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Further Details Provided on New Accessibiity Advisory Council

Dec 20, 2011

New material posted on the Disability Issues Office web site responds to questions raised by Barrier-Free Manitoba through in an email sent to endorsers, subscribers and governemnt officials back on November 23, 2011.

This material, which includes the questions we posed and the responses provided, has been reformatted and follows below. 

The representational duties of Council members:

Questions: Are members serving on the Council as private citizens or representatives? If some or all members are representatives, which bodies do they represent, will these bodies have special influence in Council discussions and decisions, and how will the views and interests of persons with disabilities be similarly represented?

The Council is to provide advice and recommendations to government on new legislation that will put in place a system to proactively prevent, and remove, barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities. The Council will also make recommendations on long term accessibility objectives and other measures, policies and practices the government can undertake to improve accessibility.

Under the Act, the Council must include representatives of organizations for persons with disabilities, as well as representatives from business and other organizations that will strive toward achieving greater accessibility for persons with disabilities. The Minister of Labour and Immigration has consulted with organizations representing these groups. The Minister has also consulted with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, given the significant role that municipalities will play under any new legislation proposed by the Council.

The Chair and Vice-chair of the Council were chosen because of their very significant knowledge of issues relating to the disabled and accessibility. Both have been members of, and have acted as advisors to, organizations relating to persons with disabilities. Other members of the Council are also members of such organizations as:

  • Manitoba Deaf Association
  • Urban Circle Training Centre
  • City of Winnipeg
  • Schizophrenic Association of Canada
  • Retail Council of Canada
  • Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities
  • Manitoba Hotel Association
  • Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association
  • Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Members were selected because of their expertise in accessibility issues, or because they represent a sector that has the ability to reduce barriers to accessibility. Essentially this strong cross-section of stakeholders will assist in making recommendations to the Minister for sound legislation that will result in real change.

Members will consult with the organizations they represent, however, all members are to approach the meetings with some degree of confidentiality in mind, in order to facilitate free discussion of the issues at hand. Members may consult with the constituencies they represent and can share some general outlines of the items under discussion. Some members have extensive experience working within the disability community and can similarly bring issues forward from the community.

The Council has the ability to create committees with the approval of the Minister, and it is intended to create these by bringing in representatives of other organizations with expertise in issues relating to persons with disabilities and accessibility. As the work of the Council progresses, it is intended this expertise, both in terms of the issues and technical knowledge, will be called upon to ensure that the recommendations of the Council are the best that they can be.

Transparency and accessibility:

What arrangements are being put into place to ensure that non-members and those without direct representation are able to follow the Council's progress, as well as to have access to reports and other information that are being developed or considered by the Council?

People will be able to access summaries of discussions at all Council meetings, read the Council’s Terms of Reference and read about the members of the Council.

A process will be put into place to seek the broadest spectrum of views, and hear the concerns and recommendations of associations and organizations with expertise in, and knowledge of, accessibility issues. Notice of all future public consultations or forums will be posted on the website. This will also include any discussion documents prepared to seek input from stakeholders and interested parties.

While the process will be as transparent and as inclusive as possible, some documents related to the work of the committee will, by their nature, be kept confidential.

Click here for more information on the 12 members of the Accessibility Advisory Council.

Plans for consultations:

How does the Council plan to meet its legislated obligations to consult with persons with disabilities and those with the ability to prevent and remove barriers that disable people in preparing its recommendations?

Council members meet and discuss the concerns of the disability community and the sectors which are able to prevent and remove barriers generally.

Public forums, discussion panels etc. will be planned in order to receive the input of stakeholder associations and groups; and the broader public to ensure that their concerns, and recommendations, are heard and considered. These broader consultations are intended to ensure that the recommendations of the Council for change to the Minister moving forward will be strong and comprehensive.

Information on these meetings will be available on the website.

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