50th Anniversary

ABLE2 Celebrates 50 Years of Empowering People with Disabilities and their Families

ABLE2 will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary throughout the year, kicking off with its signature fundraising event, Evening in the Maritimes on May 1, 2024.

Other key events include the Ottawa FASD Awareness Campaign in September, Annual Picnic in the summer, and the Holiday Dinner & Dance in December. “With the recent Statistics Canada numbers, we have seen the rate of disability among Canadians aged 15 years and older increase from 22% in 2017 to 27% in 2022,” says, ABLE2 Executive Director, Heather Lacey.

“Our role within the community is growing and focused on reducing social isolation, expanding and supporting social connections and assisting people with disabilities enhance their quality of life.”

– Heather Lacey, ABLE2 Executive Director

Throughout the years, ABLE2 has supported over 2,000 people with disabilities annually by providing direct-impact programming and services to facilitate growth, development and independence, reduce vulnerability, build skills and remove barriers. In Ottawa, more than 300 people volunteer their time and skills with ABLE2, contributing an average of 6,500 hours yearly.

“Our vision is to build an inclusive community where all people are seen as able, important and valued,”

says ABLE2 Chair, Nick Korhonen.

“Over 50 years we have developed initiatives to combat isolation, facilitate the autonomy and safety of people with disabilities, and help those individuals play their roles as active citizens of their communities.”

– Nick Korhonen, ABLE2 Board Chair

Read the full Media Release here