Imagine if your ability to hear was taken away from you right now. How would your life change? How would your everyday activities be altered?

Ottawa, ON (May 9, 2012) – May is Hearing Awareness Month and The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) is celebrating on May 11th by challenging local Ottawa community leaders to experience firsthand what it is like to live with hearing loss.

Representatives from our CHS funders and partners, a radio show host, a former federal Liberal party candidate and staff from both Police and Fire Services are stepping up and meeting the challenge head-on.  The celebrities will have their hearing artificially blocked and be asked to complete a routine task – reporting a car accident, buying a new car, filling a prescription at a pharmacy – unable to hear, speak or write.  Each one will face communication barriers they must overcome – barriers faced every day by people who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing.  When the participants return from their tasks they will share their experiences.

Almost 1 in 4 adult Canadians reports having hearing loss; it is the fastest growing disability in North America.  The systemic barriers faced by this growing group of Canadians are what make "Deaf" for a Day such an important event.  First hosted by the CHS Sudbury office in 1997, it is a unique and powerful call to our communities to work together to eradicate these barriers and make society fully accessible to people who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing.

Thank you to our "Deaf for a Day 2012" supporters:
Dow Honda, Pharma Plus (Billings Bridge) Rona (Hunt Club), RA Centre (LifeFIT), Monterey Inn, Ottawa Police Services, Ottawa Fire Services, Advantage Audiovisual, Tower Management

Founded in 1940 and unique in North America, CHS offers a complete roster of essential services through a network of 28 offices.  Services include a complete menu of Accessibility Services – consulting, communication devices, interpreting, CART, vcon; Counselling – employment consulting, outreach and counselling to older adults, general and mental health counselling, addiction and court diversion services, outreach to children, youth and families; Education – sign language instruction, literacy training, and information and public awareness; and holistic Hearing Healthcare – hearing testing, hearing aid sales and counselling support.

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CONTACT:
Michel David
Tel: (613) 521-0509, TTY: (613) 521-0634
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CHS Mission

The Canadian Hearing Society is the leading provider of services, products, and information that:

• remove barriers to communication
• advance hearing health
• promote equity for people who are culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing.

CHS Vision

A society where all people are respected; have full access to communication; and are able to participate without social, economic, or emotional barriers.