05/10/2026
Today, Abilities Manitoba joined seven other disability organizations in asking the Manitoba Ombudsman to investigate how the Public Guardian and Trustee Office (PGTO) serves adults with intellectual disabilities.
Approximately 1,275 Manitobans with intellectual disabilities have the PGTO acting as their substitute decision maker. That means the PGTO can make important decisions about a person’s money and, in some cases, their health care and where they live.
For years, people with intellectual disabilities, families and service providers have raised serious concerns about how this system works.
People have told us about waiting weeks or months for decisions. About not being able to find out how much money they have. About having their spending money changed without explanation. About being told they must make requests without the help of someone they trust. And about being left out of decisions about their own lives.
These are not simply administrative problems. They affect people’s autonomy, dignity, health, relationships, opportunities and ability to participate in their communities.
As our Executive Director Margo Powell says:
“Adults with intellectual disabilities in Manitoba spent generations shut out of decisions about their own lives. Laws like The Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act were meant to change that. Too often, the PGTO's practices still leave people without a voice, without answers and without a way to be heard.”
We have worked for years to address these concerns, including sustained advocacy with government and the PGTO since 2024. Today, we are taking another step.
We are asking Manitoba Ombudsman Jill Perron to undertake an independent, systemic investigation.
Importantly, we are asking the Ombudsman to initiate the investigation rather than relying on individual people to make complaints. Many of the people most affected face barriers to making a complaint or may be afraid to challenge an office that has significant control over their money and their lives.
People with intellectual disabilities have the right to be heard. They have the right to information about their own lives and finances. They have the right to support when making decisions. And when someone else has the legal authority to make a decision for them, their will, preferences and perspectives still matter.
We believe it is time for an independent look at whether Manitoba's current system is living up to those rights.
The request is supported by Abilities Manitoba, Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba , Community Living - Manitoba , Continuity Care , Inclusion Winnipeg , Innovative LIFE Options Inc. -LIFE , People First of Canada and People First of Manitoba
You can find out more and read the documents here: https://www.abilitiesmanitoba.org/news/article/52/disability-organizations-ask-manitoba-ombudsman-to-investigate-the-public-guardian-and-trustee
