The executive director of Community Living South Huron says members of their board will meet with a consultant next week to formulate a response to the province's announcement that they plan to close what they call workshops.
Bruce Shaw says places like Community Living are criticized for exploiting cheap labour and for not being inclusive. He says Community Living disputes both claims.
He points out Community Living provides a break during the day for the people who would otherwise be looking after their clients, but it also gives their clients a sense of purpose and the opportunity to spend the day with friends; without Community Living they'd be stuck at home.
Shaw also points out that there has to be more time given to any decision and a plan for the clients that currently attend Community Living.
He adds no purpose is served by simply closing the centres without providing the clients with a place to go.
Shaw points to the situation several years ago in Ontario when mental hospitals were closed and patients put out on the streets and the result was they were responsible for many minor criminal acts that fell to the police to deal with and many of them ended up homeless.
