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Issue 49 | September 2024
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This newsletter is available in alternate formats on request.
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Recognizing Communication Barriers
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The Accessible Customer Service Standard requires all Manitoba organizations with at least one or more employees to create policies and procedures that help achieve respectful, barrier-free customer service. One of the requirements of the Accessible Customer Service Standard is that organizations must meet the communication needs of customers, clients or members.
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Many people face barriers when it comes to accessing information. Working with your customers to address their communication needs can be the easiest way to address barriers.
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Communication barriers occur when the way information is presented cannot be received or understood by everyone. A few of the most common communication barriers are visual, audio, speech or comprehension barriers. Understanding how these barriers impact people can help identify the best solution to removing the barrier.
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- Visual Barriers: This occurs when there is an expectation on the customer to read a sign, form or general information. They can also include physical gestures, location of landmarks or the ability to see hazards.
- Audio Barriers: This type of barrier can include any time sound, or words are used as a primary communication tool to convey information.
- Speech Barriers: This occurs when customers are expected to be able to verbally speak, whether in person or over the phone.
- Comprehension Barriers: Occur when the customer is required to comprehend, concentrate, learn, organize or remember information.
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The removal of any of these communication barriers usually involves simple solutions such as providing information in an alternative format that best meets the needs of the individual. Your customers will appreciate the attention and consideration provided. A great first step in addressing a communication barrier is to simply ask the customer “How may I help you?”, whether it be verbally or with the assistance of a communication board.
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Share Your Feedback on the Accessible Employment Standard Regulation: Five-Year Review Consultation
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- Do you experience barriers in the workplace?
- Do you face barriers to finding or keeping a job?
- Have you received workplace accommodations?
- How does this standard affect you and your workplace?
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If any of these ring true, we would love to hear from you!
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The Accessibility for Manitobans Act calls for a review of the effectiveness of accessibility standards every five years. Currently, the Accessibility Advisory Council is reviewing the Accessible Employment Standard Regulation. The goal of this standard is to create a fair work environment, accessible and inclusive for everyone, including people with disabilities, enabling all employees to participate fully in the workforce. This review will help to determine how effective the Accessible Employment Standard is in achieving its goal and if improvements to the standard should be explored.
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Get Involved in the Review and Share Your Feedback!
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Live Virtual Town Hall Sessions:
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Public engagement is an important aspect of this review, and you’re invited to participate in one of the virtual town hall sessions. Town hall sessions will include group discussions and participation at the sessions will be encouraged.
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Morning Virtual Town Hall
- Date: Tuesday, September 24
- Time: 10 a.m. to Noon
- Where: Online via Zoom
Register to Attend
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Afternoon Virtual Town Hall*
- Date: Thursday, September 26
- Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Where: Online via Zoom
Register to Attend
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These sessions will have accessibility measures such as American Sign Language interpretation (ASL) and live closed captioning. If you require further accommodations, please email MAO@gov.mb.ca.
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*French translation services will be offered at the September 26 town hall session.
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In-Person Disability Community Forum*
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The Accessibility Advisory Council wants to hear directly from people with disabilities on how we can improve the Accessible Employment Standard Regulation. This interactive forum will provide an in-person opportunity for open dialogue and constructive feedback, helping us shape the law that is meant to make workplaces more accessible and inclusive. We want to hear your experiences, but also your ideas on what is possible for this standard to work and reach its full potential. Group discussions and active participation at this forum will be encouraged. All feedback received will be carefully captured for subsequent analysis and will help to shape improvements to the standard.
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Session Details:
- Date: Wednesday, October 2
- Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: Canadian Museum for Human Rights, 85 Israel Asper Way, Winnipeg, MB
- Room: Manitoba Teacher’s Society Classrooms
Register to Attend
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Space is limited at this event. Register to attend early to save your seat.
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An essential part of planning these town hall sessions is ensuring accessibility. This forum will have accessibility measures such as American Sign Language interpretation (ASL), personal care attendants and live closed captioning. If you require additional accommodations, please email MAO@gov.mb.ca for assistance.
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We’re interested in hearing from all Manitobans, including people with disabilities, persons with long-term health conditions or illness, seniors, caregivers, family, friends, natural supports and others interested in this area. Share your story by emailing access@gov.mb.ca.
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The deadline to submit your insight on the Accessible Employment Standard Regulation is Friday, November 1, 2024.
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Alternate formats and accommodations to participate are available by request.
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Get Ready to Celebrate Disability Employment Month this October
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Recognized by the Manitoba government each October, Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) is quickly approaching. It’s a time to recognize the positive contributions people with disabilities make toward developing a more diverse and inclusive workforce for all!
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If your organization is already planning activities in celebration of Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Manitoba Accessibility Office would like to hear from you. Please reach out to MAO@gov.mb.ca to share the details of your event.
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The Manitoba Accessibility Fund grant recipients for 2024/25 have been officially notified!
