Our goal is for people who have a developmental disability to participate fully as citizens in their communities.
The ministry wants to honour the choices people and their families make about living in the community to best suit their specific needs. Our mission is to support the realization of the goal of being fully included in society, and for people who have a developmental disability to have the same opportunities as other Ontarians to participate in the life of the community.
To promote greater social inclusion, the ministry’s vision is based on six underlying principles:
- Citizenship – supports for people who have a developmental disability promote self-determination and participation in all aspects of community life.
- Fairness and equity – supports are equitable and people with similar situations receive similar supports across the province.
- Accessibility and portability – funding and supports are flexible and go with the person if he/she moves to another community.
- Safety and security – supports are designed to balance appropriate supervision, especially for those who are most at risk, with the right to self-determination, privacy and confidentiality.
- Accountability – service delivery will include mechanisms to hold service providers accountable to the people using their services and the ministry for the quality and outcome of the supports they offer.
- Sustainability – funding and supports are based on assessed needs and available resources in the context of a long-range plan for the developmental services system.