Annual National Events
Coming together to Celebrate
Throughout the year, Independent Living Canada and our Member Centres mark key occasions that celebrate the leadership, contributions and experiences of people with disabilities. Each offers a distinct opportunity to connect, reflect on progress and advance choice, autonomy and full participation. These events express the principles that guide our work every day and bring our national movement together in recognition, dialogue and action.
National Accessibility Week
Beginning on the last Sunday in May, National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to celebrate the leadership and contributions of people with disabilities and strengthen our collective commitment to removing barriers.
At Independent Living Canada, accessibility is central to making choice, autonomy and full participation possible. Through our national network of Member Centres, we support a vision of Canada where people with disabilities direct their own lives and shape the decisions that affect them.
This week celebrates the progress driven by the Independent Living movement and recognizes the work still ahead.
What this week means to us
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Leadership through lived experience: People with disabilities must help lead the development of accessible communities, programs and services.
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Choice and self-determination: Accessibility creates opportunities for people to make their own decisions about how they live, work, learn and participate.
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Connection and peer support: Sharing experiences and knowledge strengthens individuals, communities and our national movement.
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Action to remove barriers: Lasting inclusion requires changes to physical spaces, information, technology, attitudes and policies.
Get involved—and Get Inked for IL!
IL Canada's Get Inked for IL campaign offers a simple, visible way to show your support for Independent Living. Wear an IL temporary tattoo, start a conversation and share a photo to celebrate a movement grounded in choice, dignity and belonging. Encourage your friends, colleagues and community to participate!
You can also connect with your local Member Centre, take part in community activities, share accessible resources and listen to the experiences of people with disabilities.
National AccessAbility Week connects with Independent Living Across Canada Day, celebrated on the first Monday in June, bringing our network together to honour the people, principles and community connections at the heart of Independent Living.
Together, we can turn awareness into action and create more opportunities for everyone to participate on their own terms.
Independent Living Across Canada Day
Celebrated annually on the first Monday in June, Independent Living Across Canada Day brings together Independent Living Canada, our Member Centres and communities across the country to celebrate the people, principles and achievements of the Independent Living movement.
At its heart, Independent Living is about having choice and control over your own life. It means being able to make decisions, access the supports you choose and participate in your community on your own terms. People with disabilities are the experts in their own lives, and their experiences and leadership guide our movement.
What this day means to us
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Celebrating choice and self-determination: We affirm the right of people with disabilities to direct their own lives, set their own goals and define what independence means to them.
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Honouring our movement: We recognize the individuals, advocates and Member Centres whose work has strengthened Independent Living in communities across Canada.
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Building connections through peer support: We celebrate the relationships and shared knowledge that help people explore possibilities, build confidence and support one another.
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Advancing full participation: We recognize progress while continuing to challenge the barriers that limit choice, opportunity and belonging.
Celebrate with us
Connect with your local Member Centre to learn about activities, share your own Independent Living story or help amplify the voices of people with disabilities.
You can also take part in IL Canada's Get Inked for IL campaign. Wear an IL temporary tattoo, share a photo and start a conversation about what Independent Living means to you.
Across the country, our celebrations reflect the diversity of our communities and a shared commitment: people with disabilities leading their own lives and shaping the future of Independent Living.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Recognized annually on December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an opportunity to celebrate the leadership and contributions of people with disabilities, advance their rights and strengthen our commitment to full participation.
At Independent Living Canada, this day reflects the principles that guide our work throughout the year: choice, self-determination, peer support and people with disabilities directing their own lives. Through our national network of Member Centres, we support people in exploring opportunities, sharing knowledge and shaping the decisions that affect them.
What this day means to us
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Putting lived experience at the centre: People with disabilities are the experts in their own lives. Their knowledge and leadership must guide the policies, programs and services that affect them.
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Upholding choice and control: Independent Living means having the freedom to make your own decisions and access the supports you choose. It does not mean doing everything alone.
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Removing visible and invisible barriers: Barriers can exist in buildings, transportation, technology, communication, policies and attitudes. Addressing them creates more opportunities for people to participate on their own terms.
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Celebrating leadership and connection: We honour the people whose advocacy, creativity and commitment strengthen the Independent Living movement and make communities more inclusive.
Nothing without us
For IL Canada, “nothing without us” means people with disabilities having a meaningful role in setting priorities, developing solutions and making decisions—not simply being asked for input after decisions have been made.
Our Member Centres put this principle into practice through work grounded in lived experience, peer support and individual choice. Together, we support people in speaking for themselves, pursuing their goals and influencing change in their communities.
Turn recognition into action
Connect with your local Member Centre, listen to and share the perspectives of people with disabilities, and consider the barriers within your own workplace, organization or community. Meaningful change begins with listening and continues through action and accountability.
December 3 reminds us that an inclusive society is one where people with disabilities have the rights, opportunities and support to live the lives they choose.
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