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It’s a diverse group of projects this year, and the Manitoba Accessibility Fund looks forward to seeing the full impact projects will make to improve accessibility across the province. Grant recipients will continue to be invited to share their experiences and showcase their projects at events in the coming months. To read the full list of grant recipients and learn more about their innovative projects, please visit our website.
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Thank you to everyone who applied and supported this year's Manitoba Accessibility Fund grant process. Stay tuned for official announcements and updates regarding next year’s intake!
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Spotlight on Manitoba Accessibility Fund Projects
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Improving accessibility helps everyone. This month, the Manitoba Accessibility Fund is spotlighting three grant recipients and their accessibility projects.
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Assiniboine College is a post secondary institution in Brandon, Manitoba. The college’s mandate is to provide students with the education skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their careers and meet the demands of the changing job market.
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There are five main campuses, as well as many active contracts in communities throughout the province.
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Providing accessible, inclusive and ethical opportunities is integral to Assiniboine's vision to offer exceptional educational environments to the students, staff and broader community. Our commitment to honour the obligations of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act strengthens our vision of exceptional learning experiences and ensures that Assiniboine College is continually improving.
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Our organization plans to address the information and communication needs of persons with disabilities by making assistive devices available in various settings such as classrooms, lecture theatres and public spaces to create a more inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of their ability, can access information and communication.
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Our project supports the college’s efforts to be proactive and remove barriers in advance as much as possible by supporting an inclusive environment verse waiting to be responsive to an accommodation request.
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Through support from the Manitoba Accessibility Fund, we have purchased a variety of equipment options and will be making them available to students and patrons when accessing our facilities. The assistive devices will be shared among all campuses and community sites. The equipment will be provided, on loan, to students who identify as having a disability and require the information tool or communication support in the classroom environment. Equipment will also be made available, on loan, to community members when they are visiting a campus to request information or to attend an event.
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Equipment purchased includes personal FM systems for classrooms, an auditorium FM system, talking calculators, electronic magnifier, document cameras, Cpen readers, (reading pens), voice recorders and Zoom text large print keyboards.
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This initiative will continue in the future as the college continues to expand its inventory of accessible equipment available for loan.
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~ Article submitted by Assiniboine College.
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The Independent Living Resource Centre (ILRC)
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The Independent Living Resource Centre (ILRC) is a non-profit agency headquartered in Winnipeg that provides programs, services and training for Manitobans with disabilities and the community. Established on the Independent Living (IL) Philosophy, we understand that individuals with disabilities are best positioned to coordinate both their personal and community-based resources. ILRC provides a broad array of programming to further the independence and inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life and to support organizations trying to improve their awareness and accessibility.
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With financial support from the 2023/24 Manitoba Accessibility Fund, ILRC successfully partnered with three diverse organizations through its “Access Unlimited” project. The primary goal of this initiative was to collaborate with private and non-profit organizations to improve the accessibility of their physical spaces, service delivery and digital platforms, ensuring compliance with the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) standards. Project partners included Artbeat Studio Inc., Urban Design Ltd., and Sara Riel Inc., each representing different challenges but sharing a common purpose of removing barriers—whether physical, informational or policy-related—that hinder full participation.
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The "Access Unlimited" project was built around three main phases. The first involved a comprehensive accessibility audit conducted by ILRC’s team, which evaluated the partner organization’s facilities and digital presence. This audit reviewed aspects such as entrances, parking, washrooms, office layout and website accessibility, applying universal design principles and integrating lived experiences. The second phase included an interactive workshop where (partner agency) staff members engaged with accessibility concepts and practical tools, ensuring their active involvement in the process and fostering a deeper awareness of accessibility concerns from a cross-disability perspectives. The final phase focused on follow-up support, connecting partner organizations with additional resources, training opportunities and funding options to help them achieve their accessibility goals.
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Looking forward, the "Access Unlimited" project will continue to offer its services to all organizations across Manitoba. ILRC’s holistic and collaborative approach ensures that accessibility improvements are embedded into the operations of partner agencies, fostering more inclusive environments for everyone. ILRC remains open to connecting with new organizations interested in enhancing their accessibility practices and is dedicated to supporting the broader community in meeting and exceeding AMA standards.
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~ Article submitted by Independent Resource Centre.
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Red River College Polytechnic
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Enhancing Accessibility and Access at Red River College Polytechnic
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Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) is Manitoba’s only polytechnic and largest institute of applied learning and research. Through hands-on, experiential learning opportunities and state-of-the-art instruction, we prepare more than 20,000 students annually to become leaders in their fields – while also ensuring they can meet changing industry demands and contribute to the province’s growth. RRC Polytech partners with businesses and communities in Manitoba to offer programs designed to meet the workforce needs of new, emerging and changing industries. To support the delivery of these programs and the operations of the college, RRC Polytech employs over 2,000 passionate and dedicated employees, making it one of Manitoba’s largest employers.
