Boss is Away Day, and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. disability consultation for businesses is included
  3. What would you like your centre to be known for in the future?
    • We envision a future where we're recognized for our fully accessible, centrally located housing and community hub and we're actively fundraising to make this dream a reality through our Accessible Housing Project
  4. What is the largest demographic your centre is currently serving?
    • Adults aged 40–65
  5. Which of the four core pillars do you feel your centre excels in most, and how?
    • Peer Support (Talk Tuesday) and Independent Living Skills Development (hands-on workshops)
  6. What emerging needs or gaps are you currently noticing in your community?
    • Real gap in supports for youth with disabilities, particularly in transitions to adulthood. We're beginning to engage with groups like the Children's Aid Society to promote the Direct Funding Program and explore new ways to better serve young people
    • Peer Support Group: We host a weekly drop-in style “sharing circle” that offers our members a welcoming space to connect. Unlike closed groups, ours is open participants can come and go as they wish. Each session is facilitated by a staff member who ensures we stick to our group agreements, keep discussions meaningful and respectful, and that everyone has a chance to contribute