Manitoba fails to gain ground on accessibility: report

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This article was published 22/12/2023 (659 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ten years after Manitoba adopted accessibility laws meant to enhance disability rights in government organizations and workplaces, the province has yet to achieve the “significant progress” envisioned by lawmakers.

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act, introduced in 2013, set a 10-year deadline for Manitoba to make “significant progress” on implementing the legislation and creating and following accessibility standards.

It hasn’t, according to a recent independent review of the legislation, despite the work that’s been done to start a regulatory framework for provincial accessibility standards. The independent review, which was released Dec. 5, included 27 recommendations to improve Manitoba’s accessibility laws.

In response, the provincial government didn’t immediately promise to adopt the recommendations.

Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, who is responsible for accessibility, said the government is reviewing the report.

“It was an NDP government who passed (the law) in 2013. I’m very proud to continue our commitment to accessibility for all Manitobans,” the minister stated.

“Many of the report’s 27 recommendations will require community consultation, strategic planning, and allocation of government resources to implement. As the minister responsible for accessibility, I am carefully reviewing all recommendations to determine how they can align with our government’s priorities and the ongoing efforts to make Manitoba a barrier-free province.”

David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba and an advocate with Barrier-Free Manitoba, said the recent review makes him optimistic about the future of accessibility in the province.

“Continuous improvement is all I’m looking for,” Kron said, saying he supports the recommendations. “It’s not going to be a panacea all at once.”

Kron and disability advocates have requested a meeting with the minister. They want the government to adopt the recommendations and get working on a complaince enforcement process under the legislation.

When faced with an inaccessible business or a workplace practice that violates their rights, Manitobans with disabilities must file a complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

The goal is that someday soon, accessibility standards will be an accepted reality in workplaces and many spaces in the province, similar to how workplace health and safety committees are viewed, Kron said.

The recommendations focus on the need for more staff and a bigger budget at the provincial accessibility office and accessibility secretariat if the standards are to be effective. By the time the next five-year review rolls around, the government should be able to prove it funds the accessibility office to the same level as other regulatory offices, the review recommends.

It also seeks to expand the spaces and organizations where accessibility standards will apply in Manitoba by recommending the province create an interior-built environment accessibility standard, rather than applying only to public spaces.

The recommendations state accessibility standards should apply to workplaces with at least 20 employees. A previous report applied it only to workplaces with 50 or more employees.

The recommendations also call for the premier and cabinet ministers to publicly speak out about the importance of accessibility in Manitoba.

The report, which is the second mandated five-year review of the legislation, was completed by an independent reviewer in July and was submitted during the previous legislative session.

“Manitoba has not likely seen significant progress in achieving accessibility since 2013. We appear very much still in the early stage of this journey,” states the report.

“The main barrier to implementing the (law) appears to be a lack of government leadership from the top. This has translated into inadequate resources, a lack of co-operation and involvement across government and a resulting gap in knowledge and awareness on the part of both the government and the public, including people disabled by barriers and affected organizations.”

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca