SDS Network Global Meet Up 2026

Members of the SDS Network were pleased to meet up in Ottawa, Canada in June to take part in the 17th Leadership Exchange 2026. This was the second global meeting since the launch of the SDS Network Global Standards in Brussels in 2024. 

The Leadership Exchange is a bi-annual gathering encompassing learning, networking and problem solving with immersive workshops and final conference hosted by the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE). We are very grateful to GLE for enabling us to be part of this important international event. We are particularly thankful to Karis Disability Services who hosted the event and provided an enormous amount of practical support and gave everyone such a warm welcome to Canada.

The event was co-facilitated by Bevin Croft, Simon Duffy and Chris Watson. Reflecting on the event Simon Duffy said:

“Meeting in the real world is so important, it supports courage and makes commitment real. Self-Directed Support is over 60 years old, but these moments to bring together leaders from many different countries have been too scarce; so we are so thankful to GLE and Karis for making this possible. 

“I was struck by how many of the challenges we face are so similar. There has been progress, but it has been uneven and often slows to zero. Resistance to enabling disabled people to exercise their human rights and freedoms remains considerable and often seems locked into institutional practices and patterns of power. However there are some clear paths forward and in particular I think we need to start seeing services and the underlying infrastructure as part of the solution, not the problem. Good support providers can offer flexible personalised support that supports citizenship—this needs to be central to our thinking in the years ahead.”

Bevin Croft said:

“The meeting in Ottawa was an opportunity for people from several continents with a shared passion for self-directed support to forge new connections and deepen existing ones. It was deeply encouraging to revisit and validate the global standards, which continue to serve as our North star. We found solidarity in common challenges and reaffirmed our commitment to the work ahead of us.”

Chris Watson said:

“What struck me most in Ottawa was the strength of the shared commitment to make self-directed support real, not simply an aspiration written into policy. Across very different countries and systems, we are grappling with many of the same barriers, but there is also an enormous amount of experience, creativity and determination within the network.

“The Global Standards give us a strong common framework, but the next challenge is to build the relationships, resources and practical infrastructure needed to support implementation. That means growing the network, securing sustainable funding and creating more opportunities for people to learn directly from one another. Ottawa felt like an important step forward, and I'm really excited about what we can build together.”

We have produced a report summarising progress, read and download the pdf here. 

A more detailed overview will be available soon.

Read and download the Global Standards for Self-Directed Support in multiple languages here.