Lisa Flowers/CHS scholarship student
Canada Hearing Services (CHS) awarded 29 scholarships to deaf and hard-of-hearing students across Canada on Sept. 10 to support their post-secondary education.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing students face numerous challenges in post-secondary institutions, including difficulty hearing in lectures, the need to lip-read while simultaneously taking notes, additional study time to review notetakers’ notes, limited access to extracurricular activities, financial constraints, and the extra time and effort required for self-advocacy.
CHS provides services that remove barriers to participation for deaf, hard-of-hearing and deafblind individuals. This program includes accessibility solutions, hearing health, education, counselling and employment consulting.
The National Scholarship Program helps cover the extra costs of hearing accommodation, tuition, residence and educational resources. Since its launch in 2017, CHS has awarded 192 scholarships, breaking down barriers and empowering deaf and hard-of-hearing students to pursue their academic goals.
“These scholarships represent access, empowerment, community impact, and a belief in the valuable contributions these students will make to society in the future,” said Lisa Flowers, Communications Manager at Canadian Hearing Services.
The scholarship allowed fourth-year Landscape Architecture major Katherine Viney from University of Guelph to focus full-time on her studies. The scholarship also gave her access to classroom accommodations such as note-takers.
“Living alone in residence, being able to purchase a fire alarm system that alerts me by shaking the bed was crucial to my ability to attend post-secondary,” said Viney.
Viney explained she found out about the scholarship through the guidance website at her school, where one of her friends was reviewing scholarships and informed her about it. She recommends that CHS should advertise the scholarship in more places than online and on campus.
“I think in places like SickKids Hospital, where they have the audiology program, because the program’s age limit is 18,” said Viney, “that’s when you’re usually thinking about applying to post-secondary before switching to another hospital or hearing program.”
“It only takes an hour or so to write up your script, send in a video, and fill the forms. So, apply, because it’s worth the time,” said Viney. “It’s money that can go towards your education or other supplies you need to purchase because it’s very costly.”
Viney praised University of Guelph’s accessibility services. “In my opinion, I think it’s such an easy program to offer because it provides all students with the ability to learn in their own way so they can all succeed together,” said Viney. “I think it takes one person to say, I need these accommodations, and I need someone to help me get these accommodations so I can fully be present in my classes and learn everything.”
Canadian Hearing Services’ National Scholarship Program gets its funding through donations and from those who support their annual President’s Scholarship Golf Tournament. CHS encourages post-secondary institutions to promote the scholarship’s importance to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. “We also hope you will celebrate the scholarship recipients and the great success they have achieved so far,” said Flowers.
