Accessibility Hub: Manitoba (Accessible Information and Communication Standard)

Accessible Manitoba – what the Accessible Information and Communication Standard requires, who it applies to, and what it can mean for your website and digital content

Manitoba standard at a glance

The Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation is Manitoba’s regulated accessibility standard under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA). It focuses on removing and preventing barriers that exist digitally, in print, or through interactions with technology or people—especially where members of the public and employees need access to information and communications.

Organizations must notify the public and employees that information is available in accessible formats and through communication supports on request.
Organizations must respond to requests by consulting with the person to identify the support/format needed, and provide the information in a timely manner and at no extra cost.
Organizations must have a process to receive and respond to feedback about accessible information and communication.
Organizations must train staff and volunteers on accessible information and communication, including The Human Rights Code (Manitoba).
Newly published web content—and web content required to access goods and services—must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, at a minimum; new or significantly updated web applications must also meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, at a minimum.
Some requirements have exceptions and there are sector-specific rules (for example, for educational institutions and libraries).

Note: This content is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For a formal interpretation of requirements for your organization, consult qualified legal counsel and your compliance team.

When the Manitoba standard applies

In Manitoba, the Accessible Information and Communication Standard applies broadly to organizations covered under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act. If you provide information to the public, offer services, publish web content, or use digital tools that people rely on, you should expect accessibility requirements to be part of delivering those services.

Public-facing digital experiences: Websites, forms, portals, PDFs, videos, and third-party tools used by Manitobans can create barriers if they are not accessible.
Employees and internal audiences: The standard includes requirements that affect how employees access information and request supports.
Compliance dates (high level): The Manitoba government had earlier compliance dates (May 1, 2023), followed by public sector organizations, libraries, and educational institutions (May 1, 2024), and then private sector and non-profit organizations and small municipalities (May 1, 2025). Different requirements can have different effective dates—confirm what applies to your organization type and the specific requirement in the regulation.
Third-party tools: If you rely on vendors (embedded forms, booking tools, chat widgets), you may need vendor conformance evidence and/or an accessible alternative.

What the standard covers

General requirements (accessible information & communication)

Access offers: Tell the public and employees that accessible formats and communication supports are available on request.
Requests: Consult with the person making the request to determine the accessible format or communication support that best removes the barrier; provide it in a timely manner at no extra cost.
Feedback: Provide a way to receive and respond to feedback about accessible information and communication.
Training: Train staff and volunteers on accessible information and communication and related obligations under The Human Rights Code (Manitoba).

Examples of accessible formats and communication supports: accessible HTML pages, tagged accessible PDFs, large print, plain-language summaries, captions and transcripts for video/audio, screen-reader-friendly Word documents, and support to complete a process in another way when needed.

Web content and web applications

For many teams, the most visible impact of the Manitoba standard is the web accessibility requirement: certain newly published web content and new or significantly updated web applications must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, at a minimum.

“Newly published” web content (examples): A new page, landing page, article, PDF/resource posted to the site, a new video, a new online form, or a newly published template in a CMS.
Web content required to access goods and services (examples): Account sign-in, applications, checkout/payment, booking/registration, intake and contact forms, and any instructions required to complete a service.
“Significantly updated” web application (examples): A redesign of a core flow, new form fields/validation logic, a new navigation pattern, replacing a component library, or releasing a new interactive feature that changes how users complete tasks.

Sector-specific requirements (some organizations)

Educational institutions: Requirements may apply to educational materials and to how requests are handled (for example, providing course/outreach materials in an accessible format, or ensuring key student-facing digital information is accessible).

Libraries: Requirements may apply to how library information and resources are provided (for example, accessible notices/instructions, accessible digital content where provided, and clear request pathways for alternate formats).

Exceptions: The regulation includes exceptions that may apply in specific circumstances—refer to the regulation for details.

What you may need to do

The Manitoba standard combines policy/process requirements (how you handle requests, feedback, and training) with technical accessibility requirements for websites and web applications. In practice, many organizations focus on the actions below.

Publish an “access offer” (Comms/Legal): Make it clear that information can be provided in accessible formats and with communication supports on request (and explain how to request them).

Set up a request process (Support/Operations): Define who receives requests, how you consult with the requester, turnaround targets, and how you provide the information at no extra cost.

Establish a feedback process (Support/Comms): Provide an accessible way for people to report barriers and ensure feedback is routed, tracked, and responded to.

Train the right people (HR/L&D + Team Leads): Staff and volunteers who create content, support customers, run communications, or publish to the web should understand accessible information and communication obligations.

