Recently, at Queen’s Park, a powerful press conference brought urgent attention to the crisis facing disabled communities in Ontario. Led by FAIR—Families for Accountability, Inclusion and Reform—survivors of institutional abuse, advocates, and family members called on the provincial government to act now.

Fred Alvarado – Local Journalism Initiative

The gathering exposed decades of abuse, neglect, and preventable deaths within group homes funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Speakers Angela Richards, Carolyn Kassinger, and Brad Evoy called for an end to systemic harm and the creation of real, community-based solutions.

Evoy, Executive Director of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, stressed the need to move away from institutional and policing models. “We must prioritize community well-being, not containment,” he said.

Key demands from the coalition include a Supported Decisions Act, independent oversight of group homes, a livable social assistance rate, and the release of transparent public data on institutional harms.

The press conference also revealed that in the past 20 years, only two inquests into group home deaths have been held—despite ongoing incidents of harm.

This call-to-action echoes loudly in places like Regent Park and Downtown East Toronto, where disabled residents continue to face daily barriers. The message from Queen’s Park was clear: dignity, justice, and accountability can no longer be delayed.