Manitoba Deaf Community

03/20/2026

Hello Manitoba Deaf Community,

It's been a while since our town hall, so here's an important update!

On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Bill 6 – The Sign Languages Recognition Act was introduced and received first reading in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

This historic bill (introduced by Minister Nahanni Fontaine on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities) formally recognizes sign languages—including American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec Sign Language (LSQ), Indigenous sign languages, and tactile sign languages—as the primary languages of communication for Deaf and Deaf-Blind communities in Manitoba.

This recognition affirms sign languages as distinct languages with their own grammar, structure, and cultural heritage.

It's a big step toward greater inclusion, accessibility, and respect for our community's identity and rights.

Here are the key links for more details:

Hansard record of the introduction (December 3, 2025): https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/hansard/43rd_3rd/vol_11/h11.html

Full text of Bill 6: https://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/43-3/b006e.php

How you can support Bill 6 right now:

Stay informed – Check the Manitoba Legislature website regularly for updates on the bill's progress (look under "Bill Status" or committee schedules).

Contact your MLA – Once the Government House Leader schedules a committee meeting or second reading (watch for announcements), write or email your local MLA to express support.

Share why this bill matters to you and our community. Find your MLA and contact info here: https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/mla_list_constituency.html

Register to speak or submit written comments – When a committee meeting is announced for Bill 6, you can register to present your views (in person, virtually, or in writing) here: https://manitoba.ca/legislature/committees/committee_registration.html

Spread the word – Like, share, and comment on this post to raise awareness.

Encourage friends, family, and allies to learn more and show support!

Your voice makes a difference—let's keep the momentum going for full recognition and a more accessible Manitoba.

If you have questions or want to share your thoughts, drop them in the comments.

Thank you for being part of this community!

Send a message to learn more

02/24/2026

ASL is Possible helps families and caregivers of Deaf children learn American Sign Language at no cost, with flexible learning options:

✅ 20‑hour non‑certified class taught by a Deaf ASL instructor from Manitoba Possible. The curriculum is designed for families and everyday conversation.

✅ Certified ASL level course offered through ASL Teaching Services.

✅ Week‑long non‑certified class at Manitoba Possible’s ASL Immersion July 6-10.

To apply (at any time) contact Sherry Clark at [email protected]

02/21/2026

I appreciate this message from the Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer recognizing ASL, LSQ, and Indigenous Sign Languages as primary languages of Deaf people in Canada.

If language is identity and connection, then ensuring Deaf children have early, full access to natural sign language must be part of the solution.

International Mother Language Day isn’t just about celebration — it’s also about responsibility.

Ending language deprivation means:
• Ensuring families receive balanced, complete information
• Protecting access to sign language from the very beginning
• Removing pressure that frames language as “either/or”
• Designing systems that honour Deaf children’s right to language

Recognition in policy matters.
Now we continue the work of making that recognition real in practice.

Language is identity.
Access to language is a right.

On International Mother Language Day, we celebrate the languages that shape who we are and how we experience the world.

Communication is one of the seven priority areas under the Accessible Canada Act. The Act formally recognizes American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec Sign Language (Langue des signes québécoise – LSQ), and Indigenous Sign Languages (ISL) as the primary languages of Deaf people in Canada.

Language is identity. Language is connection. Inclusive communication is key to building a Canada where everyone belongs.

Today, and every day, we honour and embrace the rich diversity of languages that strengthen our communities.

Alt text: Purple web card reading “International Mother Language Day.” A graphic of the earth appears to the left, with multiple speech bubbles reading “Hello” in different languages. To the right, there is an illustration of a person signing “Hello.” Our office’s applied signature and the Canada wordmark appear below.

02/16/2026

Dear community members and families,

The Manitoba Deaf Community is raising awareness about the critical issue of Language Deprivation among Deaf children in Manitoba. On February 1st, we hosted a community town hall to begin this important conversation and start the process of change. You can see highlights from that event and join the discussion here on this page.

We are now preparing to write a Letter of Concern to Premier Wab Kinew and the Ministers of Health, Accessibility, and Education. This letter will call for meaningful changes in policies and processes that affect Deaf children and their families.

To strengthen our message, we are inviting parents and guardians of Deaf children to share their experiences. Your stories will help us highlight real-world challenges in accessing early intervention and American Sign Language (ASL) services in Manitoba.

