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Change Coalition
non-profit organization

Comfort, Dignity and Support for Invisible or Hidden Disabilities

We have changed our focus!

The Change Coalition has refined this initiative by shifting its focus from touch quilts to comfort quilts in response to identified gaps in community-based supports. While touch quilts are widely produced for use in long-term care settings, consultations with organizations supporting children and youth with autism and related developmental needs indicated a need for a different type of resource—specifically comfort quilts that can be used within program environments to provide sensory and emotional support.

In response, the program now prioritizes the creation and distribution of comfort quilts designed to provide calming, comforting, and supportive sensory experiences for children participating in community-based programs. We have also expanded the initiative to include dog quilts for R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) programs, where trained service or therapy dogs support literacy development by creating a calm and engaging environment for students reading in classrooms.

A key enhancement to this program is its virtual delivery model. Participants are supported through online guidance and instructional resources that make it easier for individuals to create quilts independently from their own homes. This approach removes geographic barriers, increases accessibility, and allows individuals of varying skill levels—including new quilters—to participate meaningfully in a structured community initiative.

Comfort quilts may be created in a wide range of sizes, patterns, and designs. The program also encourages the use of fabric remnants and recycled materials, supporting environmental sustainability while providing opportunities for skill development, creativity, and community engagement.

Through this adapted and virtual model, The Change Coalition is able to expand participation, increase accessibility, and respond more effectively to community needs by supporting inclusive, practical, and volunteer-driven contributions that benefit individuals in sensory and educational settings.

Comfort Quilts – Definition and Purpose

Definition

The Role of Comfort Quilts in Supporting Individuals with Invisible Disabilities

A serene landscape featuring mountains, a lake, and a clear blue sky, perfect for nature lovers.

A Comfort Quilt is a handmade or carefully assembled quilt created primarily to provide emotional reassurance, physical warmth, and sensory comfort, rather than serving decorative or commercial purposes. Within Canadian community practice, comfort quilts are often used as part of compassion-based, volunteer-driven, and community-support initiatives that aim to promote well-being and inclusion.

Comfort quilts are commonly provided during periods of illness, grief, trauma, transition, displacement, or other significant life challenges, where individuals may benefit from tangible expressions of care and support. They are often distributed through community organizations, hospitals, shelters, and non-profit programs, or presented directly to individuals as part of broader efforts to strengthen social connection and reduce isolation.

Key Characteristics of Comfort Quilts

Purpose-driven design: Created to offer comfort, reassurance, and a sense of care, supporting emotional and sensory well-being.
Personal or symbolic expression: May incorporate calming colours, meaningful patterns, or supportive themes intended to convey hope, dignity, and encouragement.
Accessible and functional craftsmanship: Designed with an emphasis on durability, usability, and comfort, rather than decorative complexity or commercial value.
Community-oriented creation: Frequently produced through volunteer engagement, community groups, and non-profit initiatives as acts of service and social contribution.

Community and Charitable Role

Within community-based programs, comfort quilts represent more than physical items. They function as symbolic and practical tools for compassion, inclusion, and support, helping to reinforce a sense of dignity and belonging for individuals experiencing vulnerability or social isolation.

In essence, a Comfort Quilt is both a practical object and a meaningful gesture—intended to provide warmth, reassurance, and human connection through community-driven acts of care.

The Role of Comfort Quilts in Supporting Individuals with Invisible Disabilities

A serene landscape showing mountains, a lake, and a clear blue sky reflecting tranquility and natural beauty.

Comfort Quilts can play a meaningful role in supporting individuals living with invisible or non-apparent disabilities, where the impacts of a condition may not be immediately visible or recognized by others. This aligns with broader community-based efforts to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and promote inclusion for individuals experiencing a wide range of physical, neurological, and mental health-related conditions.

1. Sensory Regulation and Grounding

For individuals living with conditions such as anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autism spectrum disorder, chronic pain, or neurological conditions, sensory input such as gentle weight, texture, and warmth can provide calming and regulating effects. Comfort quilts may help support nervous system regulation, reduce overstimulation, and promote emotional grounding during periods of stress, fatigue, or sensory overload.

