Skip to main content
2025 DC/CSEM Professional Conference Main banner

Mark Ewer, MSW (he/him/his)

Patient Partner
N/A
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Mark Ewer, MSW, is a lifelong advocate for accessibility, social justice, and community well-being. With over four decades of professional and volunteer service, Mark has left a meaningful imprint on Ontario’s health and social service landscape.
He spent more than 30 years working with Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies, including 23 years as Executive Director, where he led initiatives to protect vulnerable children and strengthen families. Later, he served as Administrator in Long-Term Care for a decade, gaining firsthand insight into the medical and social challenges faced by seniors and the systems that support them—from pharmacy and physiotherapy to community-based care.
Mark has also been a passionate volunteer with March of Dimes Canada’s DesignAbility Program, helping develop tools that promote independence for people with disabilities. When the program concluded, he transitioned to its successor, the Tetra Society of North America, continuing his commitment to inclusive design.
Living with type 2 diabetes, Mark participated in a remission study led by McMaster University. Through this experience and his own research, he’s come to understand that diabetes remission is possible—but complex and deeply personal. He’s also become a vocal advocate for reducing the shame and stigma that often surround these conversations, encouraging open dialogue and informed support.
Mark’s community involvement includes long-standing membership in the Rotary Club of Hamilton AM, where he served as President in 1996–97. His contributions have earned him notable recognition: the Judge George Thompson Award from March of Dimes Canada in 2018 for advancing equality for people with disabilities, and the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility in 2023, presented by Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor, Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
Now retired, Mark continues to lend his voice and expertise to causes that matter—whether through accessibility advocacy, community service, or health education—embodying a lifelong commitment to equity, dignity, and empowerment.

Disclosure(s): I do not have a relationship with a for-profit and/or a not-for-profit organization to disclose

Presentation(s):