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Accessibility | Compliance

Accessibility

Compliance

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act is provincial law, with accessibility standards acting as regulations under the law.

The Manitoba Accessibility Compliance Secretariat is responsible for promoting, monitoring and enforcing compliance with accessibility regulations.

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About the Accessibility
Compliance Secretariat

Manitoba's Accessibility Compliance Secretariat (Secretariat) monitors compliance of accessibility legislation among the private, non-profit and the public sector which includes municipalities.

Accessibility Compliance Secretariat
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Affected Organizations,
Requirements, & Deadlines

Accessibility standards are enacted as regulations, functioning as the building blocks of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act. As each standard is passed in the Manitoba Legislature, there are new requirements and deadlines for affected organizations, including businesses.

  • Private sector organizations or businesses include Manitoba businesses and organizations with one or more employees, such as shops, restaurants, hotels, legal, healthcare and professional services.
  • Non-profit organizations include, but are not limited to charities, unions, community organizations, places of worship, and member associations.
  • Public sector organizations include organizations that are connected to the government, including Crown corporations, regional health authorities, school divisions, post-secondary institutions, large municipalities* and government agencies, boards and commissions.

*Large municipalities include Manitoba's 10 largest municipalities, as defined by the province as cities. These include Brandon, Dauphin, Flin Flon, Morden, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Steinbach, Thompson, Winkler and Winnipeg.

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Accessible Customer Service Deadline

The Accessible Customer Service Standard is the first accessibility standard enacted under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act.

This standard came into force for all organizations on

November 1, 2018

The Accessibility Standard for
Customer Service

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Accessible Employment Deadline

The Accessible Employment Standard is the second standard enacted under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act.

Requirements under this standard has been in force for all organizations since

May 1, 2022

The Accessibility Standard
for Employment
.

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Accessible Information & Communication Deadline

The Accessible Information and Communication Standard is the third accessibility standard under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act.

Manitoba Goverment:

May 1, 2023

Public sector organizations, government agencies and large municipalities:

May 1, 2024

Private and non-profit organizations and small municipalities:

May 1, 2025

The Accessibility Standard for
Information & Communication
.

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Accessible Transportation Deadline

The Accessibility Standard for Transportation is currently in development. Check back for Compliance deadlines.

The Accessibility Standard for
Transportation

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Accessible Design of Outdoor Public Spaces Deadline

The Accessibility Standard for Design of Outdoor Public Spaces is currently in development. Check back for Compliance deadlines.

The Accessibility Standard for
Design of Public Spaces

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Accessible Plans Deadlines for Public Sector Organizations

According to The Accessibility for Manitobans Act, accessibility plans must be developed, updated and made publicly available by the following organizations:

  • Manitoba government - An updated accessibility plan for 2023 and 2024 was due on December 31, 2022
  • Public sector organizations, including school divisions and large municipalities - An updated accessibility plan for 2023 and 2024 was due on December 31, 2022
  • Small Municipalities - An updated plan for 2022 and 2023 was due on December 31, 2021
  • Private and non-profit organizations: It is best practice to have an accessibility plan, but not required under the legislation

Accessibility Compliance Framework

The Accessibility Compliance Secretariat works with organizations across Manitoba to raise awareness about accessibility and to enforce compliance of legislative and regulatory requirements.

Some accessibility requirements vary across sectors and by the size of an organization. Some sectors also have additional time to comply with the accessibility standards.

An accessibility compliance framework describes the different steps involved in the compliance process. The first priority is to educate towards compliance. The Manitoba government is also working with numerous partners in the public, non-profit and private sectors to inform organization about the legislation, share practical tools and resources, and provide accessibility training. The goal is to promote a cultural shift toward a more accessible Manitoba, so everyone can benefit.

What do I do if an organization is not complying?

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act is not complaints based legislation. Each individual complaint is not investigated and mediation services are not offered. However, feedback from the public on non-compliance is recorded and used to identify trends that inform compliance and awareness raising efforts. For more information about the compliances process, please visit:

Compliance Process

For more information, contact The Accessibility Compliance Secretariat at accessibilitycompliance@gov.mb.ca or (204) 792-0263.

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