WorkBC Assistive Technology Services Helps Gaynor Purchase Her First Set of Hearing Aids
Gaynor is a retail worker in the North Okanagan, doing customer service, stocking shelves, and cashiering. She has hearing loss.
“It impacted me in every aspect,” she explains. “I had customers approaching me all day with questions, I had co-workers talking to me, we had pages overhead that sometimes affected me, we had group meetings that I was involved with, so hearing in a situation like that was everything, it could get frustrating sometimes.
“I had to get them to repeat just to make sure I heard clearly, so I felt more for them than for me, but I got to the point where I knew I needed to do something about it.”
Gaynor had never previously used hearing aids. She went for a hearing test at HearingLife, and they referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services to receive funding for the hearing aids.
“They paid a huge portion,” says of WorkBC Assistive Technology Services. “Because I’ve been in retail almost my whole adult life, I don’t earn a lot of money. I’ve never had hearing aids before, so they’re my first pair.”
The hearing aids have made a big difference in her workday, increasing Gaynor’s confidence and reducing her anxiety doing tasks.
“The greatest thing it’s done for me is improve my ability to communicate with customers and other staff, like I hear much better what’s being said in group meetings, I hear much better overhead pages,” she explains. “It’s given me so much more optimism and I’m just so happy with them, they’re comfortable, I wear them all day, they’re low maintenance.
“I’m called up to the till quite often to be a cashier, and most of the time I clearly hear customers while I’m on till, even though both of us are wearing masks and there’s plexiglass between us — that gives me confidence. When they call me for till, I don’t have any anxiety — ‘what happens if I don’t hear them?’ I don’t have that. That’s huge for me.”
Gaynor says she would recommend WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, noting that she really appreciated how the staff made the process easier for her.
“Everybody was kind, and that makes a difference,” she says. “Everyone made it really easy for me, and I’m really grateful.
“I am so grateful, I just want you to know, I’m so grateful to WorkBC, your program Assistive Technology Services, for all of the support they’ve given me. It would have been a financial hardship for me to pay for these hearing aids on the income I receive, so I have way more confidence now, and I definitely have less anxiety.”
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.
