September 16, 2020
2021-2025 Strategic Plan
Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop. Take stock. Consult with others. Do some out-of-the-box thinking and make a new plan.
That’s what we are doing at March of Dimes Canada. Next year our organization turns 70. The world we started out in couldn't be more different from the world today. Many more people are living with disability and the concept of disability has evolved, moving from a medical model to a social one. Technology has changed how we think and act, making it easier to find information and connect with others. Social norms are different. Frankly, the bar has been raised and we expect more out of life, no matter who we are.
Earlier this spring, as COVID-19 turned the world on its head, our Board of Directors recognized it was a perfect time for re-invention and approved the development of a four-year strategic plan. To be made public in July 2021, our new plan will affirm our collective vision, purpose, areas of focus and strategic directions.
To make the plan meaningful, we need to learn from others – especially from people with lived experience of disability. We are undertaking a broad-reaching consultation process. We are gathering information and listening to people of all ages and backgrounds from across the country to hear about what matters to them and how we can help.
We are asking big questions, so we can make big plans.
Get Involved! Stay Informed!
Watch this space for updates and ways you can provide your insights and perspectives to build our strategic plan!
To write a meaningful plan, we need to open ourselves up to the thoughts, opinions and experiences of others. We need to ensure we understand what it is to live with disability today and what the future should look and feel like. What are the roles and roadblocks? What solutions should be explored as we work together to bring about tangible, positive change?
In September and October of this year we offered an online client survey, as well as a survey for the public, our stakeholders and others.
In the months to come we will continue to ask big questions, so we can make big plans! We hope you lend your voice as we create our strategic plan.
Our Strategic Planning Advisory Committee
At March of Dimes Canada, we are committed to creating a more inclusive world. That starts with making sure our planning processes include the thoughts and opinions of people from a wide range of backgrounds. Their varied perspectives, experiences and expertise are guiding and informing our decisions throughout the plan development process.
Specifically, we set a goal to create an advisory committee made up of people with lived experience of disability, including clients, caregivers and family members, as well as experts and thought leaders in the disability, government, health and community services sectors. They will work with March of Dimes Canada leaders, including members of the Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team and Senior Management Team to provide guidance and counsel regarding the design and development of our new strategic plan and related outreach and activities.
Strategic Planning Advisory Committee Members
- Marissa Blake, Client Advisor and Champion
- Emily Chan, Client Advisor and Champion
- Steve Estey, Client Advisor and Champion
- Wesley Magee-Saxton, Client Advisor and Champion
- Scott Allardyce, Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, Ontario
- Stephan Cull, Founder of CharterAbility
- Vim Kochhar, Former Senator and Chair of The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP)
- Wendy Porch, Executive Director, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto
- Keiko Shikako Thomas, Assistant Professor at McGill University, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Canada Research Chair in Childhood Disability: Participation and Knowledge Translation
- Jutta Treviranus, Director and Professor at Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University
- Dr. Reg Urbanowski, Dean, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Manitoba
- Jennifer Weir, Independent Consultant
- Elizabeth Lounsbury, Member of March of Dimes Canada Board of Directors
- Jay Hira, Member of March of Dimes Canada Board of Directors
- Wendy Kauffman, Member of March of Dimes Canada Board of Directors
- Len Baker, President and CEO, March of Dimes Canada
