07/29/2026
365 Days of Beyond 18 đź’ś
Yesterday, we celebrated surrounded by the people who have believed in our vision, supported our journey and helped us build a community where individuals with developmental disabilities and their families know they belong.
We were deeply honoured to welcome Regional Chair and CEO John Henry, alongside Councillor Jim Lee, Regional Councillor Bob Chapman and Councillor Rosemary McConkey, who joined our participants, families and team to celebrate this milestone.
Chair Henry presented Beyond Disability Services (Beyond 18) with a commemorative certificate from The Regional Municipality of Durham, recognizing our first anniversary on behalf of Regional Council and the residents of Durham Region — accompanied by a commemorative coin that will forever hold a special place in our story.
And then there are the people who simply show up.
To our dear friends Shashi Bhatia, Akeem Stewart, M.D., Rachel Sinclair, and to our family and friends who came to celebrate with us: thank you. Building something meaningful takes a village, and we are incredibly fortunate to have ours.
To our team — thank you for all that you do. For the early mornings, the patience, creativity, compassion, laughter and countless moments that happen when no one is watching. Our impact is possible because of the people who walk through our doors every day determined to make a difference.
Most importantly, to our participants and families: thank you for trusting us.
A year ago, we had a vision.
Today, we have a community.
365 days of impact.
365 days of possibilities.
365 days of proving that when people are given the right support, there is so much they can achieve.
We are proud of how far we have come — and even more excited about where we are going.
Here’s to Year Two. We are just getting started.
