Accessibility

The Rural Municipality of Woodlands (RM) will work to identify and remove barriers in our communities to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness for all citizens and visitors. We are committed to providing spaces that can be used with independence and comfort.

The preparation and maintenance of an Accessibility Plan for the RM of Woodlands is a requirement under the provisions of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA). The plan must be updated every two years. This legislation was passed on December 5, 2013 to provide a clear, proactive process to identify, prevent and remove barriers to accessibility. All public sector government agencies must develop an Accessibility Plan to address accessibility barriers in policies, practices and procedures. The goal is to ensure Manitobans of all abilities have full access to programs and services designed to meet the public’s needs.

In order to develop an effective Accessibility Plan for our community, it is essential to identify barriers to accessibility in our community. Barriers are obstacles that affects the ability of people to access or benefit from a system, service, product or space. Examples could include wheelchair access, print is too small to read, unable to hear information, etc. The current RM Accessibility Plan is in the links below, where you can see examples of barriers which have been removed and barriers currently being addressed. These barriers are best identified by the people who are experiencing them. Please help us to make the best plan for our community by forwarding any concerns or suggestions you have regarding accessibility in the RM facilities or public spaces. You may email building@rmwoodlands.ca , phone 204-383-5679, mail to RM of Woodlands, Box 10, R0C 3H0, or in person at the RM Office, 57 Railway Avenue.

Deadlines for Accessibility Plans and/or Compliance

While the public sector, including small municipalities are required to meet the following standards with a written plan, businesses and non-profit organizations who have one or more employees are not required to have a written plan, but ARE required to comply with the standards.

Customer Service Standard addresses business practices and training needed to provide better customer service to people with disabilities. Deadline for small municipalities November 2017, businesses and non-profit November 2018

Employment Standard addresses paid employee practices. The first component deals with the creation of an emergency response system to help employees with disabilities remain safe. Small municipalities, businesses and non-profit deadline was May 1, 2020. Ensuring reasonable accommodation, which would not result in undue hardship to the organization, employer or other employees, for employees with disabilities deadline was May 2021.

Information and Communication Standard addresses the removal and prevention of barriers that exist digitally, in print or through interaction with technology or people. Deadline for small municipalities, businesses and non-profit is May 1, 2025

The next standards to be developed include, Transportation and Design of Outdoor Public Spaces.

Please visit AccessibilityMb.ca for more information or the Accessibility Manitoba Office at 204-945-7613 or email MAO@gov.mb.ca

Link for RM Accessibility Plan:

RM of Woodlands Accessibility Plan

Links for business and non-profit resources (current for October, 2023):

Introduction to the Accessibility for Manitobans Act

https://accessibilitymb.ca/pdf/introducing_accessibility_for_manitobans_brochure.pdf

Checklist for Businesses: The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service

https://accessibilitymb.ca/pdf/checklist_for_css_business_nonprofit.pdf

Employer’s Handbook for Customer Service

https://accessibilitymb.ca/pdf/employers_handbook.pdf

Checklist for Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations: The Accessibility Standard for Employment