Manitoba Disabilities Issues Office

Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard, minister responsible for persons with disabilities (centre) is joined by Accessibility Advisory Council chairperson Jim Derksen and vice-chair Yvonne Peters at a Winnipeg forum organized by the provincial Disabilities Issues Office to recognize the United Nations International Day for Persons with Disabilities (December 3) and to announce the membership of the 12-person council appointed to help identify, remove or prevent barriers faced by people with disabilities

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In 2002, the Government of Manitoba established the Disabilities Issues Office (DIO) to serve and report to the Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities.

 The Disabilities Issues Office:

• communicates directly with members of the community
• consults with organizations and citizens concerned about program gaps and policy
  directions
• co-ordinates work among government departments, disability groups, community
  organizations and business
• makes Manitoba a more inclusive society for persons with disabilities  

Moving Change Forward

The Disabilities Issues Office is playing a key role in many initiatives, including:

• promoting the rights of persons with disabilities through legislative means, and with the  implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• working with other government departments to improve access to educational
  opportunities and employment, including in the Civil Service
• collaborating with other jurisdictions to achieve equal access to services throughout
• Manitoba ensuring that government services and information is accessible to all citizens 

Leadership

The Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities is mandated to:

• identify issues affecting persons with disabilities
• co-ordinate policy development to improve access to public services
• raise awareness about living with disability
• represent the needs of Manitobans with disabilities to other levels of
  government