Barrier Free Manitoba

The City of Winnipeg was one of three Canadian cities to have been awarded the 2017 Accessible Cities Award by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

According to the Foundation,

"To celebrate the important work being done to improve access, and to showcase some of the best accessibility programs across the country, the Rick Hansen Foundation launched the Accessible Cities Award in the fall of 2016 to recognize municipalities – and the planners, developers, architects and builders they work with – for creating and building accessible places and spaces for people with disabilities.

Throughout the process, we learned so much about the incredible initiatives that cities across Canada are leading to promote universal access and improve the lives of people with disabilities and are excited to see the amazing work being done in the inclusive spirit of accessibility.

Among the cities that applied, we’re thrilled to announce the top three we’ve chosen to recognize for their progressive vision and policies, wide variety of accessibility improvements, and engagement and encouragement of their communities to be more inclusive."

The other cities that received this award for 2017 are Edmonton and Richmond.

Here is part of Foundation's explanation for giving Winnnipeg the award:

"The City of Winnipeg holds accessibility at the heart of everything it does and has been proactively incorporating accessibility into city planning for 20 years. For two decades, it has been a leader in creating a mindset of inclusivity through the implementation of accessibility committees, accessibility policies and standards, and creating exemplary examples of accessible design for others to follow. Mayor Brian Bowman and city council are open, committed, and accountable to creating a vibrant and inclusive community for everyone."

And here words offered by Mayor Brian Bowman in acknowledging the award:

“It is an absolute honour to be recognized by the Rick Hansen Foundation as one of the winners of the 2017 Accessible Cities Award. While the work is nowhere near complete, it is encouraging to receive an award like this which reaffirms the great work of Winnipeg’s Access Advisory Committee made up of persons with disabilities, people working in the field of accessibility and elected officials. Their continued advocacy towards issues such as universal design is helping build a more inclusive Winnipeg.”

Click here for more inforrmation on the Accesible Cities Awards

Click here for more information from the Foundation on why Winnipeg was given this award.

We also encourage you to click here to read our comments about important perspective on Winnipeg winning this award.