After making a speech to graduates, Manitoba's accessibility and gender equality minister Nahanni Fontaine was recorded talking about the American Sign Language interpreter who shared the stage with her, saying the interpreter was distracting.

@glen_mcgregor Very disappointing to hear this from any politician but particularly one whose purpose is advancing accessibility , @WabKinew

For some reason the people who literally are supposed to be accountable to and support the disabled community are like this.

Being unabashedly ableist in public should immediately disqualify someone from the role of minister of accessibility, this is completely unacceptable and they are not to be trusted to have the best interests of disabled people in mind.

My Mom was deaf, as a residential school survivor, she would have loved more events with ASL interpreters. I'm disappointed to hear these comments.

Shameful. Sign language interpretation need to stand on stage for several reasons- so those in audience needing the interpreting can see her, interpreter can hear the speaker properly and get signs correct as well as, easy coms between speaker and interpreter. Quite common.

Another example of how far we still need to go for equity and inclusion.

totally unacceptable!

Wow. Appalling.

This is unacceptable. Ms. Fontaine's words were totally inappropriate and actually insulting. There have been many indications that Ms. Fontaine likes to see herself as the focus of everything she does. That is also inappropriate.

"Frantic hand movements" You mean ASL??? 🤔