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Will Political Parties and Debate Organizers Ensure the Accessibility of Election Events?

Jan 19, 2016

The recent Customer Service Standard established under the landmark Accessibility for Manitobans Act requires that all provincial  government departments and almost all other public sector organizations meet the following requirements to ensure the accessibility of public events by November 2016 and 2017 respectively:

"An organization that holds a public event must take reasonable measures to ensure that:

(a) notice of the event is given in a manner that is accessible to persons disabled by barriers;

(b) the event is held in a meeting space that is accessible;

(c) the physical and communication needs of persons disabled by barriers are met on request; and

(d) notice is given that persons disabled by barriers may request that relevant supports be provided."

These requirements aren't rocket science and they aren't onerous!. They are just good practice and respectful of the basic human rights of Manitobans with disabilities. At minimum, that means holding events at accessibility locations, having good sound systems and, upon request, providing communication accommodations like ASL interpretation and CART or computerized note taking services.

The request to ensure the accessible election events was formally made to all three of Manitoba's major political parties at the December 3, 2015 public launch of Disability Matters: Vote 2016 (DMV2016).

The next 91 days will show us all of us if the parties were listening and, perhaps, their levels of concern and commitment to disability issues and human rights.

If you aren't already involved in DMV2016, sign up today at: http://www.disabilitymatters2016.ca.

ASL interpretter

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