I Listen Newsletter - Bulletin
J'écoute
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Message from the
President of the National Board
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Greetings!
May is a special month for persons impacted by hearing loss as we celebrate Better Hearing and Speech month. This month is important to our community because it highlights for one month the struggles that people impacted by hearing loss face on a daily basis. This year, we are focussed on raising public awareness about communication health. Most of us know the daily challenges from communicating with family members, discussions with colleagues, participation in meetings and watching movies. All of these situations are more difficult when you have a hearing loss. May is a month to bring awareness and the attention necessary to the issues related to hearing loss. Throughout the month of May, we will be holding various webinars on issues that are of importance to you and your family.
The CHHA national office has been very busy ensuring all news briefs and information updates on COVID-19 are accessible for persons impacted by hearing loss. Political parties, federal and provincial governments and broadcasters have been contacted to educate them on the importance of accessible communication during these critical times.
As you are aware, our National Executive Director departed CHHA on April 1, 2020 and a search committee was tasked with the hiring of our new National Executive Director. Over the past few weeks, we have been working with our former National Executive Director reviewing the organization’s strategic plan and reviewing key priorities as we respond to COVID-19. We have determined it is best to focus on the hiring of a
Director, Business Development & Operations, a position that is being funded through our Performance and Accountability Framework Operating Funding from the Government of Canada and put the position of National Executive Director on hold at this time. In the months to come as we navigate the new “normal” after COVID-19, we will have a better understanding of the key competencies and leadership required in our next National Executive Director.
On May 27, 2020, I will be chairing the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association’s Annual General Meeting. This year, the meeting will be held online beginning at 7:00 EDT. Information has been distributed and only members in good standing are invited to participate. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Keep safe and healthy!
Sincerely,
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Marilyn J. Kingdon
President
CHHA National Board of Directors
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CHHA Annual General Meeting
Wednesday May 27, 2020
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This year's Annual General Meeting will be held
online on
Wednesday May 27, 2020 at 7:00 pm EDT.
To participate in the Annual General Meeting you must be a member in good standing. Please be sure you have paid your membership fees if they are due. In this time of pandemic most of our communication has to be done by e-mail. Please ensure your correct e-mail address is registered with us so you are able to receive all information on the annual general meeting.
Login to your membership profile to ensure you are a member in good standing for full participation at the meeting. Stay tuned for more details on how to gain access to the meeting.
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May is Better Hearing and Speech Month Press Release
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Across Canada, the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association is Raising Awareness about Hearing Loss and Hearing Health
(For Immediate Release) April 30, 2020 -
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month; a month dedicated to raising public awareness about communication health. Many of us take the ability to communicate for granted, but the ability to speak, hear and be heard is much more vital to our everyday lives than most of us realize. For those who have difficulty communicating, everyday interactions can pose significant challenges. A communication disorder may prevent an individual from performing well at work, asking for help, hearing instructions at school ore even saying, ‘I love you’. The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association is working diligently to educate Canadians on the importance of communication health for all those affected by hearing loss. Communication health is even more prevalent in these days of isolation due to the coronavirus. We need to ensure everyone recognizes communication health and how important it is during these unprecedented times.
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Shining a Spotlight on CHHA's Volunteers
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We would like to introduce a new segment in iListen. This column
Shining A Spotlight on CHHA's Volunteers will give you the opportunity to recognize someone in your community. Submissions should be less than 200 words and include a picture of the volunteer. Please forward to
communications@chha.ca.
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Several years ago, a young man who was hard of hearing joined our group. He was very interested in CHHA and quickly became a member. Joining the board, Rob Diehl first became vice-president and in 2013 he became the CHHA-Hamilton president. It was during this time he was also invited to join CHHA-National.
Rob has chaired our Nine & Dine FUNdraising Golf Tournament since that time, along with participating in numerous other committees. While busy in his private life, working, raising a family with his lovely wife and partaking in further education, he has continued to make time for CHHA.
Rob has become adept at setting up the sound system for our general meetings. As you know, this is a particularly important step in preparing for a successful event. There have been occasions when he had to work or was ‘under the weather’ and he
still
made time to handle the system.
CHHA is indeed fortunate to have someone as dedicated as Rob to be part of our ranks. Thank you for all you do!
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Masks during coronavirus make life difficult for those with hearing loss. But the answer is clear
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Masks have become the new normal.
But as more people wrap half their face in cloth in a bid to contain the spread of
coronavirus
, the world has suddenly become much harder to navigate for the
estimated
one in five Canadian adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
George Newton started losing his hearing 15 years ago, around his sixtieth birthday. For the past eight years, he has relied on hearing aids for both ears as well as visual cues from facial expressions and basic lip reading to understand what people are saying.
