Our Beliefs
Family Focus - Human Rights - Community - Trust - Fun

Family Focus
We acknowledge and celebrate the value of every member of the family, and the importance of the family unit. Families of people with disabilities have the right to dream, plan and achieve their goals as all families do. Generally, the longest, most secure relationship that people have is with their families. So people with disabilities are best supported when their family have the resources and assistance they need.

Human Rights
We focus on upholding and promoting human rights - freedom, dignity, equity and respect, of all people in the community. We also acknowledge that the systematic and historical inequities experienced by people with disabilities and other cohorts within our community must be addressed. Specifically, we will focus on three key areas within human rights to enhance and support our community: child safety; freedom from violence and abuse; and embracing and promoting diversity.

Community
We strongly believe that everyone has a role to play in creating inclusive communities. That's why IOE is a coalition of families, employees, volunteers and partners, in which everyone is an active community member. By adopting a community approach, we help families to meet with other families who understand their experiences. We also help volunteers to learn new skills, increase understanding and awareness in the broader community, and provide invaluable support to families and employees.

Trust
At IOE, our relationships are built on trust, which means we listen, share and we are honest. A big part of this is knowing that we will, and do, make mistakes. When these mistakes happen, we say sorry, fix what we can and keep moving.

Fun
We foster a culture of fun and friendship at the basis of all our services. We strive to create a safe environment where people can be themselves, build natural friendships and benefit from peer support and social connection.