The Louis Riel School Division's mission is to foster safe, inviting and inclusive learning environments and to develop responsible global citizens through respectful partnerships between home, school and community.

It is the division’s belief that as much as possible students and public are accommodated in their chosen school without barriers. In the past several years, there have been many projects to ensure barriers are removed in our schools. 

Read our full Accessibility Plan here. 

Accomplishments:

• Administrative Managers attended training sessions on Accessibility, including developing an accessibility plan and the Customer Service Standard through Accessibility Manitoba and professional associations.
• Clerical and technical staff at schools and the board office were trained at a professional development session organized by the Division in April.
• Conducted an internal wheelchair accessibility audit
• Monteyne Architect Works Inc. completed an audit of all school facilities and their compliance with the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, the Manitoba Building Code and the 2015 City of Winnipeg Accessibility Design Standards. Compliance costs have been estimated and priorities established with a focus on reducing barriers to access services (I.e., signage, door levers, handicap parking stalls, automatic door buttons, ramps, entrance areas, service areas, washrooms, elevators, etc.) within existing and future budgets.
• IT is auditing the division's websites and assessing compliance with standards, including the WGAG(2) and CNIB standards that we can implement (if not already done) to reduce barriers to accessing services in the division.
• The  Superintendent’s Team and Trustees received professional reading materials from a MASBO Magazine article in their board packages.
• Purchasing staff attended a learning session on Accessible Procurement and have initiated regular meetings to discuss accessible procurement practices that will assist with compliance with the Customer Service Standard.
• Compared and updated existing administrative guidelines to ensure compliance with the Customer Service Standard
• Prepared training materials for staff training, including information about the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, Human Rights legislation, divisional administrative guidelines and operational protocols, tips and tricks for employees and training videos
• Staff training is tracked and recorded in the Human Resource information system.

Next Steps:

• The division will continue to solicit feedback and update resources, including its administrative guidelines and operational protocols and training materials, as necessary
• The Customer Service Standard training will be implemented as part of regular employee onboarding. 

The Louis Riel School Division is committed to providing services to students, parents/guardians, and the public that are free of barriers and biases. We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that all policies, practices and procedures are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration, and equal opportunity.

Everyone plays a role in providing accessible customer service to our LRSD community.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Accessibility features are taken into consideration when building or redeveloping public spaces such as outdoor play areas, outdoor pedestrian walkways and sidewalks, and parking facilities.

LRSD is one of the largest and most diverse school divisions in the Province of Manitoba. Approximately 2,000 people are employed in over 40 sites across the city in the St. Vital/St. Boniface area. 

To support our employees, we provide individualized workplace emergency response information for employees with disabilities if we are aware of such a need. When requested, we also provide accessible workplace information and communications and support workplace accommodation needs.

We are committed to equitable hiring and employment practices. We support accessible recruitment, assessment, selection, performance management, career development, and redeployment processes.

For information on accommodations during the application process at the LRSD, please contact the Staff Services Department or the Board Office for further support.

Keeping our community informed is critical, and making materials available in an accessible format is one way we support all members of our community.

The Louis Riel School Division will:

• Provide resources or materials – including education and training documents, student records, school program information, and public emergency evacuation information – in an accessible format upon request.
• Provide accessible formats and communication supports upon request in a timely manner and at no additional cost, if any, than the amount charged to others.
• Consult with the person making the request to determine the format or support required.
• Provide accessible or conversion-ready formats of print, digital, or multi-media resources in school libraries, upon request.
• Procure accessible or conversion-ready electronic formats, where available.
• Ensure any websites and web content meet the WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards.

The following resources are used in consultation with accessibility planning in LRSD:

• The Teachable Project
• Planning Accessible Meetings - Government of Canada
• Clear Print Accessibility Guidelines - CNIB
• Accessibility for Manitobans Act and Regulations
• The Human Rights Act
• Barriers to Customer Service and Solutions - Accessibility MB
• University of Waterloo - Article on Accessibility Legislation
• Tips For Employees - Disabilities Issues Office

Every day, the Louis Riel School Division transports more than 2,600 students to and from school and on field trips.

We strive to provide integrated, accessible school transportation, where possible, or alternative accessible transportation services for students with disabilities. We also consult with parents/guardians of students with disabilities to develop individual school transportation plans that detail student assistance needs.

Please contact the Transportation Department or contact us for more information on accessible school transportation.