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BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS TO BECOME EMPOWERED – AMY’S STORY

At Canadian Hearing Services, our promise is to empower lives. Through the provision of products, services and education, we are committed to breaking down barriers and empowering Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians to rise above their unique challenges and lead rich and full lives.

Canadian Hearing Services client, Amy, is just one example of how Canadian Hearing Services has helped individuals to break through barriers and become empowered. When Amy contacted Canadian Hearing Services, she was living alone, struggling financially, had no family to lean on and was beginning to find daily life extremely overwhelming. Amy is 64 years old, Deaf, communicates in ASL and has limited knowledge of written English. She was born Deaf and was the only Deaf person in her family. Because her family never learned ASL, Amy struggled to communicate with them and was never able to develop a close bond with any one in her family. This left her alone with very little support.

“When I first heard about Canadian Hearing Services, I was surprised, but extremely relieved and happy to learn that Canadian Hearing Services had Deaf staff who could communicate with me in ASL. For the first time I felt like the communication barriers were removed and I could finally ask for the support I needed,” says Amy.

Amy was connected with Canadian Hearing Services’ General Support Services Counsellor, Danielle Hopper, whose goal was to develop a care plan that would provide Amy with the knowledge, confidence and independence she needed to manage everyday life events. Amy’s first priority was to gain financial security. Danielle helped Amy apply for rent assistance and connected her with other community resources to help her save money, such as foodbanks, free used clothing, free lunches and more. However, for Amy to become more empowered, it was important for her to be able to seek out these resources on her own and communicate without barriers. Danielle showed Amy how to search for community resources, fill in forms and use Video Relay Services to make phone calls using ASL.

“Amy has come a long way. She now knows how to access community supports for when she needs them in the future, is able to pay her bills on time, and can easily communicate by using Video Relay Services to make appointments and ask for the support she needs,” says Danielle. “Amy was motivated to become more empowered, and it was an absolute pleasure and honour to be part of that process.”

“I am so happy to finally be more independent and financially secure. I feel more confident and empowered, and more at ease knowing that Canadian Hearing Services is there for me when I need them,” explains Amy.

If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, and need assistance managing everyday life events, contact Canadian Hearing Services General Support Services at 1-866-518-0000, or by email at generalsupportservices@chs.ca .

LEARN MORE ABOUT CANADIAN HEARING SERVICES GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES