Media Release
For Immediate Release
Date: September 23, 2025
FOCUS Accreditation Announces Prestigious Accreditation Awards for Karis Disability Services
[Waterloo, ON] – FOCUS Accreditation is proud to announce that Karis Disability Services (Karis) has achieved a four-year re-accreditation award, effective July 2025 – July 2029. This achievement reflects Karis Disability Services’ unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence in the human services sector. This is the organization’s fourth FOCUS Accreditation validation.
Karis Disability Services earned a 100% rating in their review and will be honoured with the new 2025 “100% Excellence Award”, which recognizes organizations that achieve a perfect score in accreditation.
Karis is also being honoured with a second, elite distinction—the inaugural Leadership in Excellence Award. This award recognizes organizations that have been accredited for four consecutive cycles as of 2025, celebrating their consistent, high-level leadership in service quality and continuous improvement.
This milestone was celebrated at Karis’ Annual Community Meetings on Saturday, September 22nd, where they also marked an incredible 60 years of service. Congratulations to Karis Disability Services on this remarkable dual celebration of quality and longevity!
Accreditation is a rigorous process that involves a comprehensive review of an organization’s operations, programs and services and performance against established benchmarks. Karis Disability Services has successfully met these standards, demonstrating a dedication to quality and continuous improvement.
FOCUS Accreditation evaluated various aspects of Karis Disability Services’ operations, programs and services. This re-accreditation is a testament to Karis Disability Services’ commitment to providing exceptional services and ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of its stakeholders.
Janet Noel-Annable, Chief Executive Officer shares, “We believe welcoming third-party evaluation is essential to building trust with our community. It’s not just about recognition—it’s about accountability, transparency, and learning. While we celebrate this milestone, we’re already working on quality improvement plans to thoughtfully address FOCUS’ recommendations.”
Karis Disability Services joins an elite group of organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to excellence. This re-accreditation status serves as a mark of distinction, assuring Karis Disability Services’ service users, partners, and the community that they can trust in the organization’s quality and professionalism.
For Karis Disability Services, this achievement is not just a recognition; it is a reflection of the organization’s ongoing dedication to delivering outstanding programs and services. Accreditation provides a foundation for future growth and development, setting a benchmark for Karis Disability Services to continually raise its standards.
FOCUS Accreditation looks forward to Karis Disability Services continuing its journey of excellence and innovation, making a positive impact in the communities it serves.
Cheryl Whiteman, Executive Director of FOCUS Accreditation, commended Karis Disability Services for its exceptional dedication to undergoing evaluation by a third party. She noted that welcoming an external accrediting body into the organization is a vulnerable step—yet one that reflects strong leadership and a commitment to integrity and transparency. By doing so, the organization demonstrates to its stakeholders that it upholds the highest values of accountability, honesty, and continuous improvement.
As stakeholders shared, Karis demonstrates a strong commitment to the people they serve and to the broader community. The organization is grounded in a clear, committed sense of purpose and provides quality person centered care through dedicated leadership and staff. Karis continues to grow, adapt, and embrace learning to better serve both people supported, employees and the sector as a whole.
Whiteman expressed sincere gratitude to Karis Disability Services for their leadership in the accreditation world, particularly within the Developmental Services sector. She acknowledged Karis for demonstrating to others the significant and lasting benefits of accreditation. Having maintained accreditation with FOCUS for 15 years, Karis continues to set the standard for excellence. Whiteman shared that she is honoured to have Karis champion the inaugural Leadership in Excellence Award, recognizing their unwavering commitment to quality assurance year after year. Karis ensures that robust quality controls remain in place, keeping the needs of people at the forefront of their organization. By engaging in such a rigorous evaluation process, Karis signals to all stakeholders its dedication to openness, accountability, and consistently high standards across its operations, programs, and services. This ongoing commitment reinforces Karis’s reputation as an organization that strives for and delivers excellence.
About FOCUS Accreditation
FOCUS is a non-profit accreditation agency for community service organizations. Created in Ontario, Canada, by the very people who use and work in these services, FOCUS reflects the culture and expectations of community service organizations in Canada.
FOCUS accredits the whole organization, not just select programs within. The standards reflect best practice in the way programs and services are provided as well as the effectiveness of how the organization operates. An organization that meets FOCUS’ standards can be viewed as an organization that focuses on the people it serves, and on high quality service delivery. FOCUS has accredited over 60 organizations and works with over 50 community-based groups. A full list of accredited organizations is on our website www.focusaccreditation.org
For Media Contact:
Cheryl Whiteman, Executive Director
FOCUS Accreditation: 1-866-805-2600 ext. 21
www.focusaccreditation.org
