Overview

• Fontaine acknowledged in her statement that sign language is a full and rich language and offered a personal apology to the interpreter and the Deaf community.
• Progressive Conservative legislators have reiterated calls for her to resign from her role as minister responsible for accessibility.
• Barrier-Free Manitoba urged the government to strengthen enforcement of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act by ensuring mandatory ASL translation at public events.
• APTN recorded her off-camera comments during a private debrief after a June 26 graduation ceremony for Indigenous women, in which she described the interpreter’s “frantic hand movements” as distracting.
• Advocacy groups warn that government leaders must model compliance with accessibility standards to uphold the rights of Deaf and hard-of-hearing Manitobans.