Barrier Free Manitoba

Barrier-Free Manitoba issued a media release to mark the tabling of the Bill. Following is the body text of the release. You may also download it as a Word or PDF document.

April 24, 2013

Province Tables Historic Accessibility-Rights Bill

WINNIPEG – Minister Jennifer Howard tabled a historic Bill on accessibility-rights today in Manitoba’s Legislative Assembly. The Bill (The Accessibility for Manitobans Act) represents a major breakthrough in the promotion and protection of the human rights of over 200,000 Manitobans with disabilities.

The landmark Bill establishes a legislated framework for the prevention and timely removal of barriers to accessibility. These barriers now limit equitable access to employment, education, job training, communications, housing, transportation, health care and social services, as well as to goods, facilities and other services throughout the province.

Barrier-Free Manitoba has been advocating for strong and effective provincial accessibility-rights legislation since 2008. The Bill follows five previous discussion and policy papers on accessibility rights that have been released by the Government. The Bill also responds to the key recommendations made earlier this year by the Accessibility Advisory Council, which includes representatives from the business, seniors and municipal sectors, as well as from Manitoba’s disability community.

“This promises to be ‘game changing’ legislation that provides real and lasting benefits for persons with disabilities, their families and their communities,” said Jeannette DeLong, a member of Barrier-Free Manitoba’s Steering Committee. “The bill is a giant step toward making the vision of an inclusive society a reality for all Manitobans."

“With disability discrimination accounting for 51% of all formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission last year, it’s abundantly clear that we continue to have system-wide problems,” said Dale Kendel, another Steering Committee member. “This type of legislation is the only reasonable, responsible and realistic way to address the pervasive barriers faced by persons with disabilities.”

The Government’s approach builds on the experience gained through accessibility-rights legislation already in place in a growing number of jurisdictions around the world. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, for example, was passed with all-party, all-member support in 2005.

Barrier-Free Manitoba (www.barrierfreemb.com) is a non-partisan, non-profit, cross-disability initiative.