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May Better Hearing and Speech Month is upon us once again. Press Releases and communication have been distributed to the media advising everyone on the importance of Communication Health. We all know the importance of Communication Health; May is the month to spread the word!
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Watch your email for promotion on the webinars that will be happening in May. We started off the month supporting the Young Adult Network in partnership with VOICE for Hard of Hearing and Deaf Children Teen Outreach Program by presenting part 1 of a 2 part series on Post Secondary Education. Part 2 will take place on June 6, 2020.
On
May 13, 2020 at
3:00 EDT we will continue our webinar series by featuring a hard of hearing husband and wife, Amy and Markus de Dominico speaking on their life with hearing loss. You don't want to miss
Healthy Living with Hearing Loss!!
Register Today
On
May 26, 2020 we will be featuring an audiologist from the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario who will speak on the impact of hearing loss on communication. Stay tuned for more information on these presentations.
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All CHHA network leaders were contacted by the national office. Each network was notified that the national office continues to be accessible despite COVID-19. Staff members are at home but can be reached at any time by email, phone or video.
In addition, it was mentioned that in order to make it easier to work together and share documentation, a CHHA email address would be provided for any network or network board member. This complimentary service will allow all networks to communicate, share ideas, or have access to documentation through a centralized hub.
Finally, work has begun to hold regular online sessions with networks through Microsoft Teams. Networks have been given an opportunity to suggest ideas for topics. This information is being compiled to find a theme that will be of interest to all networks.
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CHHA Scholarship Program
Last Chance for Application
Deadline June 1, 2020
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Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic we have extended the deadline for the 2020 Scholarship Program
You can now apply up to and including June 1, 2020
This program was established by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association in 2002 and to date over $50,000.00 has been awarded to help students with hearing loss with their post-secondary studies.
CHHA now has four scholarships within its program:
- Carrell Hearn Memorial Scholarship
- Dr. Charles A. Laszlo Scholarship
- Frank Algar Memorial Scholarship
- Susan Brown Memorial Scholarship
Online applications are now being accepted. All applications must be submitted by
Monday June 1, 2020 at 5:00 pm EDT.
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Young Adults Network Corner
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Asking the Masks
By Clovis Bernard
With everyone staying home, it is a great time to read unless you are reading lips.
The new reality is that it is recommended to wear a mask or a face covering while going out, to reduce the community spread of the coronavirus. Unfortunately, it also covers up the faces that we rely so much on for understanding people. Some of you have had experienced that while going out for grocery shopping, taking the bus, or responsibly enjoying some outdoor time.
Maybe you are nervous about asking people to pull down their masks so you can understand them, but it is as if you are asking them to expose themselves to a health risk.
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YOUNG ADULTS NETWORK
SUMMERCAMP 2020 Now 2021
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Summercamp 2021 Update
We are excited to confirm the new dates for Summercamp 2021 as
August 8-14, 2021 at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
If you had previously registered for Summercamp 2020 and wish to attend the rescheduled event in August 2021, no further action is required. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at:
Summercamp2020@chha.ca.
We wish to thank our partners within the CHHA network, sponsors, and delegates for their continued support throughout this process and hope to see you all next year!
Stay safe,
Young Adults Network Board of Directors
Summercamp 2020 Planning Committee
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Why do some people hear a constant ringing in their ears? Is it normal?
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That phantom noise is called tinnitus and experts say it may worsen with age. Here’s what you can do to prevent that.
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Do you sometimes hear a ringing, buzzing, humming or hissing that no one else seems to be bothered by? It may be constant or it may come and go. The noise can be so loud that it interferes with your ability to concentrate or hear the sounds around you.
As enigmatic and frustrating as it is, this phantom sound is very real and it is what the experts call tinnitus.
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"How to Improve Your Hearing While in Social Isolation Mode
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As if living with untreated hearing loss isn’t already uncomfortable enough, it can also be incredibly isolating—especially during these very isolating times we’re facing. Some people with hearing loss are already inclined to feel lonely, so an extra factor can have a much bigger impact.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here a few things you can do while at home to help your hearing.
1. Indulge in Puzzles and Games
Your ears receive sounds, but your brain processes all the wonderful, (and maybe not so wonderful,) sounds that you hear. So, keeping your brain healthy can help to keep your hearing healthy too. Puzzles like Sudoku,
c
rosswords, and word searches help to maintain healthy brain tissue and the neural connections necessary for processing sensory information.
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75 rue Albert Street
Suite/bureau 901
Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7
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