Stronger Accessibility Planning and Awareness Week

Summary#

• This bill updates Manitoba’s Accessibility for Manitobans Act and creates an annual Access Awareness Week. The goal is to improve how the province plans for, reviews, and explains work to remove barriers for people with disabilities.

• It changes who sits on the Accessibility Advisory Council, sets clear timelines for public-sector accessibility plans, updates how often accessibility standards are reviewed, and directs fine money to education and awareness.

• Key changes:

  • Majority of the advisory council must be people disabled by barriers (people with disabilities), with seats for their organizations and for affected sectors. The council must reflect Manitoba’s diversity, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
  • Public-sector bodies must prepare or update accessibility plans on set schedules through 2031, then every four years starting in 2032. They must consult people with disabilities and submit plans to the provincial director within 30 days.
  • Accessibility standards must be reviewed within five years after the first review, and at least once every 10 years after that. The entire Act must be reviewed by the end of 2028 and then every 10 years.
  • Money collected from penalties must be used to educate the public and promote accessibility.
  • The week starting on the last Sunday in May is named Access Awareness Week.

What it means for you#

• People with disabilities and their families

  • You should have a stronger voice on the advisory council and in planning. Government bodies must consult you or your organizations when writing accessibility plans and say how they did it.
  • Over time, you may see more consistent improvements in buildings, transportation, customer service, communication, and websites as plans are updated on a regular cycle.
  • Access Awareness Week may bring events, information, and attention to accessibility needs across the province.

• Provincial government, large cities, health authorities, schools, colleges, and universities

  • You must prepare or update accessibility plans for 2025–2026, 2027–2028, and 2029–2031.
  • Starting January 1, 2032, you must have an updated plan every four years.
  • Each plan must explain how you will find, prevent, and remove barriers, and describe how you consulted people with disabilities.
  • You must send your plan to the provincial director within 30 days of finishing it.

• Small municipalities

  • You must prepare or update plans for 2026–2027, and then either 2028–2029 and 2030–2031, or one plan covering 2028–2031.
  • From 2032 onward, you move to the same four‑year planning cycle as other public bodies.
  • You also must consult people with disabilities and submit plans within 30 days.

• Businesses and nonprofits

  • No new direct duties in this bill. However, sectors that may be covered by accessibility standards will have representatives on the advisory council.
  • Reviews of standards on a set schedule may lead to future changes that affect your operations.

• Residents and taxpayers

  • Fines collected under the Act must be spent on public education and awareness about accessibility, not general spending.
  • Access Awareness Week is a recognition week, not a statutory holiday.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Puts people with lived experience at the center of decision-making, which should lead to more practical and fair solutions.
• Regular, predictable planning cycles will keep public bodies focused on finding and fixing barriers.
• Requiring consultation ensures plans reflect real needs in communities, including Indigenous peoples and rural areas.
• Using penalty money for education helps change attitudes and practices, which can prevent barriers before they happen.
• Setting an Access Awareness Week promotes understanding and celebrates progress province‑wide.
• Periodic reviews of standards and the Act keep rules up to date with technology and best practices.

Opponents' View#

• New planning, consultation, and reporting steps may add workload and costs for municipalities, schools, and health bodies, especially small ones with limited staff.
• Moving to 10‑year intervals between some standard reviews could slow needed updates.
• Requiring a majority of council seats for certain groups may limit flexibility to appoint technical experts or regional representatives.
• Earmarking fine money for education reduces budget flexibility and may not fund enforcement or accessibility upgrades directly.
• An awareness week is symbolic and may not lead to concrete changes without more funding or stronger enforcement.