“I Was Incredibly Grateful for This Program,” WorkBC Assistive Technology Services Makes Kim’s Work Much Less Stressful
Kim is a computer programmer and math tutor. In addition to coding, her job as a programmer involves a lot of meetings with co-workers to design and debug software, while as a tutor, she works one-on-one with students in-person and over Zoom. However, her hearing loss was beginning to make many of these tasks difficult.
“I’ve slowly been going deaf in both my ears due to bone calcification. It’s gotten to the point that I cannot raise the volume on my speakers enough to hear people online,” she explains. “When in person, I am constantly having to ask students and co-workers to repeat themselves. I have to work very hard to catch what people are saying, which distracts me from my actual work.”
Referred by her audiologist, Kim decided to apply for WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for help funding a set of hearing aids. She was approved, and WorkBC Assistive Technology Services covered much of the cost of her new hearing aids.
“The most noticeable improvement has been with my math students. We often tutor in a quiet setting, so raising their voice so I can hear is not an option. Because they are often teenagers, it can be embarrassing for them to speak loudly, too. It’s been a huge improvement during our sessions,” she shares.
“I’ve also noticed that the meetings I am having with my programming job are much less stressful for me. I can spend more time thinking about what we are doing and less time guessing about what words are being said.”
Kim recommends WorkBC Assistive Technology Services to others in need.
“[It’s] just a lot easier to do my work,” she says. “I was incredibly grateful for this program. I have no benefits. I am a single mom living in Vancouver. There was no other option for me. My hearing aids are worth more than the car I drive.”
WorkBC Assistive Technology Services is operated by Neil Squire. Assistive Technology Services are available to individuals who have a work-related barrier due to a disability or a functional limitation. This may include barriers related to traveling to and from the workplace.
Questions about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services? Need help applying? Contact us: 1-844-453-5506 or info-ats@workbc.ca
Please visit www.workbc-ats.ca for more information about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services.
Tags: assistive technology, BC, Hearing Aids, WorkBC Assistive Technology Services
