Announcements & News
News Release
November 19, 2009
Technology changing the lives of deaf children in B.C.
Family and five-year old daughter no longer spend
countless hours traveling to Vancouver
Vancouver, B.C. – Five-year old Sage and her parents used to spend hours and hours travelling to Vancouver from Nanaimo each week for Sage's specialized auditory-verbal therapy, giving her the skills to overcome her hearing loss. A revolutionary new program from the Children's Hearing & Speech Centre of B.C. is bringing this vital therapy to Sage at home, and to other children like her throughout the province.
A first of its kind in Canada, the Stepping Out Outreach Program is an innovative tele-education service providing hearing and speech therapy services via TELUS video and teleconferencing solutions to school-age deaf children throughout B.C.
Launched earlier this year by the Children's Hearing & Speech Centre of B.C. (Children's Hearing), the program addresses the access issues for deaf children across the province by bringing the vital therapy sessions into their homes, ensuring these children can develop speech and hearing skills to excel in school and beyond.
Currently, the program has 6 participants, some from as remote as Gold River. Sage and her family are the first beneficiaries of this innovative program. Says her father Joe, "I'm thrilled that Sage can get this therapy to develop her speech and listening skills without having to travel to Vancouver. This has come at a critical time for us as Sage started Kindergarten this year and this technology means she receives specialized services without missing any school."
"The need is there for educational services for children with hearing loss living in rural and remote communities. Technology today is providing us with the means to deliver these critical services providing equal access and opportunities for all regardless of geography," said Loretta Evans, Acting Executive Director at Children's Hearing. "The support we received from TELUS, both the technology and donation, is crucial to the continued ability to support children in remote communities. "
The TELUS Vancouver Community Board provided $50,000 to launch the Stepping Out Outreach Program, ensuring deaf children across B.C. have the same access to therapy as those in Metro Vancouver.
"This project combining technology, health, and children had an irresistible appeal to the hearts and minds of the TELUS Vancouver Community Board," commented Nini Baird, Board Chair. "We applaud Children's Hearing's vision that has created the first itinerant teaching service for deaf children by distance technology that is unique in Canada, and likely in all of North America. We hope that it will become a model for other jurisdictions."
Through a family centered approach, Children's Hearing has for more than 40 years been a leading provider of auditory-oral deaf education offering a full spectrum of clinical and educational programs and services including: certified auditory-verbal therapy, pre-school 3, pre-kindergarten 4, kindergarten – grade 3, on-site pediatric audiology, itinerant teaching services, before and after school care, summer programs, translation and interpretation services, and resources for parents and families.
Children's Hearing is proud to be internationally accredited through CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
About Children's Hearing
This year Children's Hearing & Speech Centre of B.C. celebrates 46 years of serving deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. The organization was founded in 1963, to assist children with hearing loss to acquire spoken communication skills, becoming independent communicators and participants in the world at large. Auditory-oral deaf education provides graduates with the confidence to pursue their dreams and education to the highest level. For more information, please visit www.childrenshearing.ca
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For media inquiries, please contact
Esther Rausenberg
Children's Hearing & Speech Centre of B.C.
604-437-0255
TELUS launch of Tele-Education project L to R Katie Gove (TELUS), Stephen O'Keefe& Leona Pinsky (Board, Children's Hearing), Ted Neighbor (President Children's Hearing) Don Calder (Board, TELUS Foundation), Nini Baird (Chair, TELUS Community Foundation), Loretta Evans (Acting ED/Principal )