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Share Your Story 

Real stories by people living with a disability, and/or their friends, family, and support circles may really connect with a reader. Stories are a universal language. They can bring people together and create a sense of community. Stories connect us through feelings and how we respond to them.  

Being open with personal stories may change hearts and minds! The Individualized Funding Coalition for Ontario will be gathering stories into what we expect will be a powerful collection for bringing about change. We are asking you to take some time and tell your story. You decide how far to go with this. You can use your name with your story and/or you can choose to be anonymous.

steps for story telling

Below are some ideas provided by people and families that may help you get started.

  1. What are your struggles? What has been hard for you? 
  2. What does this mean for you and/or your family? Consider sharing specifically how this impacts your day or the day of your family member? Give us examples.  Here are some examples that people or families have already shared with us: 
    • “Not enough Passport funding has lead to my son’s withdrawal from life in the community. Things started to decline once he turned 18 and support dwindled to almost nothing. $5,500 is not enough to build a life, or find a worker.”
    • “I used to have an independent facilitator, the government cancelled that help. It means I have no way to connect and meet new people, My facilitator talked to me and my family about trying things we were nervous about. She used to help me meet people and go to new places. It took a long time for us to feel safe. But all that was lost.”
    • “I can’t live my life like other citizens, I have no funding to pay a worker. This means I stay home. It is lonely, my health has been bad. My mom says it is because I am depressed”.
  3. What could government do to make your life and/or the life of your family member better? Why are you taking time to write this story? What do you need? What are you asking for?

Examples of good news stories are welcome also! If you have a good news story, please share it. Tell us what is working! Describe what having adequate funding has meant to you. Good news stories may give other people hope! 

How to share your story to be included in the collection! There are two ways to share your story:  

      Type your story directly into the form on line at this link: Sharing my story

      OR   Email IFCO and attach your story: individualizedfundingcoalition@gmail.com    

You may also want to share your story or a letter with your local MPP (Member of  Provincial Parliament.) See below.  

Connect with your MPP 

It is important that your local MPP knows about your story. This is especially true if you do not have enough funding to purchase the supports and/or pay support workers to assist you to live an everyday ordinary life. Your MPP may not know how hard your are struggling, and how the decisions by our government have left you without the right supports.

To find your local MPP use this link: https://www.ola.org/en/members

Connect and Share with a Bigger We!

Click this link for more actions and ideas: http://individualizedfunding.ca/more-actions/

Legal Capacity and Supported Decision-Making.

Click here to read what you can be doing to bring about change for Ontario citizens : https://individualizedfunding.ca/action-needed-for-ontario-citizens/

Consider Becoming a Member!

Join the Individualized Funding Coalition for Ontario (IFCO) by using the link below. People, friends, families, professionals, autonomous networks, organizations and agencies are welcome to join. There is a place on the form to tick off your support of the IFCO Accord.  Organizations and agency partners will be pleased to know that receipts will be sent directly to your email. Many thanks to Community Living Windsor, a long-time partner with IFCO, for setting up this safe on-line method for becoming a member! https://clw.formstack.com/forms/ifco_membership

If you are a People First member or self-advocate experiencing low income, OR a Family Network or People First Chapter with no operational funding, there is a link on the membership form you can click for a bursary to become a member.

For anyone who would prefer to mail in their membership, you can do this by downloading and printing the: IFCO Information & Membership Brochure, 2023

  • Fill out the membership form panel inside the brochure and mail it to:  Individualized Funding Coalition for Ontario, c/o 3357 Walker Rd, Suite 2, Windsor, ON  N8W 5J7.
  • Please feel free to share this brochure with others. It contains excellent information about the ‘Coalition.’