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History

On September 29, 1948 the Toronto Star published a letter from Mrs. Victoria Glover, the grandmother of an eight-year-old boy with an intellectual disability.

The letter appealed to readers to seek an alternative to the practice of institutionalization for persons with intellectual disabilities; to seek schooling and a more normal way of life in their own homes and communities, to be treated like people first. More than seventy people responded and attended a meeting on November 8, 1948 at the Carleton Street United Church.

This was the beginning of the Parents' Council for Retarded Children (a 'label' in use at the time), later to become the Metropolitan Toronto Association for the Mentally Retarded - now Community Living Toronto. Our name affirms our sensitivity to the negative effects of applying labels to people, and reflects the aspirations of all people, no matter what their opportunities or challenges may be, to participate fully in their community.

For over 60 years we have been a source of support for thousands of individuals searching for accessible and meaningful ways to live a more normal life in the community. Community living spans a lifetime, and Community Living Toronto strives to support people faced with intellectual disabilities at different stages of their lives.