Centre for Independent Living in Toronto - CILT Inc.

04/09/2026

The Direct Funding program is changing people’s lives. For George, that means curating attendant care from people who care:

“The people that I have come into my home right now really care for me. I know that and I believe it.”

For more information about Direct Funding and how you can take control of your life, visit the CILT website: https://cilt.ca/programs-and-services/direct-funding/

George - Direct Funding Program Self-Manager since 2017Learn more about Direct Funding at https://cilt.ca/directfunding/

04/02/2026

Explore how poverty and disability intersect to intensify barriers to food and housing through a 2-part expert panel discussion moderated by CILT's Executive Director, Wendy Porch.

Register for this virtual event on Zoom taking place between 5:30pm - 7:30pm.

Part 1 - April 20: https://tinyurl.com/bdfhbntt
Part 2 - April 27: https://tinyurl.com/5f5xhwzy

Accessibility notice: There will be ASL interpretation and auto captions will be turned on for the event.

Presented by the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Jesuit Forum for Social Faith and Justice.

03/19/2026

Are you new to Wheel-Trans or thinking about applying? Join us for a 2-part workshop series about the application process and your rights as a Wheel-Trans user.

The first workshop is called “Wheel-Trans 101”, and the second workshop is called “Wheel-Trans: Know Your Rights”.

When: Wednesday April 22nd 1:00-3:00PM (first workshop)

When: Wednesday April 29th 1:00-3:00PM (second workshop)

Access Supports: ASL-English interpretation and CART Captioning will be provided.

Register in advance for these events at (you can come to both or just one):

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FuAYFPT_RL64EP9wjuU_3Q #/registration

If you require any access accommodations, please let us know in the Access Accommodation section of the registration by April 16th 2026.

For more information, check out the full event details on the CILT website: https://cilt.ca/event/wheel-trans-and-family-of-service-fos-workshop-series-first-workshop/

03/18/2026

The University of Toronto - Physical Therapy is looking to explore the experiences of disabled women and disabled gender-diverse caregivers and care receivers in Ontario.

If you would like to participate, check out the full posting on the CILT website for more information and how to get involved:

Recruitment Call to Explore the Experiences of Disabled Women and Disabled Gender-Diverse Caregivers and Care Receivers in Ontario Published: March 18, 2026The below notice is from the University of Toronto – Physical Therapy recruiting for participants to take part in a study.STUDY PURPOSE:To exp...

03/10/2026

The Direct Funding program enables people with disabilities to take charge by hiring and managing their own attendants.

Take a look at this playlist of Direct Funding self-managers on how the program has impacted them:

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

03/05/2026

Yesterday, March 3, the Federal Housing Advocate renewed calls to action to highlight the need for ALL goverfnments to prioritize:

Long-term federal investments and leadership for human rights-based responses to encampments

Meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples and investing in preventing and responding to Indigenous homelessness

Meaningful engagement with people living in encampments

Ending forced encampment evictions and criminalization of homelessness

These renewed calls to action, initially outlined in the Advocate's 2024 report, build on the work and engagements that have taken place since – including what she has heard are critical issues from municipalities, encampments residents, service providers, and Indigenous representative organizations.initially outlined in the Advocate's 2024 report:https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/final-report-federal-housing-advocate-s-review-of-encampments_0.pdf

https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/resources/newsroom/two-years-after-landmark-report-renewed-action-needed-homelessness-continues

02/27/2026

To close out Black History Month, CILT is honouring historical and contemporary Black disabled figures that have fought for liberation. The Disability Rights movement was inspired by the Civil Rights movement, so it's important to understand how these movements intersect.

Harriet Tubman often has her disability erased when she is remembered but she incurred a traumatic brain injury as a child and experienced neurological symptoms like seizures and narcolepsy. Sins Invalid often cites her as an early initiator of Disability Justice.

Brad Lomax was both a civil rights and disability rights activist. He began using a wheelchair after he was diagnosed with MS. He was a member of the Black Panther Party and helped organize during the 504 sit-ins.

Sarah Jama is a Hamilton-based disabled activist and politician. She is a co-founder the Disability Justice Network of Ontario and was the MPP for Hamilton Centre from 2023-2025.

Gift Tshuma is a Montreal-based R&B gospel musician and disability advocate. He is a co-founder of Tshuma Consulting and has been developing an adaptive digital instrument.

Syrus Marcus Ware is a disabled artist and activist. He is an Assistant Professor at the School of Arts, McMaster University and a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada and the Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism.

To learn more about the intersection of Blackness and Disability, check out our Black History Month Resource page: https://cilt.ca/cilt-resources/black-history-month-resources/

02/24/2026

Part 2/2: A rally speech from David Meyers, CILT's Senior Manager of Independent Living Programs, with the following asks for City Council:

Provide more transparency in City budgets and reporting on disability inclusion.

Build all new City-supported housing to universal design standards.

Commit to the City building at least 50% of the new shelter stock in its multi-year plan to universal design standards.

Direct Toronto Shelter and support services to expedite its shelter accessibility audit and produce a budgeted plan for accessibility upgrades to some sites.

02/24/2026

Part 1/2: A rally speech from David Meyers, CILT's Senior Manager of Independent Living Programs, advocating for accessible and affordable housing supports.

02/23/2026

For Black History Month, CILT has compiled a list of resources about the intersections of Blackness and disability. It includes organizations, research, books, articles, videos and podcasts. Here's a small selection of what's on it!

Book: “Black Disability Politics” by Sami Schalk (Open Access Available). In this book, Sami Schalk explores how issues of disability have been and continue to be central to Black activism from the 1970s to the present.

Podcast: You Can’t Spell Inclusion with a D, Episode 39: The Intersection of Disability, Blackness and Gender — Intersectionality Series Pt. 1. The guest for this episode is Ingrid Palmer, a human rights advocate and the Principal IDEAL Advocate for Realize Canada.

Video: Combating Oppression as Black, Disabled People in Toronto | CILT's Black History Month Event. Last year, CILT hosted a panel discussion around the theme of Resistance and Resilience for Black History Month 2025. Check out the recording!

Report: The Intersection of Blackness & Disability in Canada by Jheanelle M. Anderson. This report came out of a need to acknowledge the gaps in culturally responsive services for Black Canadians with disabilities.

Check out the rest of the resources here: https://cilt.ca/cilt-resources/black-history-month-resources/

02/19/2026

Brand new Eglinton Crosstown line, yet same old TTC that treats riders with disabilities as an after thought.

In this CityNews Toronto story, Emily, a wheelchair user user with low vision who relies on the TTC, takes us on a tour and points out a myriad of accessibility and safety failures that show a systemic disregard for disabled transit riders. With over 570,000 disabled residents, Toronto must do far better at providing accessible transit!

With more people using Line 5 Eglinton, navigating the new LRT system is proving difficult for some Toronto residents. Nick Westoll has more on some serious ...