CHS has tried to cover important resources relevant to youth who are deaf or hard of hearing in Ontario. If you want to give feedback, provide suggestions or new information, please contact info@chs.ca with subject line "Transition Resources".

Canadian Hearing Services

CHS is a not-for-profit agency and the leading provider of services, products, and information that remove barriers to communication, advance hearing health, and promote equity for people who are culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and hard of hearing. CHS offers a complete roster of essential services, including sign language interpreting; one-on-one language development for deaf and hard of hearing children using play as the medium of learning; employment consulting; sign language instruction; speechreading training; hearing testing; hearing aids; counselling; and, the most complete range of communication devices that assist and augment communication including TTYs (text telephones), visual smoke detectors, baby monitors, signalling devices and alarm clocks. If you need specific information on any particular device, check with sales@chs.ca . There are many resources available for youth who are deaf or hard of hearing. Contact us at info@chs.ca if you have a general question regarding transition.

http://www.chs.ca

PEPNet – Resource and Expertise for youth

PEPNet provides a wide range of resources and expertise that enhance educational opportunities, particularly post-secondary education, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing plus those with co-occurring disabilities. PEPNet's national outreach is coordinated through its four regional centres in the United States. At the local level, each state's contact person is the gateway to the shared knowledge and best practices of the four regions. PEPNet regional centres work collaboratively to provide a broad variety of best practices & resources where and when you need them to enhance educational opportunities. This website is one of the most popular sites used by deaf or hard of hearing youth in North America. The site is American based but resources and support needs are quite similar in Canada.

http://www.pepnet.org/

Canadian Hard of Hearing Association - Youth

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) is a consumer-based organization formed by and for hard of hearing Canadians. CHHA works cooperatively with professionals, service providers and government bodies, and provides information about hard of hearing issues and solutions. There are a number of useful materials for youth under the publication section (i.e. Hearing the Learning: Post-secondary education handbook for students who are hard of hearing, To Be Heard: Guidebook for instructors of students who are hard of hearing, etc.)

http://chha.ca/chha/publications-youth.php

Ontario Programs for People with Disabilities

There is a list of consulting services and organizations providing services to improve access for employees and consumers who are deaf or hard of hard of hearing under Ontario Programs for People with Disabilities. Six main categories include:

  • Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
  • Job Connect Program
  • Community Mental Health Employment Programs
  • Assistive Devices Program (ADP)
  • Attendant Outreach Services, and
  • Information on Services for People with Disabilities on the Internet.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/repository/mon/12000/256657.pdf

LD Online

LDOnLine.org is the world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month. This particular site is extremely helpful for youth who are deaf or hard of hearing but also have learning disabilities or ADHD. Excellent resources are available for teachers and support staff.

http://www.ldonline.org/

Difabilities

Difabilities is a website that shares a Self-Advocacy curriculum designed for youth with disabilities. This site also includes resources for youth with disabilities regarding self-advocacy.

http://www.difabilities.net/

Ontario Job Futures

Ontario Job Futures allows you to search for occupations in one of three ways: Quick Search lets you type in the title of the job you are interested in, and gives you a list of possible matches; Jobs by Category allows you to search for all occupations included in Ontario Job Futures within broad groups (categories) of occupations; Alphabetical Listing allows you to search by the first letter of the occupation title as it is listed under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. For more information about how jobs are classified within Ontario Job Futures, select the "How are jobs defined?" option from the left side menu.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/labourmarket/ojf/findoccupation.asp

Working in Canada

The Working in Canada website provides job seekers, workers and those who are new to the Canadian labour market with the information required to make informed decisions about where to live and work. The site can assist individuals who are searching for work or looking to make career decisions. Use the Working in Canada Tool to produce a report on job descriptions, wages, skill requirements, language training and job opportunities based on your occupation and location. By researching different occupations and different locations, you can make decisions that are right for you and your family.