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In 2023, RRC Polytech received a $10,000 grant from the Manitoba Accessibility Fund to engage an external consultant to review the existing accessibility standards and practices at RRC Polytech and to provide recommendations to enhance these standards and practices in alignment with the Accessibility for Manitobans Act and the act standards. RRC Polytech engaged Lisa Snider, Senior Digital Accessibility Consultant and Founder of Access Changes Everything Inc., to conduct an environmental scan of RRC Polytech’s existing standards and practices as well as informational interviews with key RRC Polytech stakeholders.
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Based on the findings of the environmental scan and interviews, the consultant provided a recommendation report. The report reflected that RRC Polytech has established a solid foundation of standards and practices which support access and accessibility and identified twelve recommendations to further enhance access and accessibility at RRC Polytech. These recommendations focused on opportunities to raise awareness of existing standards and practices, and further document standards and practices to increase digital accessibility and foster improved access for staff, students and the public.
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RRC Polytech plans to implement these recommendations through the renewal of its Accessibility Plan. The further standards and practices created in response to these recommendations will be available to more than 2,000 employees at RRC Polytech and around 20,000 students annually, which reflects the significant impact and outcome of this work. The public will also benefit from improved access and accessibility through the platforms they might use to access RRC Polytech’s programs and services. Furthermore, these recommendations will indirectly benefit all Manitobans as RRC Polytech graduates will gain experience and transfer these standards and practices into Manitoba’s workforce.
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RRC Polytech is grateful to the Manitoba Accessibility Fund for the awarded funding to complete this project. We will continue to move forward in implementing the recommendations and advancing our shared commitment to access and accessibility.
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~ Article submitted by Red River College Polytechnic.
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Customers may request a large employer’s written accessible customer service policy.
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As a customer in Manitoba, did you know that large employers (meaning organizations with 50 or more employees) are required to have a written accessible customer service policy? The Accessible Customer Service Standard Regulation came into force for organizations in all sectors on November 1, 2018. Its numbered sections identify the written policy requirements that help organizations achieve barrier-free customer service.
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Did you know that large employers are required to provide a notice to the public stating that their accessible customer service policies are available upon request? This means you can ask to see a large employer’s accessible customer service policy to find out how they accommodate people with disabilities.
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What to look for in a written accessible customer service policy:
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Each numbered section of the Accessible Customer Service Standard Regulation identifies a part of accessibility that is required to provide barrier free access to goods and services for Manitobans and visitors to our province, such as:
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- meeting communication needs, such as offering to write things down, reading things out loud or taking extra time to explain things;
- accommodating assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids and communication devices;
- welcoming support persons;
- allowing service animals in public premises;
- maintaining accessibility features, such as elevators and ramps, as well as providing appropriate notice for unavailable accessibility features;
- responding to feedback on accessible customer service; and
- training all staff and volunteers on accessible customer service.
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If you are a person disabled by barriers, the regulation states that you may request the large employer’s policy information in an alternate format.
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Remember: Although organizations with fewer than 50 employees are not required to write down their accessible customer service policies, those with at least one employee in Manitoba are still required to follow the regulation’s requirements and provide customer service that is accessible to all.
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To learn more about the Accessible Customer Service Standard Regulation, please visit AccessibilityMB.ca.
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Training on the Accessible Customer Service Standard Regulation is also available on the AMA Learning Portal. Take the training today.
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A new Statistics Canada report says people with disabilities are twice as likely to live in food insecure households than those without disabilities. The report used data from the 2021 Canadian Income Survey and found 26.4 per cent of respondents with a disability experienced some level of food insecurity, compared to 12.5 per cent of people without disabilities.
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As the Paralympic Games in Paris continue, Paralympic swimmer Kirby Cote wants to remind folks that these are ELITE athletes at the top of their game, and not every disabled person wants to compete on the world stage. Some people just want to go golfing with their friends.
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The daughter of a Winnipeg senior who has been missing since December last year wants Silver Alerts to reach more people when they are issued.
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Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Beyond the Beat Music Series
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Join the Canadian Museum for Human Rights for the final show of the Beyond the Beat Music Series, DJ Shub presents War Club.
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DJ Shub is considered the “Godfather of PowWowStep.” Born as Dan General, a Mohawk from the Turtle Clan of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Ontario, DJ Shub is pioneering a growing genre of electronic music and his Indigenous heritage, hip‐hop and protest.
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- When: Friday, September 20, 2024
- Where: Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, Level 1
- Time: Doors open at 7 p.m.
- Cost: Free; registration is required
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September Awareness Dates:
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This newsletter is available in alternate formats on request.
You subscribed to this newsletter on the AccessibilityMB.ca website.
Manitoba Accessibility Office
630 - 240 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0J7
Phone: 204-945-7613
Toll-free: 1-800-282-8069, ext. 7613
Email: MAO@gov.mb.ca
Follow and join the #AccessibleMB conversation on social media.
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