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On to Strong and Effective Accessibility-Rights Legislation

After taking a short break following the passage of The Accessibility Advisory Council Act, Barrier-Free Manitoba resumed its advocacy efforts following the October 2011 general provincial election. Our goal continues to be enusring that strong and effective accessibility-rights legislation is passed and in place in Manitoba. But what started out as a three-year effort will need to be completed over five years.

We are now calling on the Province of Manitoba to introduce this legislation by no later than the spring of 2013. This page will provide updates and chart the progress toward this important goal.

Summary of Council Discussions at 3rd Meeting Now Posted

The discussion summary from the Advisory Council's 3rd meeting, held December 12, 2011, were posted on Boxing Day. You can view these on this website or the Disability Issues website.

Summary Discussions of Council's First Two Meeting Now Posted

An important commitment made in the Terms of Reference established for the Accessibility Advisory Council is that a summary discussion report from each of council meeting would be posted within two weeks on the Disability Issue Office website. A summary of discussions from the Counci's first meeting held on November 15, 2011 was posted on December 2nd.

The summary of discussions at the Council's second meeting held on November 29, 2011 is also now available and was posted within the two week time frame that was set out.

Schedule Set for Accessibility Advisory Council Meetings

At it's first meeting, the Accessibility Advisory Council has set the following schedule for subsequent meetings through to April 23, 2102.

  • Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Monday, December 12, 2011, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, January 16, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, January 30, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, February 13, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, February 27, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, March 12, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, March 26, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Monday, April 23, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 

Minister Formally Annouces Council Membership / Terms of Reference

Minister Jennifer Howard announced the appointment of members to the Accessibility Advisory Council on December 2, 2011, as well as of range of other details related to the work of the Council. Perhaps most appreciated was background intormation on the skiils, expereince and interests that members were bringing to the Council.

Jim Derksen, Chair
Jim has played key roles in the development of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD), the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) and the Canadian Disability Rights Council (CDRC). Jim also served as the first Executive Director of the Disabilities Issues Office.

Yvonne Peters, Vice Chair
Yvonne practices as a lawyer in Winnipeg, specializing in equality rights and human rights law. Her practice offers a blend of legal advice and social policy development. She has worked with numerous organizations, including the CDRC, Women's Health Clinic and the National Association of Women and the Law.

Eileen Clarke, Association of Manitoba Municipalities
Eileen is the Mayor of Gladstone, Manitoba, and currently serves as the Urban Vice President on the Executive Committee of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. Eileen was a business owner of a jewellery and gift shop in her community for 33 years, retiring in August of 2005. She was awarded the Manitoba Women Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998 and the Westman Woman of Distinction in 2000.

Dianne Driedger, Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities
Diane is Provincial Coordinator of the MLPD. She is author or editor of six books on the disability movement in Canada and internationally. She teaches Disability Studies at the University of Winnipeg and holds a PhD in Education.

Jim Baker, Manitoba Hotel Association
Following a career in private Chartered Accountancy practice as a partner in a regional accountancy firm, Jim accepted the position of President, CEO for the Manitoba Hotel Association in October 1999. Mr. Baker also is a member of the Executive Committee of the Hotel Association of Canada.

Scott Jocelyn, Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association
For the past five years Scott Jocelyn has been the Executive Director of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association. A major component of his role is ensuring the concerns of foodservice operators are considered in dealings with legislators, educators, media and the general public. Prior to this, Scott worked for over 20 years in the food service industry running hotels and restaurants in the province. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba where he majored in Political Science.

Lanny McInnes, Retail Council of Canada
Lanny joined the Retail Council of Canada in August 2003 and currently serves as the Director of Government Relations & Member Services for Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Lanny is also currently Vice-President of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of Canada and is a former President of the ALS Society of Manitoba. Mr. McInnes is a graduate of Brandon University and alumni of the Manitoba Legislative Internship Program.

