This Act recognizes sign languages in Manitoba as primary languages for communication for Deaf and Deaf-Blind communities, and as important languages for some Hard of Hearing people and others communicating with those communities.
The Sign Languages Recognition Act, C.C.S.M. c. S128 (Assented to June 1, 2026) bilingual version (HTML) WHEREAS sign languages are distinct languages that are integral to the cultures of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind communities; AND WHEREAS for many members of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind communities, a sign language is their first language; AND WHEREAS sign languages are important languages for communication for some members of the Hard of Hearing community; AND WHEREAS people also learn sign languages to communicate with members of the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing communities, including family, friends, colleagues and students; AND WHEREAS sign languages are an element of deaf-blind accessibility supports that are used by the Deaf-Blind community in Manitoba; AND WHEREAS in 1988 the Legislative Assembly recognized American Sign Language as the language of deaf persons in Manitoba; AND WHEREAS other sign languages, including Quebec Sign Language, Indigenous sign languages and tactile sign languages, are also used in Manitoba; AND WHEREAS other jurisdictions, including the federal government, have recognized sign languages as the primary languages for communication by deaf persons; THEREFORE HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows: Recognition of sign languages 1 Sign languages, including American Sign Language, Quebec Sign Language, Indigenous sign languages and tactile sign languages, are recognized in Manitoba as (a) primary languages for communication for the Deaf and Deaf-Blind communities; and (b) important languages for communication for some members of the Hard of Hearing community and for those who use sign languages to communicate with members of the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing communities. C.C.S.M. reference 2 This Act may be referred to as chapter S128 of the Continuing Consolidation of the Statutes of Manitoba . Coming into force 3 This Act comes into force on the day it receives royal assent.