2. Emotional Validation and Dignity

Invisible disabilities are often misunderstood, overlooked, or minimized. The provision of a comfort quilt can serve as a tangible expression of acknowledgment, care, and respect, without requiring explanation or disclosure. This form of support can provide quiet validation, reinforcing that an individual’s lived experience is real, meaningful, and worthy of compassion.

3. Stress and Symptom Management

Stress can significantly impact a wide range of hidden or non-apparent conditions, including autoimmune disorders, migraines, and mental health conditions. Comfort quilts may contribute to relaxation, improved rest, and emotional stability, supporting individuals in managing symptoms and enhancing their sense of safety and well-being.

4. Predictability and Routine

For individuals who rely on structure, routine, or familiar coping tools, a comfort quilt can become part of a consistent self-regulation strategy. It may provide reassurance during medical appointments, symptom flare-ups, or periods of emotional overwhelm, contributing to a greater sense of stability.

5. Non-Verbal Support

During episodes of pain, anxiety, cognitive overload, or communication barriers, individuals may find verbal expression difficult. A comfort quilt can offer a form of non-verbal reassurance, providing a sense of calm and security without the need for explanation or interaction.

Community and Inclusion Context

In this way, comfort quilts function as a quiet, inclusive form of community-based support, offering comfort, regulation, and affirmation to individuals living with conditions that are not always visible but are deeply impactful. This reflects the broader goals of organizations working to advance public understanding of disability, strengthen inclusion, and improve awareness of diverse lived experiences across Canada.

cynthia irving, co-founder & cfo-how to make a comfort quilt

Cynthia Irving, CFO – The Comfort Quilt Program

As we prepare for the upcoming winter months, The Change Coalition is making our Comfort Quilt Program more accessible, inclusive, and community-driven.

1. Expanding Access Through a Virtual Program

To help reduce unnecessary travel during the colder season, we are introducing a virtual format that allows participants to create and donate comfort quilts from the comfort of their own homes.

2. Supporting Individuals Through Comfort and Compassion

Comfort quilts provide warmth, reassurance, and a sense of connection to individuals facing difficult circumstances. They can be especially meaningful for people living with invisible, hidden, or non-apparent disabilities, whose challenges are often not immediately recognized by others. Through a simple act of kindness, comfort quilts can help recipients feel supported, valued, and understood.

3. Building on Community Partnerships

We recognize that many of our community partners are running similar initiatives, and we want to build on this shared commitment by using the skills, technology, and resources we have developed to take a new and innovative approach.

4. Creating Opportunities for Everyone to Participate

Through this program, anyone with access to a sewing machine can participate by creating a comfort quilt and donating it directly to a recipient of their choice. For those living in the Ottawa Valley, our team will gladly pick up completed quilts and deliver them either to the recipient you have chosen or to one of our partner organizations.

5. Embracing Innovation to Increase Impact

This evolution of the Comfort Quilt Program reflects our commitment to embracing today's digital world while staying true to our mission of supporting individuals and families in need. By integrating modern technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), we are creating new ways for volunteers, donors, and recipients to connect and make a meaningful impact.

“We’re excited to use technology to make compassion more accessible and creativity more connected.”
— Cynthia Irving, President

How to Participate

1. Register Online

Sign up through our website to join the Virtual Comfort Quilt Program. (Registration form located at the bottom of this page.)

2. Create Your Quilt

Use your sewing machine, creativity, and personal touch to design a comfort quilt that brings warmth, encouragement, and joy.

3. Schedule a Pickup

If you live in the Ottawa Valley, we will arrange a convenient time to collect your finished quilt.

4. Choose Your Recipient

Select someone in your community who could benefit from receiving a comfort quilt, or donate your quilt through one of our partner organizations.

5. Stay Connected

Share your progress and finished creations online to inspire others and help spread warmth, compassion, and awareness throughout the community.

6. Make a Difference

Know that every comfort quilt helps provide comfort, dignity, inclusion, and hope to individuals facing challenges, including those living with invisible, hidden, or non-apparent disabilities.

