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Accessibility | Act Standards

Accessibility

Act Standards

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act's standards are the building blocks that the Manitoba government will use to make real, measurable and effective change to accessibility.

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act standards focus on five key areas:

Two people standing outside with a support animal (dog).

The Accessibility Standard for

Customer Service

This standard focuses on business practices and training requirements to provide better customer service to people with disabilities.

The Accessibility Standard for
Customer Service
headphones with microphone

The Accessibility Standard for

Employment

The Accessibility Standard for Employment addresses paid employment practices relating to employee-employer relationships, which could include practices related to employee recruitment, hiring and retention policies and practices.

The Accessibility Standard for Employment
person at desk

The Accessibility Standard for

Information & Communication

This standard addresses the removal of barriers in accessing and providing information. This could include information provided in print, in-person, on websites, or in other formats.

The Accessibility Standard for
Information & Communication
paper and chat bubble

The Accessibility Standard for

Transportation

The Accessibility Standard for Transportation addresses barriers Manitobans might encounter while getting to work, school, shopping, socializing and other aspects of daily life.

The Accessibility Standard for
Transportation
bus

The Accessibility Standard for

Design of Outdoor Public Spaces

This standard focuses on access to areas outside the jurisdiction of the Manitoba Building Code. This standard applies to sidewalks, pathways, parks and other aspects of the outdoor environment that are designed and constructed.

The Accessibility Standard for
Design of Outdoor Public Spaces
tree and bench

Creating the Standards

The creation of a standard involves multiple steps and people, including the Minister responsible for Accessibility (Minister), the Accessibility Advisory Council (Council), advisory committee and the public.

Public consultations are an important part of accessibility standard development. The Council consults with a variety of organizations representing people with disabilities, organizations with a responsibility to remove barriers and the general public.

Steps to Create a Standard

1

The Minister develops a standard-specific Terms of Reference that outlines what the accessibility standard does and who it affects.

2

Council receives the Terms of Reference. All Terms of Reference are shared online.

3

Council creates a standard development committee of experts who provide recommendations for a proposed standard.

4

Council reviews the standard development committee's recommendations and develops a discussion paper that serves as the basis for public consultations.

5

The public gives feedback on the discussion paper in-person, by phone, through video calls and online webinars.

6

Council may discuss the feedback received during consultations with the standard development committee for their expertise.

7

Council considers the public's feedback and the committee's advice to prepare a report of their recommendations for a proposed standard to the Minister.

8

The Minister considers whether to accept Council's proposed standard in whole, in part, or with changes. The Minister makes Council's recommendations for a proposed standard public.

9

An intergovernmental working group with expertise on the proposed standard provides input to government and works with legislative drafters to draft the standard as a regulation.

10

Once finalized, government posts the draft standard for public comment on the Manitoba Regulatory Consultation Portal (gov.mb.ca) for a 60-day period.

11

The Minister consults with Council about the comments received and revises the draft standard, if appropriate.

12

The Minister makes any final amendments to the draft standard and presents it to Cabinet (cabinet ministers) for approval.

13

The standard is enacted as a regulation and becomes law.

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