Our Future

At PLAN Toronto, we're embracing the future - not fearing it.

We've all read the headlines about Ontario's multi-billion dollar deficit, skyrocketing health costs, and looming cuts to critical, government-funded programs. But as parents, grandparents and siblings of loved ones who are vulnerable, we know better than most that we can't rely on the government to provide solutions to the most pressing challenges we face. As families, we overcome adversity every day. We're used to it - and we're good at it! The good news is that we don't need to face it alone. Together with PLAN Toronto, our affiliates, and other community groups, we can pool our collective abilities and resources to create a good life for our relatives - for today and tomorrow.

By working together, we know that we can make a difference. Change is coming and rather than fearing it, we choose to embrace it. In fact, we believe we've never had such an abundance of new opportunities to build on.

Here are just a few key developments in a sea of change that will help create a desirable future for our relatives with a disability:

• The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a catalyst for change that will yield new innovations for years to come. The RDSP was conceived by PLAN families in British Columbia and rolled out across the country by PLAN affiliates and other organizations who share our passion. This new, made-in-Canada tool is already changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadians with a disability and their families. Canada is the only country in the world to have a savings program like the RDSP to help create wealth and future income for people with disabilities.
• In Ontario, new legislation, commonly referred to as The Social Inclusion Act, promises funding for more individualized approaches.
• Independent Person Directed Planning provides a voice to many who have never had the chance to direct their lives.
• TYZE is a simple online tool that helps sustain a support network and keeps people connected.