Our Story
Founded over two decades ago, CDBA Ontario emerged from a community need to support individuals who are deafblind — a unique and often underserved group within Canada’s disability sector. From humble beginnings, we’ve grown into a leading provincial organization focused on advocacy, services, awareness and empowerment.
Our Mission
Our mission is to enhance the lives of people who are deafblind by providing meaningful supports, educational resources, and advocacy that ensures full participation and independence. We believe that everyone has the right to communicate, to engage, to belong, and to live with dignity.
What We Do
Support & Intervenor Services – We help individuals navigate daily life, communication, and inclusion with the assistance of trained intervenors and tailored support.
Education & Outreach – We raise public awareness about deafblindness, offering resources to families, professionals and communities so that we all better understand this unique dual sensory loss.
Community & Connection – We build networks and create opportunities where individuals who are deafblind can connect, engage and participate fully in society.
Advocacy & Research – We work to influence policies, promote best practices and support research that improves outcomes for people with combined hearing and vision loss.
Why Choose Us
We specialize in dual sensory loss and understand the specific challenges and opportunities faced by people who are deafblind.
We bring together lived experience, professional expertise and community engagement to deliver services that are respectful, effective and empowering.
Our approach emphasizes choice, autonomy and meaningful participation in all aspects of life.
We remain rooted in Ontario while collaborating with national and global partners to bring knowledge and innovation to our work.
Our Values
Respect – We honour each individual’s identity, voice and story.
Inclusion – Everyone deserves access, communication and community.
Collaboration – We partner with families, professionals, educators and policymakers to create better systems.
Innovation – We pursue adaptive tools, research and methods to remove barriers and expand opportunity.
Empowerment – Our goal is to support independence, self-advocacy and participation for all.
Join Us
Whether you’re an individual who is deafblind, a family member, a support professional, or a concerned citizen — we invite you to explore our services, join our community, or partner with us in creating more inclusive spaces across Ontario. Together, we can build a future where deafblind individuals are seen, valued and included.