Make Manitoba Accessible
You can review our description of this priority here.
These are the three questions that we posed to each party related to this priority issue.
If elected to from the government ...
- What will your party do to strengthen the implementation of the AMA and ensure timely and significant progress toward an accessible Manitoba?
- How will your party ensure the timely and comprehensive prevention and removal of barriers in facilities, buildings, and structures?
- How will your party ensure that persons most impacted by barriers to accessibility are meaningfully consulted on all matters related to the AMA?
Party Responses
Green Party of Manitoba
Green MLAs will Support the functioning of the Manitoba Disability Fund to ensure endowments are equitably and justly distributed to meet clear goals by ensuring the Accessibility Compliance Secretariat functions well. Nothing about Us Without Us! Communication channels will be funded to ensure those needing programs have the skills they need to be involved at all levels of consultation. We will move quickly implementing the Transportation Standard and the Built Environment Standard as soon as possible now that the original deadlines have been missed.
Manitoba Liberal Party
There have been far too many delays on the implementation and enforcement of the AMA, and we watched and objected as the PCs weakened legislation.
Government must play an activist role in pushing these initiatives forward. The Manitoba Government has an obligation to serve all residents of Manitoba, it must take a lead on ensuring accessibility and information access, and ensuring a fundamental standard of dignity is recognized and upheld.
Regulation on its own is not enough to open the doors. We need enforcement, education and awareness about the benefits of universal design, as well as assistance and guidance and resources for change for people coming into compliance.
- We will improve compliance requirements on 95%.
- Require that government-appointed agencies prepare, update and make publicly available their plans to proactively remove barriers.
- Include building accessibility, including building exteriors in the proposed Built Environment Standard.
- Engaging fully on an ongoing basis with the disability community to strengthen the AMA.
- Establish effective monitoring, report and compliance.
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The Manitoba NDP were proud to introduce and pass the AMA in the legislature years ago, but since the PCs were elected, the implementation has not been adequately prioritized. More needs to be done to support progress towards an accessible Manitoba.
Under a Manitoba NDP Government, provincial government departments and agencies will prepare, update and make publicly available their plans to remove barriers to accessibility. We are also committed to working with stakeholder organizations like Disability Matters to reduce barriers in the built environment through updated building codes and supports to modernize physical structures.
Compliance with the standards under the AMA is important. We will support the development of the Compliance Framework, work with the community to educate Manitobans about responsibilities under the Act, and support a proactive approach to fulfilling these duties.
As a foundational principle, we are committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are at decision-making tables – particularly when it comes to the AMA. This is a priority for us, and an NDP government will ensure the disability community is regularly consulted and included from the start.
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
Q: What will your party do to strengthen the implementation of the AMA and ensure timely and significant progress toward an accessible Manitoba?
A: Our PC Party will strengthen the implementation of the AMA and ensure timely and significant progress toward an accessible Manitoba by charging the Minister responsible with providing a status update on accessibility within 180 days.
Q: How will your party ensure the timely and comprehensive prevention and removal of barriers in facilities, buildings, and structures?
A: Our PC Party will ensure the timely and comprehensive prevention and removal of barriers in facilities, buildings and structures through the implementation of a new design standard of public outdoor spaces, which will be enacted by the end of 2024.
Q: How will your party ensure that persons most impacted by barriers to accessibility are meaningfully consulted on all matters related to the AMA?
A: A key feature of the AMA is the requirement for regular reviews. A comprehensive five-year review of the AMA has recently taken place. The full report along with recommendations for improvement will be publicly available in the coming months.