Strategic Legislative Options Paper
Feedback Site
On May 7, 2010, Barrier-Free Manitoba released a report on strategic legislative options prepared by BakerLaw. We invite you to use this site to provide your feedback on the report.
Background
The BakerLaw report was prepared to identify and assess options required to ensure that proposed accessibility-rights legislation is both strong and effective and that it provides real and lasting benefits to persons with disabilities in Manitoba.
Our decision to commission the report followed the 2009 Throne Speech pledge that legislation would be central to updating and improving Manitoba's disability strategy. This pledge followed the September 2009 commitment by then NDP leadership candidate and now Premier Greg Selinger to introduce accessibility-rights legislation based on the Ontario model after consultations with the disability community and public and private sector stakeholders.
BakerLaw, a Toronto-based legal and consulting firm, was retained because the firm is a nationally recognized leader in human and disability rights law. It is hoped that their report will support informed discussion within the disability community on strategic legislative options.
The report concludes that the proposed legislation provides for "a significant advance in the accessibility of the province" and "an excellent opportunity for the proactive identification and removal of barriers of all kinds across Manitoba."
The report made a total 16 recommendations related to:
Definition of Disability
Development of Accessibility Standards
Monitoring and Ensuring Compliance
Public Accountability
Interaction of the Accessibility Standards and the Manitoba Human Rights Code and Other Legislation.
Your Feedback
Barrier-Free Manitoba has distributed the report broadly within the disability community. We will be reviewing the recommendations over the next few months and are very interested in considering all views and perspectives.
What do you think of the report and the recommendations? Please click on Next and share your thoughts and feedback.
Providing your feedback can take as little as 5 minutes. You can also choose to provide much more detailed answers.
Barrier-Free Manitoba will be preparing a report in September based on the views shared by you and others committed to achieving a fully accessible Manitoba.