What is happening...
COCHLEAR IMPLANT (CI) WORKSHOP - Saturday, APRIL 13, 2013
If you currently wear or are considering a CI, this workshop will interest you. Two York Region CHHA members who wear CIs will speak, along with two industry experts, and answer your questions and concerns about CIs.
Lauren Ballantyne has been an Occupational Health and Safety Inspector with the Ministry of Labour for 25 years. and prior to that worked in private industry. She received her CI in March 2011 at Sunnybrook.
David Leyton-Brown is Professor of Political Science and Master of Calumet College at York University. David had his CI installed in January of this year and just had it activated on February 12, and as he says, he’s a newbie.
Shannon Miller, an audiologist, formerly with Sunnybrook’s CI Program, is now a Clinical Specialist with Advanced Bionics supporting CI candidates and recipients in Eastern Canada.
David Shipp is an Audiologist and Coordinator of the CI Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – HNS University of Toronto.
When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: North Thornhill Community Centre
300 Pleasant Ridge Avenue, Thornhill, ON L4J 9B3
Admission: We ask for a minimum donation of $5.00 per person to help defray our costs.
This event is open to all: persons with disabilities, their families or members of the public.
Notetaker will be provided for the hard of hearing. For more information, contact Bruce Hunter at brucehunter55@gmail.com
Hope to see you there!
WORKSHOP - Saturday, FEBRUARY 23, 2013
Our speaker, Fadi Dabliz, has worked for Bell since the year 2000 starting off as a technician in Bell’s Provincial 9-1-1 Control Centre in Toronto. During that time Fadi has served as 9-1-1 Product Manager, Subject Matter Expert and currently serves as the Associate Director of 9-1-1 for Bell in Ontario and Quebec.
Fadi is certified as an ENP (Emergency Number Professional) through the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Fadi also serves as the Canadian Director on the NENA Institute Board, represents Bell at the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee Emergency Services Working Group and is the technical consultant for the Ontario Advisory Board.
Fadi will explain how this new 9-1-1 text messaging will work and also give some background how this came to be a reality.
When: Saturday, February 23, 2013 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Region of York Administration Building
17250 Yonge Street
Newmarket, ON L3Y 6Z1
Free parking available (VIVA Bus stop – Eagle/Yonge #9818)
Admission: Minimum donation of $5.00 will be appreciated.
Notetaker will be provided. For more information please email: dmac773@gmail.com
Hope to see you there!
CRTC ANNOUNCEMENT
January 25, 2013 — After years of advocacy, the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association is thrilled with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announcement yesterday of the enhancements to 9-1-1 services that will enable Canadians who have hearing loss or speech impediments to communicate with 9-1-1 call centers via text message. Click here to read more.
END OF YEAR WORKSHOP- Saturday NOVEMBER 24th, 2012
We are hosting our “End of Year” social event at the Richmond Hill Public Library.
This will be CHHA-York’s final planned event for this year (don’t worry; we are already making plans for next year’s workshops).
This will be a great opportunity to meet with people who have been attending our workshops throughout the past year but never have enough time to talk. We will encourage questions to be asked of any of our board members and for everyone to share experiences of living with hearing loss.
This being a social event, no note taker will be provided.
We will serve “healthy” goodies for everyone to enjoy.
Hope to see you there!
When: Saturday, November 24, 2012 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Richmond Hill Public Library - Room B
1 Atkinson Street
Richmond Hill, ON (Yonge St & Major Mackenzie)
Free parking available (VIVA Bus stop – Eagle/Yonge #9818)
For more information please email: dmac773@gmail.com
AN EVENING WITH TOBY LAWS AND BRUCE HUNTER - Saturday OCTOBER 27th, 2012
Toby Laws is a Hearing Instrument Specialist and recent graduate of Conestoga College. Toby has a unique perspective on hearing loss as he is a client and a practitioner. He is currently working in York District School working with Autistic Children. Toby’s personal and family history of hearing loss has made him an advocate for the rights of the hard of hearing.
Conversation Topic: A fun approach to adaptation will be discussed as it pertains to hearing loss. Some people think that Darwin said survival of the fittest when actually he said survival of the most funny well maybe. What did he say and what does it have to do with adaptation and humour come and find out October 27, 2012.
Our second speaker will follow up after Toby.
You Know Your Disability, Do You Know Your Creatability?
A new member of CHHA York Region, Bruce lost much of his hearing at age 18 months and is functionally deaf (severe/profound hearing loss). At 43, he was diagnosed with retinoschisis, a rare but devastating eye disease and became a member of the CNIB. Because of, rather than in spite of his disabilities, Bruce has spent a lifetime developing his creatability.
Recently retired, Bruce had a successful 29 year career as an English and Liberal Studies professor, at Seneca College, with stints at York University and the Banff Centre for the Arts. He is the author of seven books. In 2011, his new and selected poems won him the People’s Poetry Award for Canada, and in 2009, his novel about a deaf boy finding love and redemption in the wilderness won the Canadian Rockies prize at the Banff Mountain Book Festival.
In his upbeat workshop, Bruce will outline research into disability and creatability with examples from our own CHHA group, Oliver Sack’s Seeing Voices and Dr. Norman Doidge’s The Brain That Changes Itself to help you identify your own creatability.
Science shows us that the brains of people with disabilities can change and they “grow” new cognitive skills. They acquire what Bruce calls creatability skills that go beyond mere compensation and are adaptive meta-skills of an extraordinary order that reflect changed brains and which can be taught to others.
When: Saturday, October 27, 2012 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Richmond Hill Public Library - Room B
1 Atkinson Street
Richmond Hill, ON (Yonge St & Major Mackenzie)
Admission: Minimum donation of $5.00 will be appreciated.
Notetaker will be provided. For more information please email: dmac773@gmail.com
Hope to see you there!
AN EVENING WITH GAEL HANNAN- Thursday SEPTEMBER 20th, 2012
If you never met Gael Hannan, you are in for a treat!
Gael Hannan is an award winning actor and international public speaker on hearing loss.
You can read some of her recent blogs to get an idea of her humour and how her hard of hearing experiences are "spot on".
Hope to see you there!
When: Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 7 pm to 9 pm
Where: Region of York Administration Building
17250 Yonge Street
Newmarket, ON L3Y 6Z1
Free parking available (VIVA Bus stop – Eagle/Yonge #9818)
Admission: Minimum donation of $5.00 will be appreciated.
No registrations are required but please let us know if you are interested in coming. It would help us plan how many chairs to set up, etc.
Email us at: dmac773@gmail.com
Be sure to mark your calendar for Thursday, September 20th. Note: If you cannot make it on this date, you can catch Gael Hannan in Hamilton on September 8th. Contact Jacquie Reid - CHHA Hamilton Branch
