The Manitoba government is investing $146,000 in new American Sign Language (ASL) training opportunities for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Manitobans through a partnership with RRC Polytech, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, minister responsible for accessibility, women and gender equity, announced on September 22.
"Members of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community should be able to access the services and supports they need to participate fully in their communities no matter where they live," said Fontaine. "We've received feedback directly from Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Manitobans about the longstanding lack of ASL education and ASL interpretation in First Nations and rural communities. This investment is a step toward helping to close that gap while empowering Indigenous women to build valuable, in-demand skills to provide much-needed services in their own communities."
The Manitoba government is providing a total of $146,000 through the Mino'Ayaawag Ikwewag: All Women Doing Well strategy to support the initiative. The funding includes $18,000 for the development and delivery of three ASL micro credentials providing ASL education directly on reserve, and $128,000 over three years to fund four seats specifically for Indigenous women in RRC Polytech's existing ASL-English Interpretation program.
The ASL micro credentials will introduce ASL and Deaf culture for all participants and will be equivalent to ASL 1, one of the prerequisites for entry into RRC Polytech's ASL-English Interpretation program, the minister noted. Training will be delivered in community to help reduce barriers to participation and will accommodate up to 15 learners per cohort. In addition to increasing access to ASL education on reserve and in rural Manitoba, the curriculum will incorporate Indigenous perspectives and approaches and be developed in partnership with Indigenous communities to ensure the training reflects local needs and experiences, a longstanding request directly from Indigenous Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Manitobans.
"RRC Polytech welcomes this important partnership with the Manitoba government, which reflects our shared commitment to creating more inclusive communities and expanding educational opportunities for Indigenous learners," said Fred Meier, president and CEO, RRC Polytech. "By increasing access to ASL education through new micro credentials and fully funded seats in our ASL-English Interpretation program, we are helping remove barriers, strengthen representation in the ASL interpretation profession and build capacity to support Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals in Indigenous communities across Manitoba."
Graduates of the ASL-English Interpretation program will be equipped to provide more culturally responsive ASL-English interpretation in Indigenous communities, including at community gatherings, ceremonies and other events.
To learn more about Mino'Ayaawag Ikwewag: All Women Doing Well strategy, Manitoba's $20-million provincial strategy to support the safety, protection and empowerment of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people, visit www.gov.mb.ca/wage/minoayaawag-ikwewag.html.
