Deaf Centre Manitoba, Inc.: June 2018

The month of June is flying by. So too is BFM’s Broken Promise campaign.

We launched the campaign on May 29th. We’re looking to wrap it up by June 25th.

First the good news. With 10 days still to go, we think that the campaign is already having an impact. Thousands have already signed on to the online and printed versions of the Broken Promise post card. The six campaign video messages have been watched an incredible 11,000 times on our FaceBook page. And Minister Scott Fielding, the Minister responsible for the AMA, has had to field (pardon the pun) questions about the slow, weak and incomplete implementation of the Act four times in the Legislative Assembly (in response to questions, unprompted by BFM, from both NDP and Liberal MLAs).

Minister Fielding’s latest response was the clearest. He stated that work on the three remaining standards (Information and Communication, Transportation and the Built Environment) would be done concurrently so that all five of the initial standards will be in place before April 2020.

The news from earlier this week is a welcomed start. But much more needs to be done so that the AMA's promise does not remain broken (click here for more information).

That’s why were asking you to help us build on this initial impact during the campaign’s last 10 days.

Here’s how!

1. Get Completed Post Cards Back to One of the Depots

We asked you to help us get the printed versions of the post cards out to your constituents over the campaign's first two weeks. Now we need your help in getting completed cards back. If you have completed cards that you want to return, you don’t need to mail them. Instead, please arrange to get as many of them as possible to one of our 11 handy collection depots (listed at the end of this message) across the province by noon on Thursday, June 21. That should allow us to include all the ones you have returned by that date when we deliver them to Minister Fielding on the week of June 25.

Please note that the depots will still be collecting cards thereafter but the push to meet the Thursday, June 21 return date will help us process most of the cards that will be coming in.

Of course, we would also strongly encourage you to promote the online sign on option through to the very end of the campaign on June 25, 2018. Here again is the URL to the online version: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AMABrokenPromise

2. Participate in the One and Only Public Consultation Event on the AMA

As you may know, AMA requires that a comprehensive review of the Act be conducted by an independent consultant four years after passage. That review is now underway and it is being conducted by Ms. Theresa Harvey Pruden who was appointed at the start of the year by Minister Fielding.

As the AMA is landmark legislation, it’s a very important review. Unfortunately and against our advice, it seems that the decision has been made that one and only one public forum will be held where community members can share their views and provide input. That one public forum will be held in Winnipeg:

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

9:00 am to Noon

Registration at 8:30 am

Viscount Gort Hotel, Main Floor, Royal B and C

1670 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg MB

The venue has a capacity for 100 people and they have asked that you pre-register by June 13. We’ve attached the registration form. You may still also be able to register by phone or email by contacting Tracy MacMillan (204.945.7613 / Tracy.MacMillan@gov.mb.ca). We have recently been told that online participation options are being explored.

Folks from BFM will be attending. We’d love it if you could join us. If you are interested, please contact Tracy ASAP.

We again attached the backgrounder documents we prepared on our major implementation concerns to date. We invite you to consider these as you prepare to share your views with Ms. Harvey Pruden, with government and elected officials and your friends and colleagues.

As a final note, we are pleased to have posted the final two video messages from community members inviting Manitobans to support the Broken Promise campaign:

https://youtu.be/aekhBZlhF1w

https://youtu.be/xmD27gsgS1g

Thank you as always for your interest, confidence and support.

Where to Return Completed Post Cards

Please contact the offices listed below in advance to confirm office hours.

Winnipeg

Canadian Union of Public Employees

(703-275 Broadway / 204-942-0343)

Inclusion Winnipeg

(120 Maryland / 204-786-1414)

Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities

(909-294 Portage Avenue / 204-943-6099)