Nahanni Fontaine vows to undergo deaf-culture training after complaining about sign-language interpreter
Posted July 14, 2025 11:36 am.
Last Updated July 14, 2025 7:50 pm.
The Manitoba government is promising new financial penalties to enforce rules aimed at removing barriers for people with disabilities.
Nahanni Fontaine, the minister responsible for services for people with disabilities, says the NDP government will introduce changes to the Accessibility for Manitobans Act next spring.
In a video posted to social media, she also says the government will work to ensure every public event is fully accessible with participation from sign language interpreters.
Fontaine has apologized repeatedly for remarks she made last month while hosting a celebration for Indigenous women graduates in Winnipeg.
While preparing to speak to reporters after, Fontaine told one of her staff that she was thrown off by a sign-language interpreter’s presence and that the woman should not have been on stage.
“She shouldn’t be on the stage. I couldn’t see anybody on this side. And all I could see was her frantic hand movements. Yeah, so I’m like f—k, why did I have her on the stage? Like Jesus, I’m like, ‘You need to leave,’” said Fontaine.
Premier Wab Kinew has stood by Fontaine and said she has apologized and is working with the deaf community.
Fontaine promised to go beyond an apology.
“My team and I will undergo deaf and deaf-culture training to deepen our understanding, confront gaps and ensure our actions reflect true respect and inclusion,” Fontaine said in a social media video posted Sunday.
Fontaine also committed to providing ASL interpretation at all public events, hiring an in-house government ASL interpreter, and promised an update to the Accessibility for Manitoba Act in the spring. The Manitoba Deaf Association called the incident deeply disappointing but welcomed the apology.
“She has put words on he record, she can’t unfortunately take back,” said Jodie Byram, the PC Accessibility Critic.
However, others aren’t buying it and are calling for her resignation.
“I think it was not genuine, and I think she needs to be removed from the accessibility file,” said Byram.
