Grants and Awards

Manitoba Accessibility Awards

The Manitoba Accessibility Awards recognizes leaders in our communities who have shown their commitment to accessibility and inclusion for all Manitobans, especially those who experience accessibility barriers.

The Manitoba government plans to celebrate the awards, by including the Manitoba Accessibility Awards as part of community-based awards programs.

Manitoba Accessibility Awards Logo - three squares lined up facing top left

About the Awards

The 2018 Independent Report on the Effectiveness of the Implementation of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act recommended introducing accessibility awards as an incentive program for business and organizations to encourage their compliance of the act.

Acting on these recommendations, the Manitoba Accessibility Office began to research effective ways to use awards to promote accessibility. Today the awards raise awareness to the efforts and achievements Manitoba businesses and organizations have made to become more accessible to all.

The Manitoba government launched the Manitoba Accessibility Awards virtually, December 3, 2020, during a webinar to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Back to Top

Award Recipients

2025

    Arts AccessAbility Network of Manitoba

    Arts AccessAbility Network of Manitoba undertook the challenge of removing accessibility barriers in arts spaces and theatres in Manitoba. This project has had a significant impact on arts organizations, the d/Deaf and disability communities.

    Through comprehensive venue audits, the Arts AccessAbility Network provides practical advice to help organizations make their spaces more accessible. Many audited venues have sought additional guidance on improving accessibility, including recommendations to attend anti-ableism workshops and engage directly with D/deaf and disability communities.

    The audit information is now publicly available through a detailed database on their website, featuring 174 points of accessibility information for each arts venue in Winnipeg. This resource empowers people by providing critical information needed to fully participate in the arts.

    Arts AccessAbility Network of Manitoba was also a recipient of a Manitoba Accessibility Fund grant in 2023.

2024

    Abilities Manitoba

    Abilities Manitoba launched a successful social media campaign to raise awareness about the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. In May 2023, the campaign featured five short videos, three informational one-pagers and a new web page, reaching over 65,000 Manitobans across various platforms.

    The campaign highlighted the lived experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in relation to the first three standards of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. Abilities Manitoba collaborated with representatives from disability support service organizations and individuals with lived intellectual disability experience to develop the campaign's concept, strategy, and messaging.

    People with lived experience were hired as paid actors and played an active role in providing feedback during the launch and evaluation stages, further enhancing the campaign's accessibility and broadening its impact.

    In November 2023, Abilities Manitoba's “Barrier Town” campaign won a gold award in the Disability Awareness category at the Shorty Impact Awards. This international program recognizes purpose-driven work that creates positive change.

    Abilities Manitoba was also a recipient of a Manitoba Accessibility Fund grant in 2022.

    Abilities MB - Making Manitoba Accessible

2021 - 2023

Award suspended due to COVID-19

2020

Back to Top