A champion for kids with physical disabilities.
We believe in the breakthrough potential of all individuals with physical disabilities.
Adpatable. Remarkable. Unstoppable.
For us, disabled will never mean unable. That’s why Easter Seals Ontario is dedicated to helping children and youth with physical disabilities carve their own path into the world, with assurance and autonomy.
We believe in the breakthrough potential of all individuals with physical disabilities. We believe that great adults come from empowered children. We believe that the hardest limitations aren’t physical and with the right resources and support, anything is possible. It’s these convictions that inspire each of our programs and services.
Through the funding of essential accessibility and mobility equipment we remove barriers and allow disabled children and youth to experience the world on their terms. With our two fully accessible summer camps and industry-leading camping programs, we foster confidence and community. Finally, through our leading work in public education and awareness, we’re creating a society that sets goals, not limits, for people with disabilities.
For 100 years, we have been providing kids with physical disabilities the tools they need to reach their full potential and make their own positive impact on the world. Everything that we have accomplished over the past century has been the result of our extraordinary donors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff. It’s thanks to you that we continue to help children and youth with disabilities reach new heights.
Fiercely determined, eagerly optimistic.
We empower children and youth in Ontario with long-term physical disabilities. But that’s a bit inaccurate. While Easter Seals children require different types of support, they all share the human desire to carve their place in the world. They’re ambitious, independent, and resourceful. We just give them the tools to be themselves. So, while it can be said that we empower children and youth with disabilities, in reality they empower themselves.
Our Mission and Vision
Mission
Easter Seals Ontario is committed to helping children, youth and young adults with physical disabilities and their families. Through the generous support of our donors and volunteers, Easter Seals provides quality services and programs and acts as an effective voice for their needs and interests.
Vision
Easter Seals Ontario will enable all children, youth and young adults with physical disabilities to reach their full potential make the absolute most of their abilities and live their lives to the fullest.
Our Core Values
Be Bold
We challenge ourselves to embrace change by seeking opportunities for innovation and growth.
Stronger Together
We deliver quality experiences for children, families, donors, and supporters through engagement and collaboration.
Be a Champion
We deliver on what we promise with integrity and professionalism. We lead by example as a trusted partner and champion for children and youth with physical disabilities.
Make a Difference
We conduct ourselves with compassion and determination to make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families we serve.
Privacy Statement and Disclaimer
Easter Seals is a registered charitable organization that helps children and youth with physical disabilities from all backgrounds. Whether it’s removing barriers, fostering self-development, or building a sense of belonging, every program and initiative ensures that children and youth we serve discover and develop their own breakthrough potential.
As we turn 100, our dedication and our breadth of services and programs continue to grow; however, so too does the need for our support. If a child is unable to access the resources they need, they are often isolated from their peers and from opportunities to live a healthy and successful life. Supporting our initiatives makes so much more than just a financial impact, it can alter the course of a life.
What We Do
Equipment Funding
We provide funding for essential mobility and accessibility equipment of up to $3,000 per year, per child to help purchase equipment such as wheelchair, walkers, ramps or lifts. This equipment offers children and youth with physical disabilities the freedom to move, be rid of pain, and have an improved daily quality of life. More importantly, they remove barriers that keep children and youth with physical disabilities from experiencing the world fully. Find out more.
Fully Accessible Camp
The environment plays an important role in determining how children and youth can participate in social and recreational activities. At Easter Seals’ two fully accessible summer camps, kids get to experience an environment where they are not limited by physical barriers or made to feel different because of their disability. By creating opportunities to participate, push boundaries, and connect with peers, our camps help kids with disabilities develop a stronger sense of self and independence while discovering what they are capable of when limitations are removed. Visit the Easter Seals camp website for more information.
Ambassador Program
Everybody deserves to be heard. We want children and youth with disabilities to develop their leadership and public speaking skills, discover the ability to advocate for themselves, and be active participants in our activism. That’s why each year, we select two young members of Easter Seals to represent the organization as Provincial Ambassadors along with many Regional Ambassadors across the province. These brilliant young people get the opportunity to share their stories, serve as role models for other physically disabled kids in Ontario, and educate the wider world, who may not understand the challenges that disabled people face. Through learning, we can tear down barriers and create a more equitable world for all. Find out more about our Ambassador Program.
Scholarships
There are many disabled students that are highly motivated, ambitious, and actively chasing academic goals, but they face financial barriers to education. It can be difficult for families or children with physical disabilities, who incur a lot of expenses, to send their child to post-secondary school. That’s why we’ve created a scholarship program. To give children and youth with disabilities the financial ability to achieve their academic dreams. Find out about Easter Seals scholarships.
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
Easter Seals Ontario is one of a small group of external organizations that are invited to have representatives participate on the Special Education Advisory Committees of the various Boards of Education across the province. SEAC representatives help protect the rights of students with special needs by providing specific information, advice and assistance to parents/guardians whose children may require additional support. Find out more.
Parent Resource Information
We offer a virtual library of online links to various service providers, suppliers and government programs that may be of interest to parents of children and youth with physical disabilities.
Awareness and Public Education
Easter Seals has been and will always be a voice for children and youth with disabilities. Some of the greatest barriers they face require systemic and societal changes. Through public education initiatives, government consulting, and conference participation, we raise awareness and tackle major issues disabled children and youth face. We also promote and create awareness of disability and accessibility issues through our annual March is Easter Seals Month campaign, media relations, direct mail, and government relations activities, and through our annual Easter Seals Telethon.
Incontinence Supplies Grant Program
Easter Seals Ontario administers the Incontinence Supplies Grant Program on behalf of the Ministry of Health. This program is for children and youth with chronic disabilities that result in irreversible incontinence or retention problems lasting longer than six months requiring the use of incontinence supplies. This program is fully funded by the Ministry. Check here to find out more about the Incontinence Supplies Grant Program.
Top Up Program
The Top Up Program “tops up” the annual amount from the Incontinence Supplies Grant Program for eligible individuals and families. This program is fully funded by the Ministry of Children & Youth Services, and all eligibility criteria and Top Up grant levels are set by this Ministry. Easter Seals Ontario acts as a transfer payment agency for this program. Get details on the Top Up Program. Find out more about the Top-Up Program.