PARTICIPANTS – VISIBLE & VALUED
The participants at West Toronto KEYS to INclusion are adults with intellectual disabilities who are no longer attending school. KEYS is best suited to those who benefit from:

  • Being in a group and working towards common goals
  • Being in a 1 staff: 4 participants ratio
  • Community outings, workshops, and take the TTC together with staff
  • Ongoing learning of life skills, cooking, literacy and numeracy
  • Being involved in the community through volunteer and/or paid work

West Toronto KEYS to INclusion offers 3 pillars of opportunity for our participants. These are:

1. ONGOING LEARNING

  • Lunch and Learn: daily activity during which the participants menu plan, shop, prepare, cook and share a meal with an emphasis on healthy choices, kitchen hygiene and safety, budgeting, and working together as a group
  • Monthly community lunches to share with friends and supporters of KEYS
  • Arts and Literacy: art expression, music, numeracy and literacy
  • Safety and Community Skills: taking public transit, street safety, neighbourhood awareness

2.  WORK AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

  • Community Workers:
    Participants are matched with community business partners based on abilities and interests, and are supported with job coaches.
  • Participants volunteer as a group.  Examples are: Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Safe Haven Community Project and FoodShare.
  • KEYS is visible and valued in the neighbourhood by local businesses and services.

3. SOCIAL, RECREATION AND FITNESS

  • Participants engage in social recreational and fitness activities together, such as yoga, music and movement
  • Outings to visit places of interest, such as, High Park Nature Centre, AGO, Kortright Centre for Conservation, ROM, etc…

SUMMER PROGRAM:

A Possible Week in the Life of a KEYS Participant:

OUR VISION

is full, active participation in our community for our family members and friends with intellectual disabilities.

OUR MISSION

is to facilitate learning, social, fitness, voulnteer and work opportunities for people with an intellectual disability, to maximize their potential through inclusion in our community.

WE BELIEVE

that neighbourhood opportunities for knowledge and work/volunteer/social experience are KEYS to the successful creation of strong vibrant communities, which include people with all abilities. KEYS provides both a physical place in which to meet, as well as community engagement.