Scarborough’s First Faith-Centered Residence for Muslims with Disabilities
The Scarborough project is inspired by the late Rafia Haniff-Cleofas, a co-founder of DEEN and a pioneer in Canada’s disability rights movement. Her final dream before passing in late 2025 was to see this home built in Scarborough.
In the heart of Scarborough, a long-held vision for community belonging is closer to becoming a reality.
For years, Muslim families caring for loved ones with disabilities have faced a significant gap in the social support system—a lack of professional care that respects their faith, culture, and dietary needs.
Today, DEEN Support Services is closing that gap as it nears the completion of Scarborough’s first permanent Islamic care home.
The Vision for Stability and Dignity
The Scarborough Home is an ambitious $1.5 million project designed to provide a permanent sanctuary for adults with physical disabilities, autism, and other special needs.
Unlike temporary programs or rental spaces, this will be a community-owned asset intended to offer stability and dignity for generations.
The progress has been remarkable: through corporate commitments and private donations, DEEN has already secured $1.25 million—representing 83% of the total goal.
The organization is now calling on the community to help close the final $250,000 "gap" to secure the property.
An Urgent Community Need
Statistics highlight why this project is so critical.
While approximately one in four Canadians lives with a disability, the figure is estimated at 27% within the Muslim community. Despite this, faith-based services remain nearly non-existent.
For many parents, the future is a source of deep anxiety.
Organizers share the story of one mother who prayed her daughter would pass away before her, fearing no one would care for her child once she was gone.
The Scarborough Home is designed specifically to answer that prayer.
Leadership and the Legacy of Rafia Haniff-Cleofas
The driving force behind DEEN Support Services (Disability Empowerment Equality Network) is founder and CEO Rabia Khedr, a prominent advocate for disability justice.
The organization operates on the principle of "Nothing about us without us," ensuring that individuals with disabilities are at the center of all decision-making.
The Scarborough project is inspired by the late Rafia Haniff-Cleofas, a co-founder of DEEN and a pioneer in Canada’s disability rights movement.
Having contracted polio as a child, she navigated life from a wheelchair and spent 25 years teaching that accessibility is a fundamental pillar of faith.
Her final dream before passing in late 2025 was to see this home built in Scarborough.
The Path to 2027
With the finish line in sight, the goal is to open the doors of the Scarborough Home by 2027.
This final phase of the campaign represents communal ownership, where every contribution—whether "naming a room" or "laying a brick"—moves the project closer to reality.
Supporting this mission is an opportunity to create Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) that will provide comfort to residents long into the future.
When the doors finally open, it will be more than a residence; it will be a testament to a community’s promise that no one should be left behind.
For more information on the project see: https://www.deensupportservices.ca/scarborough-home