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/content_pieces-eng.do?cid=1

Academic Accommodations

Lambton College's Academic accommodations are made with the intent to minimize the effects of hearing loss on students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Please refer to an example at Lambton College that covers youth with disabilities.

https://www.mylambton.ca/Accessibility_Centre/Academic_accomodation/

Self-Advocacy

The Self-Advocacy Synthesis Project was developed at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The University did a comprehensive review of the literature to identify existing research on self-advocacy models for students with disabilities and developed and disseminated an array of products including a directory of self-advocacy model programs on the web.

http://sdsp.uncc.edu/

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)

HLAA is America's leading organization representing people with hearing loss. HLAA provides assistance and resources for people with hearing loss and their families to learn how to adjust to living with hearing loss. There is a section about self-advocacy on a number of topics and it provide you with ideas on how to advocate for communication access in different situations

http://www.hearingloss.org/advocacy/index.asp

Accessibility in Ontario

Accessibility simply means helping people with disabilities take part in life's activities. Most people go to work, go shopping, play sports, attend community meetings, go to a movie, etc. There are obstacles that prevent those with disabilities from doing these things. These obstacles are barriers to accessibility. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was passed in 2005. Its goal is to make Ontario accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. Through province-wide accessibility standards, Ontario will improve accessibility by identifying, breaking down and preventing barriers to accessibility.

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/index.aspx

The Bob Rumball Camp of the Deaf (OCD)

OCD is located in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. OCD is a place of opportunity for deaf, hard of hearing and multiple handicapped young people. Youth can enjoy water skiing, kayaking, and canoeing without the fear of other boaters. Campers can challenge 25 or 33 foot dive towers or play "Tarzan" on the rope swing. Traditional camp activities such as baseball, soccer, and arts and crafts are all waiting to be enjoyed. The camp also offers a wide variety of winter activities. OCD is located minutes from the provincial snowmobile trail system and has tobogganing, inner tubing, and ice-skating. A family holiday or winter getaway can be arranged.

http://www.bobrumball.org/OCD/ocd.html

VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children

VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children was established in the early '60s by parents to offer support to other families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Parents wanted their deaf or hard of hearing children to be educated alongside their hearing peers in regular schools. Over the years VOICE has developed into one of the largest parent support organizations for families of children with hearing loss. VOICE maintains approximately 1,000 members, in 17 chapters within Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

VOICE offers annual VOICE camp to youth who are deaf or hard of hearing.

http://www.voicefordeafkids.com/

Silent Voice

Silent Voice is a not-for-profit charitable organization founded in 1975. It is the only organization in the GTA offering community and family-based support to deaf children and adults in American Sign Language (ASL). It provides social-recreational programs in ASL for deaf children and their hearing brothers and sisters and teaches hearing family members the language of ASL. In partnership with other organizations, it offers special assistance and outreach services to disadvantaged deaf adults living in the community.

Silent Voice has a Sign Language Summer Program, an exciting summer day camp. The camp uses American Sign Language as its main form of communication.

http://www.silentvoice.ca/

Hands and Voices

Hands and Voices is dedicated to supporting families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodology. It is a parent-driven, non-profit organization providing families with the resources, networks, and information they need to improve communication access and educational outcomes for their children. Outreach activities, parent/professional collaboration, and advocacy efforts are focused on enabling deaf and hard of hearing children to reach their highest potential.

http://www.ontariohandsandvoices.com/

Resources You Can Download

Ontario Disability Support program (ODSP) – Employment Supports

ODSP Employment Support is one of the well-known employment support programs that aim to reduce or eliminate disability-related barriers to competitive employment for people with disabilities who meet eligibility criteria, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Competitive employment is any full-time, part-time, or contractual employment, or self-employment in which the person receives minimum wage or better.

You can contact the Audiology Department with The Canadian Hearing Society for an appointment to get the necessary documents required for ODSP Employment Support. To find the CHS Audiology Program nearest you, please call 1-866-216-7310 or visit our Audiology page.