Youth Advisory Council

Young Leaders. New Ideas. The Future of Independent Living.

Independent Living Canada is proud to celebrate the leadership, creativity, and lived experience of young people with disabilities across Canada through our Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

The Youth Advisory Council is a national space for youth to connect, share ideas, build leadership skills, and help shape the future of the Independent Living movement.

Rooted in the values of choice, dignity, peer support, self-determination, and full community participation, YAC reflects what Independent Living has always been about: people with disabilities leading change in their own lives, communities, and country.

Visit the Youth Advisory Council Website

We invite you to explore the dedicated YAC website at: www.ilcyouth.ca

There, visitors can learn more about the Council, meet youth leaders, discover opportunities to get involved, and access resources designed with young people with disabilities in mind.

What You'll Find

Youth Leadership in Action
Stories, updates, and information highlighting young people with disabilities as leaders, advocates, creators, and changemakers.

A National Youth Community
A welcoming space where youth from across Canada can connect through shared experience, accessibility, inclusion, and Independent Living values.

Opportunities to Get Involved
Information for youth who want to participate, contribute ideas, and help strengthen the voice of young people within the IL Canada network.

Resources and Supportive Tools
Helpful information, updates, and access to tools such as MIRA Chatbot 6.0, shared in partnership with the Mood Disorders Society of Canada. MIRA is an informational and supportive resource and is not a replacement for professional mental health, medical, crisis, or emergency services. If you are in crisis or need immediate support, please contact local emergency or mental health services.

Why It Matters

For 40 years, Independent Living Canada has worked alongside people with disabilities and Member Centres across the country to promote choice, dignity, self-determination, peer support, and full community participation.

The Youth Advisory Council carries those values forward.

By creating space for youth voices today, we are helping ensure that the Independent Living movement remains strong, relevant, inclusive, and led by the people it exists to serve.

Be Part of the Future

Whether you are a young person with a disability, a family member, an ally, a service provider, an educator, or a community partner, we encourage you to visit the Youth Advisory Council website and learn more.

Explore the Youth Advisory Council today at www.ilcyouth.ca