Make your website and key digital journeys accessible (Digital/Web): Ensure newly published web content (and web content required to access goods/services) meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA, at a minimum.

Make web applications accessible (Product/Engineering): Ensure new or significantly updated web applications meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, at a minimum.

Provide accessible documents and media (Content/Marketing): Prefer accessible web pages; make PDFs accessible when you must use them; caption videos and provide transcripts when appropriate.

Manage third-party risk (Procurement/IT): Ask vendors for accessibility conformance evidence and plan for accessible alternatives if a tool introduces barriers.

Keep it from slipping over time (All teams): Accessibility needs ongoing checks as content changes, features launch, or vendors update embedded components.

Web accessibility under the Manitoba standard – practical requirements

This section summarizes the practical web implications of the Manitoba standard and how to approach WCAG-based accessibility for websites, documents, media, and embedded tools.

Target standard

Baseline: WCAG 2.1 Level AA (minimum requirement for the web content and web application scenarios described above).
Best practice: Even when WCAG 2.1 AA is the minimum requirement, aiming for the most current WCAG version supported by your program (for example, WCAG 2.2) can improve mobile usability and help future-proof your digital content.
Consistency: If a component or pattern is reused across your site or product, it should be accessible everywhere it appears.
Ongoing compliance: Accessibility is not a one-time project—content changes, new features, and third-party embeds can introduce new barriers over time.

What’s in scope

Web pages: Navigation, content pages, landing pages, forms, and interactive widgets.
Non-HTML content: PDFs, slide decks, and downloadable resources (prefer accessible web pages when possible).
Media: Videos, audio clips, webinars, animations, and any embedded players.
Third-party tools: Embedded forms, chat widgets, maps, and other integrations (requires vendor checks and/or accessible alternatives).

Core WCAG themes to watch for:

Perceivable: Provide text alternatives for non-text content; ensure sufficient color contrast; don’t hide information in images alone.
Operable: Everything must work with a keyboard; focus must be visible; avoid time limits that can’t be adjusted.
Understandable: Clear labels and instructions; consistent navigation; predictable interactions; helpful error messages.
Robust: Use semantic markup so assistive technologies can interpret content reliably; avoid misusing ARIA.

Content author requirements

Headings and structure: Use headings in order (H1 → H2 → H3) and keep sections short and scannable.
Links: Use descriptive link text that explains the destination or action (avoid “click here” or raw URLs).
Images: Write alternative text that communicates purpose and meaning. Decorative images should have empty alt text.
Lists: Use real lists for list content (instead of manual line breaks or dashes).
Tables: Use tables only for data; include clear column/row headers and avoid merged cells when possible.
Documents: Default to HTML pages. If a PDF is required, ensure it is tagged, has a logical reading order, proper headings, and selectable text.
Video: Provide accurate captions. Where needed, provide transcripts and/or audio description for key visual information.

Testing and release expectations

Minimum manual checks: Keyboard-only pass + a quick screen reader smoke test on key templates/flows.
Automated checks: Run an automated scan and resolve high/critical issues before publishing.
Regression checks: Re-test affected templates/components when global navigation, styles, or component libraries change.
Document decisions: If something cannot be made fully accessible, document the reason, the impact, and the alternative provided (for example, an accessible version or an alternate way to complete the task).
Operational readiness: Ensure your team knows how to receive requests for accessible formats/communication supports and how to route and respond to accessibility feedback.

How 4Point can help

If you’re unsure how Manitoba’s Accessible Information and Communication Standard and WCAG apply to your organization—or where to start—4Point can help you assess your current state, prioritize fixes, and build a practical plan to improve accessibility over time.

Start with an accessibility audit. If you’re unsure where you stand against Manitoba’s accessibility requirements and WCAG, 4Point can run a practical audit to establish a baseline, identify the highest-risk barriers, and give you a prioritized remediation roadmap.

Scoping session: confirm which forms are in scope, the number to be reviewed, and the accessibility standard(s) to assess against.

Forms accessibility audit: review an agreed number of forms and document accessibility gaps.

Conformance report and prioritization: provide conformance findings, severity ratings, and a recommended fix order.

Recommendations and remediation plan: share recommendations for addressing identified gaps and provide a statement of work for remediation of the audited forms (remediation is not included in the audit engagement).

Next step: request an audit by sharing your digital scope (properties, platforms, documents), your target standard (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA), and any upcoming procurement or reporting deadlines. We’ll confirm the audit approach, sample size (templates/journeys), and deliver a prioritized findings summary with recommended fixes.

Contact 4Point: Request an accessibility audit

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