The Global Leadership Exchange (GLE) is a global network bringing together leaders in disability, mental health and related sectors to share knowledge and advance inclusive practices. As part of the 2026 Leadership Exchange, more than 30 Match events took place across Canada, where several Spectrum Society staff had the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas.
Last month, CLBC’s Indigenous Advisory Committee hosted one of these Match events at the University of British Columbia. This two-day gathering was titled Leading in Two Worlds: Indigenous Systems Change for Disability, Mental Health, and Community Well-Being. Eilidh Nicholson, Lindsay Clifton and Cheyenne Yellowhead had the opportunity to attend and explore how Indigenous leadership is transforming systems through culture, relationships, lived experience and community-led approaches.
On the first day, delegates from Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Netherlands shared their experiences leading change within their own organizations and communities. Although their work takes place in different countries and systems, many reflected on common challenges and opportunities. Throughout the discussions, a consistent message emerged: meaningful support begins with relationships.
On the second day, participants focused on the power of lived experience in shaping more inclusive systems. Self advocates and family members shared personal stories about navigating disability, mental health and community supports, offering both honest reflections on the barriers they continue to face and hopeful examples of what is possible when people receive the right supports.
Also, leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand shared how Māori worldviews have shaped disability system transformation through the Enabling Good Lives approach, emphasizing self-determination, holistic wellbeing and community-led supports.
The event concluded with a World Café conversation, where participants reflected on key learnings and explored practical ways to strengthen partnerships and advance Indigenous-led systems change in their own communities and organizations.
Spectrum Society is proud to participate in the Global Leadership Exchange and continue learning to better support people with developmental disabilities.
To read more about this Global Leadership Exchange Match Event please click here: CLBC News
Spectrum participants attended two other GLE matches as well. Chad Clippingdale and Ray Hunter attended a match in White Rock:
This Match, hosted by hosted by UNITI, will highlight the vital roles that individuals with developmental disabilities play in driving change within their communities. By collaborating with local governments, participating in leadership training at universities, and engaging in election events, these leaders contribute significantly to conversations surrounding accessibility, housing, and inclusion.
Ernie Baatz attended a match in Ottawa Ontario on the Self-Directed Support Network, hosted by Karis Disability Services:
The Self-Directed Support Network is a collaborative of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates with professional and lived experience who collaborate to improve and expand self-direction.
In this two-day, hands-on knowledge exchange, participants will share current projects, map what works across countries, and identify priority research questions.
Activities include short presentations, cross-country learning sessions, collaborative mapping of best practice, and co-design workshops that give equal weight to academic knowledge and lived experience.
More on the Global Leadership Exchange 2026 Conference here.