Manitoba cabinet minister apologizes again for sign-language interpreter comments

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government is promising new financial penalties to enforce rules aimed at removing barriers for people with disabilities.

Nahanni Fontaine, the minister responsible for services for people with disabilities, says the NDP government will introduce changes to the Accessibility for Manitobans Act next spring.

In a video posted to social media, she also says the government will work to ensure every public event is fully accessible with participation from sign language interpreters.

Fontaine has apologized repeatedly for remarks she made last month while hosting a celebration for Indigenous women graduates in Winnipeg.

While preparing to speak to reporters after, Fontaine told one of her staff that she was thrown off by a sign-language interpreter’s presence and that the woman should not have been on stage.

Premier Wab Kinew has stood by Fontaine and said she has apologized and is working with the Deaf community.

Fontaine promised to go beyond an apology.

“My team and I will undergo deaf and deaf-culture training to deepen our understanding, confront gaps and ensure our actions reflect true respect and inclusion,” Fontaine said in a social media video posted Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025.