Developmental Services Ontario

Overview

The government of Ontario is working to improve services and supports for adults who have developmental disabilities and their families. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services wants services and supports to:

Be more fair, so that everyone is treated the same way;
Be more flexible, so that the needs of people can be addressed to the extent possible; and
Be sustainable, so that the service system will exist in the future.

In order to make these changes, the government enacted the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008, and Regulations in accordance with the Act.

Effective July 1, 2011, access to adult developmental services and supports that are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is provided through a Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) agency.

DSO agencies are the primary contact point for people who need information about services and supports in their community, and the single access point for people who want to apply for Ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports. There are nine Developmental Services Ontario Agencies in Ontario.

Developmental Services Ontario - South West Region (DSO-SWR) is a division of the Community Services Coordination Network. DSO-SWR serves people living in the following communities: