SOUND EXPRESS The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) Serving York, Simcoe & Muskoka ● November 2013
Hearing Toolkits for Patients at Southlake Hospital CHS is going green! In an effort to cut costs and to Now available at Southlake Regional Health Center in Newmarket! save paper, we will no longer be Great news!! With the consultation of the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) printing or mailing out our CHS York Region, Southlake has proudly launched a Patient Toolkit for people who are Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and hard of hearing. The Toolkit provides infor- newsletter. mation that can be used to improve communication between patients and staff If you know during hospital visits. Patients can request a Toolkit when admitted to the hospi- someone who tal or if entering through Emergency, Surgery, Diagnostic Imaging, Rehabilita- tion, Obstetric Departments or other clinical areas. would like to The Toolkit is in a large yellow envelope and contains the following: receive it, Patient Access Card (to be filled out by patient - can request another card please tell them to give to staff). to contact Pat Signs for posting in patient rooms (‘I am Deaf’ and ‘I have Hearing Loss’). Lehti at: Pictograms for Communication, Pain Scale and Word Power Board. Information and Container for Storage of Hearing Aids/Cochlear Implants. [email protected] Lined paper and pencil. or call the Newmarket office at Ontario Interpreting Service Brochure and Contact Information. 905-715-7511 and provide an Stickers with Universal Symbol of Access. EMAIL ADDRESS and we will be Survey for Toolkit (to be filled out by patient and given to staff). happy to add their name to the Note, the Patient Toolkit is free of charge and is for one-time use only. email distribution list. Patients, please fill out the survey to let Southlake staff know if the Toolkits have improved communication in any way. Phone: 905-895-4521 TTY: 905-952-3062 Also, feel free to provide feedback to the CHS York Region office: WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE: Phone: 1-877-715-7511 TTY: 1-877-817-8213 or email Pat Lehti: [email protected].
HOSPITAL TOOLKITS ...... 1 E-NEWSLETTER ...... 1 NEW GSS COUNSELLOR ...... 2 GOODBYE JUDY & AUSSA ...... 2 CELL PHONE NEWS ...... 3 DEAF CAFÉ ...... 3 2013 GRADUATES ...... 4 SCOTIABANK RUN ...... 4 Spread the word!! Please pass on the message to other community HOLIDAY SALE ITEMS...... 5 members who are Deaf, oral deaf, deafened or hard of hearing and let HCC NEWS ...... 6 them know Hearing Toolkits are available at Southlake!!! FIRE SAFETY WEEK ...... 7 STAFF ...... 8 OIS SCHEDULING CENTRE ...... 8 AFTER HOURS ...... 9 Charitable Registration Number: 10684 6926 RR0001 CHS MEMBERSHIP FORM ...... 9 JUST A FEW OF THE COMMENTS MADE TO JUDY UPON HER RETIREMENT:
“...You have the undisputed sole of an advocate and believe accessibility is the right for ALL people…” With Linda, Kelly, Barb & Pat
“...your departure will leave a void and an We would like to take this op- emptiness that can never be filled…” portunity to introduce Meher Dadabhoy to our Newmarket office. She graduated from Gallaudet with a Masters in counselling. She is originally With Noor, Tim, Gilbert & Kelly from India and understands the South Asian community. In With Luke Adams, Pat & Diane addition to ASL she can speak “...you have so much integrity and 4 other languages. Meher is respect for everyone…” replacing Gil Lillie as General Support Services Counsellor.
“...you have been such a pillar for the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing community, a champion for the staff, a defender of rights for everyone…”
Judy & Pat S.
Sandra & Judy
“...you were the best advocate for OIS, tirelessly educating the hearing public about the rights for access for people whose first language is We bid farewell to Aussa ASL…” Penniall from our Bracebridge office. We will miss her lovely smile and Farewell to judy michel beautiful British accent.
Sound Express ● November 2013 THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY
Tips for Finding a Hearing Aid Compatible Cell Phone Article Submitted by Cathy O’Connor from CHHA National newsletter, Nov. 2013
In recent years, the government has teamed up with cell phone manufac- turers to ensure that everyone can safely and comfortably use a cell phone. In a world where everyone has a phone on them at almost all times, it’s more im- portant than ever that people with hearing loss have the opportunity to have this technology as well. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Asso- DEAF CAFÉ ciation, the Federal Communications Commission now requires cell phone mak- ers to create phones and accessories that cater to people with hearing aids, ear FOR DEAF PEOPLE pieces and cochlear implants. IN AND AROUND Look for a hearing aid compatible label on the phone. Hearing aid compat- YORK REGION. ible, or HAC, phones will have an HAC label on the device itself. This label can
be found either on the information card at the cell phone retailer, on the package FROM 1:00 PM TO 3:00 PM of the phone itself or inside the user manual for the cell phone. This label en-
sures that you are getting a phone that works well with hearing aids and cochle- DATE LOCATION ar implants. It’s the first step you should take when looking for a cell phone for
TUESDAY HILLCREST MALL someone who needs assistance in order to hear. NOV. 19, 2013 FOOD COURT Ask about the cell phone rating and how it combines with your hearing aid rating. You will want to find a cell phone that has a microphone rating of at least TUESDAY UPPER CANADA MALL M3, and possibly even M4. You will also want the phone to have a telecoil rating DEC. 17, 2013 FOOD COURT of T3 or T4, as this helps to create a clear conversation. Combine the phone
TUESDAY HILLCREST MALL ratings with the ratings on your hearing aids to decide which phone will be best JAN. 21, 2014 FOOD COURT for you. Ideally, you will want to have a combined rating of about 6 — this is the best possible score. However, a score of 4 and 5 is considered to be usable and TUESDAY UPPER CANADA MALL should work out just fine. FEB. 18, 2014 FOOD COURT Choose a phone with light-up alerts as well as vibration features. This
TUESDAY HILLCREST MALL means that the user will be alerted in various ways using different senses when MARCH 18, 2014 FOOD COURT a call or text message is coming in. Some phones will have screens that light up as a call is coming through, alerting a person visually that someone is trying to TUESDAY UPPER CANADA MALL reach them. In addition, most phones on the market today have a vibrate fea- APRIL 15, 2014 FOOD COURT ture. Settings on the phone can be adjusted so that the user will feel a slight vi-
bration when someone is calling, texting or has left them a voicemail message. PLEASE EMAIL PAT AT These settings provide the user with hearing loss security that they will know when someone is trying to reach them, regardless of how well they can hear [email protected] their cell phone. OR CALL THE OFFICE AT Consider trying out the phone before you make the final purchase, and 1-877-817-8213 (TTY) understand the cancelation policy of the cell phone provider. Most cell phone retailers will allow you to handle the phone and test its features before you make WE HOPE YOU TAKE the final purchase. This allows you to test ring tone settings, call volume settings ADVANTAGE OF THIS GOLDEN and speaker phone settings. Depending on the retailer, you may be able to try OPPORTUNITY TO GET out the cell phone for a day or two to see how you like it. Make sure you com- TOGETHER AND CHAT WITH pletely understand the cancelation policy of both the retailer and the cell phone OLD AND NEW FRIENDS AND service provider before you make the final purchase. COME AND MEET OUR NEW Whether you are hoping to buy your child who has hearing aids their first GSS COUNSELLOR, cell phone or you are looking to provide your elderly parents with a phone to MEHER DADABHOY!!! keep them safe, you will want to choose a make and model that is hearing aid compatible. Most phones have to have some compatibility with hearing aids and cochlear implants, but as with anything, some phones have better performance. THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY Sound Express ● November 2013 Nick DiCapua and his cousin Mimma at the finish line Congratulations Graduates!!
PHOTO BY MARATHON PHOTOS.COM
Nick jumped on the bandwagon quickly to sign up for the half marathon, once he knew we were looking for people to participate in the Scotiabank Marathon for CHS. His cousin Mimma, who was doing the half marathon, also wanted people to support CHS on her behalf. Then he set off completing his twin goals to fundraise for CHS along with training for the half marathon. It looked like everything was going well, until I heard from Nick who was suddenly facing the possibility of having to drop out of this event. Nick had sore knees, and it required physio 3 to 4 times a week. In addition, he was advised by his doctors not to run the entire half marathon event. He knew he did not want to disappoint all those people who supported him for CHS-York up to that point. Nick decided to take the “wait and see” approach for how he felt during the days CLASS of 2013 leading up to it. He had a plan for Sunday which was to walk a few km and to run a few km. He Alexander - Mackenzie had encouragement from friends, family and especially his cousin Mimma along the way.
High School In Nick's words, he described what happened at the end of the half marathon:
"In the last three km, I had to walk to the finish line, because my knee couldn't take it Well done!! anymore.It was an amazing feeling that I didn't give up and wanted to continue walking to the finish line. I kept asking other injured runners/walkers: "Are you giving up?" They replied NO! We cheered each other on and we kept going… Kevin Bui I am really glad I did the half-marathon for CHS York region."
Ryan Duarte I am proud of Nick for showing all of us what true passion, commitment and courage are. Fiorella Cornacchia. Story by Kim Pape-Green Linda Jones from The Canadian Hearing Society Attended the evening and presented each with a certificate and a gift. PHOTO BY MARATHON PHOTOS.COM
The York Monarchs also successfully finished the 5k walk. From left: Samina Akhtar, Judy Michel, Kim Pape-Green
Sound Express ● November 2013 THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY
Sign Language Classes
CHS has a variety of ASL classes available, depending upon interest. We need a minimum of 12 students to run a class. All classes are held at our CHS office: 713 Davis Drive, Newmarket To register, or for more information please contact Pat Lehti: 905-715-7511 [email protected]
Phone: 905-715-7511 TTY: 1-877-817-8213
Want a great gift idea for a Sign language student or a family member?
The Canadian Dictionary of ASL
Amazon.ca - $62.70 Chaptersindigo.ca - $66.00 The latest addition to our Simcoe -York family, Ekko, seen here in his Hallowe’en costume as the cowardly lion. Welcome and
congrats to Cathy O’Connor!
Sound Express ● November 2013 THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY
Very Interesting HCC goes to Georgina Island!!!!
It was a lovely summer day in July, when we set off to Georgina Island to attend their annual Health Fair. The only problem was that one hccp counsellor (not Barb or Sara) is afraid of water and ferries.
The annual Health We finally Fair is held in the got there summer time, and without too is attended by much fuss. service providers of York Region.
The health fair was a great success. We had 30 people come to our ta- ble. We were asked to provide a clinic day. So we set off again on September 25 and October 16. We were well received; our day was fully booked with appointments. We provided
Barrie CHS hearing screenings, information and referrals. office hours:
Open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays HCCP CONFERENCE ON NOVEMBER 4-7 9 to 12 and 1 to 5 All HCCP counsellors gathered for their highly anticipated Mondays & Fridays conference that was held in Mississauga. 9 to 5 The 4 days were filled with educational sessions. Monday afternoon‘s by appointment. presenter was Dr. Marnin Heisel from the University of Western On- tario. The topic was Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention With Older Adults. The presentation was informative. The HCC Program will be undergoing changes to streamline Bracebridge CHS services to better serve our clients.
Office Hours: The Hearing Help Classes curriculum has been changed. The new classes will be 9 weeks in length and will include modules such as: Open Tuesdays, Introduction to hearing and hearing loss Wednesdays & Hearing Aids part I and II Thursdays Communication Strategies
9 to 5 The classes will be offered in York Region in the spring. Please call By appointment. our office to find our more information about the classes, the cost and when they will be offered. We are looking forward to sharing this new information with you.
Sound Express ● November 2013 THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY DID YOU KNOW? Fire Prevention Week is held in October annually across Canada. FIRE SAFETY WEEK
n September 28, 2013, Linda Jones, CHS Communi- O cation Devices Specialist for York Region, attended the Annual Central York Fire Open House in Aurora. She demonstrated alerting devices to the audience. Many children and parents enjoyed seeing the live demonstration of the visu- al alerting system by holding the bed-shaker!
isual Strobes and Smoke/C02 Alarm Detectors were V presented to York Region Fire Departments from nine municipalities. Pictured left (centre): Linda Jones and Dick Glen, Fire Safety Prevention Officer of Markham Fire and Joyce Di Clemente, Joey Teixeira, Linda Jones Emergency Services.
atricia Teixeira, CONNECT Counsellor for CHS York, P and her son, Joey enjoyed learning all about Fire Safety Prevention. Joey loved the bouncy fire truck slide. He went down over and over again.
There were many different activities provided such as:
Going to different fire-related activities and getting a stamp. When they got all the stamps, they put their name in for a prize. Two firefighting hose activities: putting out a fake Linda Jones & Dick Glen, Fire Safety burning house and moving a ball along a clothesline. Prevention Officer Demo of various alarm detectors, fire prevention escape plans and the aerial ladder. Jaws of Life removed the roof of a car. Kids enjoyed dressing up as firefighters. Train ride offered to/from the parking lots to the station FREE fire-related items to take home such as crayons, colouring material, firefighter hats, cards, etc… FREE popcorn and juice boxes!
irefighter volunteers were very informative and F engaging with the kids. I would like to encourage all residents to attend Fire Prevention Week next year in Joyce Di Clemente & Fire Safety Volunteer your community!
THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY Sound Express ● November 2013
Hello everyone!!
STAFF By now, you all have had a chance to use the new Scheduling Centre in Ottawa. We got an email from the Scheduling Centre and boy, are they busy!!
Regional Director Since May 2013 for all of Ontario, they have taken 14,000 requests to Maggie Doherty-Gilbert book an interpreter. Every month they get over 2000 requests, ei- ther through email, Skype, or phone call. That means that every day they get 100 - 120 requests to book an interpreter for an appoint- Regional Program Manager ment. Peggy Norton-Harris The system and the staff are still new and they are trying their best Program Assistants to make sure that every request gets booked. There will be mistakes Pat Lehti - York when you have so many requests in one day. Alice Byl - Simcoe If a mistake has happened more than once or if you are not satisfied with the interpreter service, or something went wrong and the inter- Ontario Interpreting Services preter didn’t show up, or the time got mixed up, there are 3 ways you (OIS) Staff Interpreter can complain: Sandra Fox 1) Go to www.chs.ca, at the bottom of the page is the complaint General Support Services policy. Click on the words “complaint policy” to get to the complaint page. Counsellor 2) Contact Bev Dooley, Customer Service Manager at York Region [email protected]. Meher Dadabhoy 3) Send an email directly to Michael Warburton, the Program Manager at [email protected]. Hearing Care Counsellors York Region DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR Noor Ratansi-Iamurri THE INTERPRETER THAT YOU PREFER? Barbara Reid Sara Jiang Some Deaf people like to have the same interpreter because that interpreter has all the background information from your last Hearing Care Counsellors appointments, or maybe you feel more comfortable with some County of Simcoe interpreters. When you email, Skype or TTY call to the Schedul- ing Centre, give them all the information about your appointment Catherine O’Connor and then ask them to please make sure to book your preferred Ross Hart interpreter. If your preferred interpreter is not available, you can ask the Scheduling Centre to call the doctor, or bank or wherev- Hearing Care Counsellor er and try to book the appointment when the interpreter you Regional Municipality of Muskoka want is available. If you cannot wait for your preferred interpret- Sara Clipsham er, then the Scheduling Centre will try to find a freelance inter- preter for you.
Mental Health Counsellor CONNECT Counselling Services You can also tell the Scheduling Centre about interpreters you Patricia Teixeira do not want, you do have the right to refuse an Interpreter if you did not feel comfortable or had trouble understanding them. Communication Devices You want to make sure that you have clear communication for Specialist your appointments. It is important that you understand what is Linda Jones being said to you because you don’t want anything to go wrong with any part of your life. Newsletter Editor Pat Lehti The Scheduling Centre is very flexible and willing to do what you ask.
New Service Dog Sandra Fox—Staff Interpreter Ekko
THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY Sound Express ● November 2013
Please Emergency Interpreting Services
mail completed Emergency Interpreting services for health and mental health. membership form to Services Available: 7 days per week / 365 days per year any of the following ( 24 hours per day) offices: TTY: 1 - 866 - 831 - 4657 Phone: 1 - 866 - 256 - 5142 Blackberry and email : [email protected] Note: After-hours service may not be available in all regions.
Become a member of CHS! CHS MUSKOKA: We are always in need of additional resources, both human and financial, and are deeply grateful for all donations, including the 175 Manitoba St., time and talents of many dedicated volunteers. Suite 103 Bracebridge, ON P1L 1S3 Membership Benefits Phone: (705) 645-8882 Toll-free TTY: 1-877-872-0585 Fax: (705) 645-0182 1-year individual membership: $25 Toll-free phone:1-877-840-8882 Other family members living at the same address: $5 each Receive Vibes, Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) magazine, and Hours of operation: voting privileges at CHS Annual General Meeting. Qualify for By APPOINTMENT Sound Rewards Program.
CHS SIMCOE: Lifetime membership: $250 Receive all of the above, a beautiful CHS pin, and a charitable tax receipt. 64 Cedar Pointe Drive, Suite 1412 CHS Membership Form Barrie, ON L4N 5R7 Phone: (705) 737-3190 Toll-free TTY: 1-877-872-0585 Fax: (705) 722-0381 Please do not share my information with other organizations.
I’d like to become a member and/or donate:$ CHS YORK REGION: Name: 713 Davis Drive, Suite 105 Newmarket, ON L3Y 2R3 Address: Phone: (905) 715-7511 City: Province: Postal Fax: (905) 715-7109 Code: Toll-free TTY:1-877-817-8213 Phone/TTY: Email : Toll-free phone: 1-877-715-7511 Payment by: Cash Cheque VISA MasterCard Card Number
THE CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY Sound Express ● November 2013