About Making a Difference

1. Growing Our Impact

In 2024, we distributed 63 comfort quilts thanks to the generosity of our volunteers, donors, and community partners, including the Country Quilter, Safe Families, and the Ottawa Valley Quilting Guild.

2. Strengthening Community Support

Through more than $1,500 in in-kind donations, we have continued to expand this program and bring comfort to individuals and families across our region.

3. Supporting Those Who Need It Most

Many recipients include people living with invisible, hidden, or non-apparent disabilities, seniors, individuals experiencing health challenges, and those navigating difficult life circumstances.

4. Delivering More Than a Quilt

Each quilt represents more than warmth—it represents compassion, dignity, inclusion, and hope.

5. Celebrating the Results

✅ 63 Comfort Quilts Distributed in 2024

✅ $1,500+ in In-Kind Donations

✅ Supporting Individuals with Invisible, Hidden, and Non-Apparent Disabilities

✅ Building Stronger, More Inclusive Communities

6. Looking Ahead

This is just the beginning. Join us as we continue to grow the Comfort Quilt Program and make a difference—one quilt at a time.

Perry Reid-Ex French Foreign Legion Parachutist Battling MS

This video highlights a meaningful community-based initiative led by The Change Coalition, focused on promoting comfort, dignity, inclusion, and emotional well-being for individuals living with chronic illness and disability.

In this feature, we meet Perry Reid, a resident at St. Patrick’s Home of Ottawa, who was living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Perry Reid is now deceased. His story is shared in memoriam and reflects the lived experience of individuals navigating significant health-related challenges, as well as the importance of community-based supports that promote well-being, comfort, dignity, and social connection.

As part of the initiative, Perry receives a Comfort Quilt, a handcrafted item designed to provide sensory comfort and emotional reassurance. The presentation of the quilt is intended to support emotional well-being and dignity, while also recognizing the value of personal history, identity, and lived experience.

This initiative forms part of a broader effort to use storytelling and community-based creative programming to advance public understanding of disability, reduce stigma, and promote inclusion. By sharing lived experiences, the program contributes to public education regarding chronic illness and disability, including multiple sclerosis, and highlights the importance of accessible community supports.

The Comfort Quilt initiative also reflects The Change Coalition’s commitment to fostering compassionate, inclusive environments where individuals are recognized for their resilience, contributions, and personal journeys, rather than defined solely by diagnosis or limitation.

Through initiatives like this, we aim to strengthen community awareness and support systems that promote dignity, comfort, and meaningful participation for individuals living with invisible and visible disabilities, while honouring those whose stories continue to inform and inspire community understanding.

Meet Ben

This video introduces Ben, a young individual living with a combination of complex conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, hypopituitarism, global developmental delay, and legal blindness. His story reflects the importance of accessible, inclusive, and individualized community supports for individuals with diverse and often non-apparent needs.

In this brief clip, Cynthia, Chief Financial Officer, President, and one of the founding members of The Change Coalition, introduces Ben to a Comfort Quilt. This handcrafted, one-of-a-kind quilt incorporates a variety of textured fabrics and sensory elements designed to provide calming sensory input, emotional reassurance, and comfort for individuals with sensory processing differences and related conditions.

The Comfort Quilt is intended to support sensory regulation and emotional well-being, offering a gentle, non-clinical tool that may help individuals feel more grounded and at ease in everyday environments. These quilts are designed with accessibility in mind, recognizing that individuals experience comfort and sensory needs in different ways.

The Change Coalition is committed to working alongside community organizations and non-profit partners to support a more coordinated and inclusive approach to disability awareness and community-based supports for individuals living with invisible and complex conditions.

Through community donations and volunteer engagement, we are able to develop and distribute practical, handcrafted resources such as Comfort Quilts that contribute to comfort, inclusion, and improved quality of life, while also promoting greater public understanding of disability and accessibility needs.

Our broader goal is to help build a more informed, compassionate, and inclusive society where individuals with visible and invisible disabilities are recognized, supported, and able to participate fully in community life.

Comfort, Dignity and Support for Invisible or Hidden Disabilities

We have changed our focus!