If you are willing to help, please share your story with us. You may wish to include:

-How soon after your child was identified as Deaf were you referred to ASL services?
-When did you first meet a Deaf person after your child’s identification?
-Did any hearing health professionals recommend that you learn ASL, delay learning ASL, or avoid learning ASL?
-What reasons were given for those recommendations?
Did you feel pressured to wait before introducing ASL?
-What impact did waiting (or being discouraged) from learning ASL have on your child’s communication and development?
-What changes or improvements would you like to see in the current process?
-How is your child doing now, in communication and at school?

Your voices matter. Together, we can make a difference. Please send your story or thoughts to [email protected] by Monday, February 23, 2026 or at your earliest convenience.

In community,
Manitoba Deaf Community

02/12/2026

We recently learned that the Language Deprivation Town Hall was shared in newsletters by Speech-Language & Audiology Canada and the Manitoba Accessibility Office.

That’s significant.

It shows that this conversation is important, relevant, and worth sharing—not only within the Deaf community, but also with professionals and decision-makers who influence the lives of Deaf children and their families.

Language deprivation has real, long-term impacts on Deaf children—affecting learning, mental health, identity, and overall well-being. This is why it’s so important to continue sharing accurate information and lived experiences.

At the heart of this is a simple belief:

Deaf children deserve full access to natural language.

Families should not feel pressured or steered into choosing only one language in order for their Deaf or Hard of Hearing child to thrive.

Children do best when they have early, consistent, and accessible language exposure—in ways that support who they are and how they communicate.

Thank you to everyone who continues to show up, share, and keep this conversation going.

It matters more than many realize. 💙🤟

02/10/2026

Today, the Manitoba Government shared an update about school funding: https://www.youtube.com/live/LEBi4Cf-k2E

One thing that caught my attention was the students “signing” O Canada at the beginning.

I want to be clear — this is not criticism of the students. I appreciate their effort to be inclusive.

However, from a Deaf perspective and as someone who uses ASL as a primary language, much of it didn’t make sense as ASL. It came across more like gibberish than actual ASL.

Another thing that was apparent just from watching the video — there were no Deaf students present.

Regarding the funding: members and allies of the Manitoba Deaf Community know firsthand that Deaf children are often denied, discouraged, or delayed in learning ASL, while hearing children are encouraged and praised for using it.

Are Manitoba government officials aware of where this funding goes — especially when it reaches programs or institutions that discourage families from learning ASL early, during the critical period for language development?

We are not placing blame here.

Our goal is to raise awareness about the impact of these decisions.

It’s important for those responsible for funding and decision-making to understand the consequences for Deaf children — especially those who are being deprived of access to language.

For those who are curious to see O Canada performed by Deaf students with proper, authentic ASL representation, here’s the link: https://youtu.be/RuSYdxV1ILs?si=8iWvdtwNBF4L-Ubz

Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt, Finance Minister Adrien Sala and Kathy Heppner, board of trustees’ chair, Winnipeg School Divi...

02/06/2026

300 followers! 🎉

Thank you all for the support — you are what makes this community so meaningful.

I appreciate every one of you.

Let’s continue growing a vibrant, inclusive Manitoba Deaf Community and making a positive impact across Manitoba. 💙

02/05/2026

For parents and family members of Deaf children across Canada — this is for you. And it’s free.

We’re building real momentum. Since the Language Deprivation Town Hall this week, 653 people have already signed the petition — and we’re working toward a goal of 1,000 signatures. Every name adds weight to this conversation, and every share helps it reach the families who need it most.

Several people have asked whether a recording of the town hall is available. This was an intentional choice. The event was designed to be in person, to encourage connection, dialogue, and community presence. And the conversation continues.

An online webinar on the same topic will be hosted by the Family Network for Deaf Children (FNDC) and is free for families across Canada.
🗓 Saturday, February 28, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT
(Please note: the poster lists the time in PST.)

Language deprivation is not a local issue. It affects Deaf children everywhere—especially during their critical period for language development. The webinar will be presented by Dr. Sanjay Gulati, whose research focuses on Language Deprivation Syndrome. Please see the FNDC poster below for registration details.

If you haven’t already, we invite you to add your name and help us reach 1,000 signatures.

