supports; and, more accountability from those who receive funds and from
agencies who offer services.
When the Social Inclusion Act was introduced, there was hopeful expectation
that the Act would shift Ontario’s developmental services sector away from
institutionalized care and segregation towards a system of services and supports
that would enable people who have been labelled with intellectual disabilities to
exercise more independence, have greater decision-making power over their
day-to-day lives, and ultimately live as full citizens in communities of their
choosing.^24
III. Supports and Services Under the Social Inclusion Act
The Social Inclusion Act was proclaimed into force in 2012 and the
Developmental Services Act and its regulation were repealed.
According to section 4, the Social Inclusion Act applies to these services:
- Residential services and supports (arranging and providing a place to
reside and all supports needed in the residential setting); - Activities of daily living services and supports (including assistance with
meal preparation, banking, skills training, using public transportation); - Community participation services and supports (including work activities,
volunteer activities, recreational activities); - Caregiver respite services and supports (services provided by someone
other than a primary caregiver for the benefit of the person who has been
labelled with an intellectual disability). - Professional and specialized services (including social workers,
psychologists, speech-language therapists);
(^24) Joffe, K. “Enforcing the Rights of People with Disabilities in Ontario’s Developmental Services
System”, 2010, Law Commission of Ontario at page 5.