If you are a business owner, a non-profit director, or a public sector leader in Manitoba, the clock is ticking.
The 2026 Manitoba Accessibility Fund (MAF) application portal is officially open, but the window is short. With up to $50,000 available to help your organization remove barriers and comply with the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA), this is the most critical funding window of the year.
Key Dates for 2026
- Portal Opened: January 12, 2026
- Application Deadline: February 20, 2026
Note: This is a rapid intake. Every day you wait to conceptualize your project is a day lost in securing accurate quotes and building a winning proposal.
Why This Year is Different
The Manitoba government is putting a renewed spotlight on the Accessible Employment Standard and the Information and Communication Standard. Following the January 2025 Five-Year Review of the Employment Standard, there is a clear mandate: organizations must do more to hire and retain talent with disabilities.
While many organizations default to physical renovations like ramps or doors, these projects often run into winter construction delays and permit nightmares.
The Strategic Alternative: Focus on your digital and internal communication. By removing “invisible barriers,” you can achieve immediate compliance and foster a truly inclusive culture without needing a single building permit.
The “Translate It Forward” Strategy
The most effective way to use the $50,000 MAF grant this year is through ASL (American Sign Language) translation.
Think about your internal training materials, safety protocols, and onboarding videos. If they are only available in written or spoken English, you are excluding the Deaf community. Captions are a start, but for many in the Deaf community, ASL is their primary language—distinct in grammar and cultural nuance.
Project Ideas You Can Use in Your Application:
- Audit Internal Assets: Translate your employee handbook and Code of Conduct into ASL.
- Onboarding Access: Create ASL versions of your welcome videos and safety training.
- Digital Presence: Adapt your core website content for Deaf customers and talent.
By “translating it forward,” you create permanent assets that live in your library forever, proving to the grant committee that you are proactive and compliant.
Your 3-Step Execution Checklist
With the February 20th deadline approaching, you need to act now.
- Review the Standards: Visit the Manitoba Accessibility Office to understand the specific goals of the Information and Communication Standard. Use their terminology in your application.
- Identify the Barrier: Be specific. Admitting that your current training materials are inaccessible is the first step toward getting the funding to fix them.
- Get a Detailed Quote: The Winnipeg Foundation requires realistic budgets. Do not guess the cost of ASL translation. A professional, detailed quote attached to your application increases your chances of approval.
Secure Your Funding Today
The Manitoba Accessibility Fund is a rare opportunity for the government to partner with you to pay for inclusion. Don’t leave money on the table that could transform your organization.
Ready to start your application?
Let’s work together to build a barrier-free Manitoba before the deadline hits.