Canadian Hearing Services was founded in 1940 to provide services for

deaf and hard of hearing Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

people in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Services include instruction in

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

sign languages, interpreter services, deafblind intervenors,

audiology Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , ''-logia'') is a branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Audiologists treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage. By employing various ...

and speech-language pathology. The CHS (Canadian Hearing Services) advocates for the hearing impaired in Canada through the support of 9-1-1 texting, visual fire alarms, and access to the justice system. The CHS handles emergency situations in hospitals, emergency rooms, after-hours clinics, shelters, and police services.

Services

Ontario interpreting services

Ontario Interpreting Services (OIS) provides interpreting services across Ontario for American and Quebec sign language in some regions. They cover a range of public and personal events.

Workplace accessibility

The workplace accessibility program assesses the workplace to ensure that there are no barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing. It provides seminars to "increase awareness of hearing loss in the workplace". Business staff and management are educated to raise awareness of hearing loss and provide strategies for communication, which includes holding accessible meetings.

Communication devices program

The Communication Devices Program (CDP) was made on behalf of members who were "culturally deaf, orally deaf, deafened or hard of hearing". The main aim is to offer technical solutions to communication barriers. The CDP recommends devices (such as specialized alarm clocks, telephones, TTYs, and smoke alarms) for the home, workplace or business.

Video conferencing services

The CHS provides video conferencing services (VCS) in 25 offices across Ontario. VCS allows for conferencing with up to 12 locations and can be used for many different purposes such as interviews, meetings or training sessions.

Audiology

The CHS

Audiology Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , ''-logia'') is a branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Audiologists treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage. By employing various ...

service is available in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Kenora,

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron fl ...

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Sudbury and Toronto East. The audiology program takes a holistic approach to hearing health care by looking at hearing loss and the ways in which it affects life. Audiologists provide hearing tests, hearing aid evaluations, hearing aid check-ups and fine tuning, and hearing aid fitting and dispensing for children and adults.

Hearing care counselling program

The Hearing Care Counselling Program is available in 26 Ontario locations. This program is designed to assist seniors with hearing loss to adapt and stay connected. Priority is given to adults aged 55 and older, although younger adults are eligible for the program. Counsellors provide "home visits, education, demonstrations and recommendations of communication devices".

CONNECT counselling program

The CONNECT Counselling Program is available in 26 locations across Ontario. CONNECT is a mental health counseling service provided by the CHS. CONNECT is a program designed to help individuals or families with deaf, deafened or hard of hearing members by providing them with counseling for a variety of reasons, including "mental health and illness, depression, relationship difficulties, abuse, family support, education, advocacy and counselling".

American Sign Language classes

The CHS offers classes in

American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual lang ...

Locations

There are 22 Canadian Hearing Services locations across Ontario: *

Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...

* Belleville *

Brantford Brantford (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by County of Brant, Brant County, but is politically separate with ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

* Kingston *

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

* North Bay *

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

* Sault Ste Marie *

Scarborough, Toronto Scarborough (; 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs in the eastern part of the city. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue ( ...

* Sudbury *

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

Timmins Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...

* Waterloo *

York Region The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The region was established after the passing of then Bill 102, An Act to Establish The Regional M ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Hearing Services Deafness organizations Deaf culture in Canada Disability organizations based in Canada Organizations based in Toronto