🔗 Petition link: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-language-deprivation-in-deaf-children/

02/03/2026

We recently hosted a Language Deprivation Town Hall to raise awareness about how language deprivation impacts Deaf children—especially when access to language, including ASL, is delayed or withheld due to advice within the medical and health systems.

This conversation is not about targeting any specific individual or organization. It is about identifying systemic gaps and recognizing how funding structures and institutional practices may have unintentionally allowed language deprivation to continue. For many in the Deaf community, this issue is not new.

As a community, we are exploring solutions to ensure Deaf children and their parents have access to unbiased, complete information from the very beginning. Parents deserve to be empowered to make informed decisions—without pressure, guilt, or being steered toward a particular agenda.

One thing viewers may not realize when watching media coverage: the camera often focuses closely on interpreters. The issue is not interpreters. The issue is language deprivation and how it continues to affect Deaf children and the Manitoba Deaf community.

If you care about ending language deprivation for Deaf children, we invite you to:
• Follow the Manitoba Deaf Community page
• Message us with questions
• Reach out if you’d like to collaborate

Awareness is the first step. Action comes next.

🎥 Watch the town hall here coverage here: https://youtu.be/VFFISxBD4HI?si=5XYhWGfdqU7usyjI

✍️ Sign the petition here: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-language-deprivation-in-deaf-children/

01/30/2026

Manitoba Deaf Community is a space created to connect Manitobans who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind.

We use “Deaf” as an inclusive umbrella, recognizing and celebrating people with a wide range of hearing abilities, lived experiences, and identities. Some community members grew up oral-only, some use sign languages, some use cochlear implants or hearing aids, and some use a combination of communication methods. All are welcome.

We honor and respect all language and communication choices and do not discriminate against or discourage any form of communication.

This page exists to:
• Build connection and belonging across the Manitoba Deaf community
• Share information, resources, events, and opportunities
• Celebrate Deaf culture, languages, and diverse communication approaches
• Encourage respectful, inclusive dialogue and mutual support

Everyone deserves access, respect, and community. 💙

01/25/2026

Imagine your brain is like a super cool Lego tower you’re building when you’re a tiny baby (those first few years of life are the most important building time!).

To make a really tall, strong, awesome tower that can stand forever and hold all kinds of fun things (like smart ideas, feelings, friends, and learning),
you need to start with a super solid base made of lots of Lego bricks right away.

The Lego bricks are like language —
words you hear, signs in ASL, stories, songs, conversations —
every single day when you’re little.

If you get tons of those bricks early on, you build a huge,
sturdy tower that grows super high and can do anything!

But if someone doesn’t give you enough bricks during that super important building time at the beginning…

Your base ends up wobbly or missing big pieces.

Later, even if you get lots of bricks, it’s really hard to add them properly —
the tower might lean, shake, or never get as tall and strong as it could have been.

Being deaf isn’t the problem at all —
that’s just like building with colorful bricks instead of plain ones.

The problem happens only when the tower doesn’t get enough language bricks right when it’s starting to grow.

That’s why we make sure every deaf kid gets plenty of ASL (or another full language) super early —
so their brain tower can be the tallest, strongest, and most amazing one ever! 🏗️✨

01/19/2026

Did you know that "Language Deprivation" is 100% preventable? 🛑🧠

The first 5 years of a child’s life are a neurological "window of opportunity."

If a Deaf or Hard of Hearing child doesn't have full access to a language—like ASL—during this time, it can lead to Language Deprivation Syndrome.

As Dr. Sanjay Gulati (a world-renowned psychiatrist fluent in ASL) explains, this isn't caused by being Deaf—it’s caused by a lack of accessible language.

It impacts everything: emotional control, thinking clearly, and future success.

It is time to change the narrative in Manitoba. 🇨🇦

We are hosting a vital Town Hall to discuss:
✅ The science of the Deaf brain.
✅ Why ASL is a "brain-protector" for kids with CIs.
✅ How we can protect the rights of our children.

JOIN US:
📅 February 1, 2026
⏰ 10 AM - 12 PM
📍 285 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg
☕ Light drinks & snacks provided.

This is about the future of our community. We need every parent, educator, and ally there.

🔗 Here's the link for more info about the event for you to share with your community and network: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cz6hU8LP2/