Barrier Free Manitoba

As of November 1, 2018, the Accessibilty for Manitobans Act's Customer Service Standard is now the law for all organizations with one or more employees in Manitoba. This standard sets out what all Manitobans with disabilities can and should expect when requesting or receiving services anywhere in the province - please click here to check these out or download our handy, dandy poster (Word / PDF).

But what to do if an organization is not respecting your right to accessible customer service? Great question!

While we wait for the Province to develop and implement a strong and effective enforcement system, here's what the Disability Issue Office's December 2017 consumer guide (Word / PDF) to the Customer Service Standard says you should do.

What do I do if a service provider does not follow the standard?

If you are having trouble getting goods or services from a provider because of accessibility barriers:

1.You can give feedback.

You may want to give the service provider ideas on how they can serve you better:

• Tell the provider about the trouble you have with their service.
• Make sure the provider understands what you think is wrong with their service. Explain why you cannot access their goods or services.
• Explain your needs to the service provider. Try to help the provider understand your needs.
• Explain to the service provider how they can help you.
• Be specific. Let the provider know what they can do to fix the problem. You can explain what other providers do when they serve you.
• Ask the service provider about their feedback process and what actions are taken in responding to complaints.
• You do not need to tell the provider what disability you have.

2. You can learn more about the standard.

You can visit www.AccessibilityMB.ca for information about the Customer Service Standard, or to read the actual regulation. Think about whether or not the provider is following the rules under the standard. If it is not, you can remind the provider of what they need to do.

3. You can contact an organization that helps people with disabilities.

There are a number of service providers that work with people with disabilities. It may be a good idea to contact one or more of them. Many service providers like to know if the people they represent are having problems getting services. Some may give you information or advice. They may also have people you can talk to if you have problems with a provider. To find an organization, visit the United Way or its online service: www.mb.211.ca and search People with Disabilities.

4. You can contact the Disabilities Issues Office.

The Disabilities Issues Office is part of the Manitoba government, and it is the main office working on The Accessibility for Manitobans Act. It helps businesses and other service providers learn how to become accessible and to meet the accessibility standards.

For those wishing to contact the Disability Issues Office, here is how they can be reached:

Disabilities Issues Office

630 - 240 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0J7

Fax: 204-948-2896
Call: 204-945-7613
Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 (Ext. 7613)
Email: dio@gov.mb.ca

If your right to accessible service is not being met by someone working for the Province of Manitoba, please consider taking another step as outlined on the Government's Accessibility page on its general website:

If you have questions about government services or would like to provide feedback about provincial government accessibility, contact us at www.gov.mb.ca/contact.