Doug Momotiuk, Canadian Association of the Deaf
Doug attended and graduated at the Manitoba School for the Deaf from elementary to high school and graduated from the Gallaudet College of liberal arts for the deaf at Washington, DC. Mr Momotiuk was previously employed at Imperial Roadway Ltd and Deaf Centre Manitoba, and is currently employed at the Finance Department of SMD Alliance. Doug has participated in deaf organizations and committees on the local, provincial, and national levels for over 35 years, including the Manitoba Deaf Association, where he acts as secretary. Doug is currently president of the Canadian Association of the Deaf

Chris Summerville, Manitoba Schizophrenia Society
Chris has been the executive director of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society since 1995 and is also the CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada. In 2007, Prime Minister Harper appointed Chris to the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. As a provincial and national leader and advocate for a transformed, recovery-oriented mental health system, he has served on numerous provincial and national boards including the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, The National Network for Mental Health, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada and the Canadian Alliance for Mental Illness and Mental Health.

Diane Scribe Niiganii
Diane is originally from Norway House Cree Nation and has had arthritis since a very young age. Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (Arthritis of the spine), Diane has focused her career on Community Development and First Nation disability issues. Diane commits her time to raising awareness about Ankylosing Spondylitis and disability issues through social media and social networks. Diane is a graduate from Brandon University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of General Studies.

Judy Redmond, City of Winnipeg
Judy Redmond is the Universal Design Coordinator for the City of Winnipeg. She is an active member of numerous local and provincial disability organizations and committees, including the City of Winnipeg’s Access Advisory Committee. In 2006, she played an instrumental role in the in the development of the City of Winnipeg’s Facility Accessibility Design Manual, which established accessibility requirements for the design and construction of new facilities, as well as the retrofit, alteration or addition to existing facilities, owned, leased or operated by the City of Winnipeg.

Karen Pirnie, Manitoba Council on Aging
Karen is a former athlete with a lifelong commitment to physical activities in various capacities. Ms. Pirnie has served on numerous boards related to health and fitness, and has been involved in various initiatives promoting healthy, active living among older adults. She was formerly Executive Director of the St. James 55 Plus Centre and the Manitoba Association of Seniors Centres.

The initial details on the Accessibility Advisory Council are very promising. They suggests that the government is serious about tackling the systemic reform required to make Manitoba a leader in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

Clearly there is a lot of hard work ahead - for those concerned with disability rights and particularly for the Council - to move this agenda forward. 

Chair and Vice-Chair Appointed Along with an 11th Member

Through Order In Council 00365 / 2011, the Minister of Labour and Immigration has appointed:

  • Jim Derksen as Council Chair
  • Yvonne Peters as Council Vice-Char
  • Eileen Clarke as Counci's 11th member (maximum size of 12)

With the election now over, we expect that information will soon be made available by the Minister on:

  • The Council's Terms of Reference
  • The Council's members, their responsibilities and their respective backgrounds
  • The opportunities that those affected by disabilities (and other concerned stakeholder groups) will have to support the Council as it works over the next nine months to develop its recommendations for strong and effective accessibility-rights legislation.

Initial Set of Advisory Council Members Appointed

The first ten members of the new Accessibility Advisory Council were appointed by Order in Council 00329 / 2011 on August 23, 2011. (Click here to view the Order in Council.)

The members of the council are:

  • Jim Derksen
  • Diane Scribe Niiganii
  • Judy Redmond
  • Yvonne Peters
  • Doug Momotiuk
  • Lanny McInnes
  • Chris Summerville
  • Diane Driedger
  • Jim Baker
  • Scott Jocelyn

The appointments of these members became effective as of September 1, 2011.

Under The Accessibility Advisory Council Act, the council has until June 2012 to provide the Minister with its recommendations for legislation to ensure the systemic and timely identification, prevention and removal of barriers that disable people.

Barrier-Free Manitoba will provide updates as information on the work of the council becomes available.