Windsor-Essex Family Network

05/06/2026

As part of the Pre-Budget Consultations in advance of the 2026 Budget, DWP has submitted our brief outlining 5 key recommendations to improve the Canada Disability Benefit that were not present in the 2026 Spring Economic Update.

Our 5 key recommendations:
1. Guarantee income adequacy by increasing the Canada Disability Benefit.

2. Replace the restrictive DTC disability definition with a new broader definition and grant automatic DTC eligibility.

3. Commit to direct federal reimbursement of medical practitioners for completing DTC applications.

4. Replace the DTC application with a streamlined, plain-language form.

5. Reduce the use of unnecessary temporary DTC certificates and establish a simple renewal process.

You can read the full submission here:

https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/en/federal-budget/written-submission-2026-budget-consultation

05/06/2026

Join us!
Ask Me Anything: Estate Planning and Microboards with Brendon Pooran.
Free with registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8PNX3VX

05/06/2026

Join us for a free webinar on decision-making and legal capacity!
This session will provide general legal information about decision-making rights and legal capacity in Ontario.

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
ASL interpretation and CART captioning will be provided.

Register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k_EIDbMzQjmQ7AT-KrI6Xw

If you need help registering, please contact:
jessica.field@arch.clcj.ca

05/06/2026

05/03/2026

05/03/2026

Happening right now! Come out and support Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association. Pony rides. Food. Bake sale. AND support Windsor-Essex Family Network by coming out and buying teacher appreciation gifts and mothers day/fathers day gifts. Cash or e-transfer.

🌸🐴 Mark Your Calendars! 🐴🌸
WETRA’s 1st Annual Spring Fun Fair is coming your way, and you won’t want to miss it!
Bring the whole family out for a fun-filled day!

🌼 Sunday, May 3, 2026
⏰ 10AM – 4PM
📍 3323 N. Malden Rd., Essex, ON
🚗 $10 per car

Over 50 vendors
Hot dogs & hamburgers
Live dog shows
Hay rides
Face painting & kids crafts
BBQ & bake sale
Caricature artist
Barn tours & more!

It’s the perfect way to celebrate spring while supporting WETRA and the amazing programs in our community. www.wetra.ca

04/28/2026

Thinking about how we support our family member with a developmental disability to make decisions for their future as they grow older is not easy. At P4P, we think a lot about planning being person-directed and how important it is for people to have choice and control in their own lives.

Join us on April 30, 2026 at 7pm EDT for the Alternatives to Guardianship webcast as we discuss the implications and drawbacks of guardianship and explore decision-making alternatives in Ontario.

A Q&A session will follow the webcast with panelists, Stephanie Dickson from Pooran Law and Karen Bell from Microboards Ontario. You don't want to miss it!

Register today! https://conta.cc/4mt8rma



Image description: A graphic with a row of white paper airplanes at the bottom. One of the airplanes is blue and is flying out and above the row, suggesting an alternate path. The text reads "Free P4P Webcast. Alternatives to Guardianship. April 30 at 7pm."

04/28/2026

04/28/2026

Just to be clear - for this exclusion tracker, exclusion refers to:
any instance where a child or youth with disabilities and/or complex learning needs is prevented from fully participating in their education or care. This can include:

-being placed on a gradual entry plan (that not the whole class had to do)
-being asked to stay home or sent home
- experiencing shortened school days (often called Modified Days)
- being left out of field trips, classroom activities, or extracurricular programs
- being denied access to child care or out-of-school care
- not learning alongside peers
- being subjected to seclusion or restraint, or
- having essential health, safety, or personal care needs go unmet