Opening DOORS Manitoba’s Commitment to Persons with Disabilities
A Discussion Paper – June 2009

Introduction

Disability affects all Manitobans. At some point, all of us will experience disability, either personally, in our families or in our communities. Manitoba has a range of programs and supports for persons with disabilities. These programs and supports rely on the co-ordination of government departments. Manitoba is committed to providing integrated and sustained leadership on disability issues in order to create a more inclusive society.

In 2001, the Manitoba Government released Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Provincial Strategy on Disability – a policy document detailing the province’s vision for the full participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Manitoba. Over the past eight years, this strategy has guided the province’s approach to disability. We have made significant strides in each of the strategy’s four building blocks: income support, access to government, disability supports and employment for persons with disabilities.

As a population, Manitobans are aging and that brings increased disabilities connected to aging. We are also managing more diverse cultural issues and rapidly changing technologies that change the way we communicate and live.

The goal of this discussion paper is to expand on the vision for persons with disabilities that was outlined in the 2001 strategy. This paper outlines our ideas for moving forward and incorporates suggestions made by persons with disabilities during a number of Manitoba Round Tables on Disability hosted by the Disabilities Issues Office over the past eight years. Recommendations from these round tables have been highlighted with the following symbol.

The province will build on a variety of supports and programs already in place, including RewardingWork, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Strategy,Manitoba’s Homelessness Strategy with a Focus onMental Health Housing, Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative, The Aging in Place Strategy, ALL Aboard: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and others.

The time is right to renew our commitment to persons with disabilities. We want ongoing input from persons with disabilities, their families, caregivers, organizations, employers, researchers, and everyone wanting a more inclusive, accessible Manitoba. If you have comments or suggestions about the proposals in this discussion paper, e-mail them to openingdoors@gov.mb.ca; or mail them to:

Disabilities Issues Office
Room 630 - 240 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg MB   R3C 0J7

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