Toronto, ON- Late last week, a lawsuit was commenced against the Canadian Hearing Society by a corporation, the members of which include former staff.

CHS is confident that this lawsuit will be dismissed by the courts. CHS will take all appropriate action to vigorously defend the organization, and protect its reputation in the public domain from baseless attacks.

CHS will not permit these claims to distract it from its mission: to provide industry-leading services and products that enable Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians to overcome barriers to participation.

CHS is extremely proud of what it has accomplished in recent years.

Three years ago, CHS’ board of directors identified significant risks to the sustainability of the organization. There had been several consecutive years of financial deficits, causing CHS to deplete its financial reserves to meet payroll. CHS was not financially viable, and required an update to its governance model to comply with new federal legislation.

The CHS board and management team, on the advice of counsel and independent experts, took the necessary steps to update the organization’s governance and eliminate the financial deficit. Today, CHS is financially strong and has adopted best-in-class governance and operating policies and procedures.

Transformational change is always difficult.

However, Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians are already seeing the impact of a refocused, mission-driven Canadian Hearing Society. The number of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals it serves has increased. The effectiveness of its programs has improved. CHS has launched new initiatives to serve even more members of the Canadian Deaf and hard of hearing communities.

In short, the Board and management have ensured the sustainability of the organization through enhanced corporate governance, financial viability, and a new strategic plan.

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About the Canadian Hearing Society

No other organization in Canada serves more Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians than the Canadian Hearing Society. Trusted since 1940, CHS has been providing industry-leading services, programs and products to Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians to ensure barrier-free access and increased quality of life. CHS is an independent, registered charitable organization that reinvests proceeds from product and program sales back into community services, which are the focus of the organization. For more information about CHS’ services, visit www.chs.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Maria Gregory
Director, Marketing & Communications
Canadian Hearing Society
Voice or Text: 416-577-7993
Email: mgregory@chs.ca