Fred works as a sales associate at a building supplies store in the BC Interior. He has hearing loss, which can make his job difficult.

“Adequate communication and understanding is imperative to my position,” he explains.

He had heard about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services from both co-workers, as well as from the local WorkBC Centre. He decided to apply for funding for the hearing aids he needs to do his job — in no time, he was approved.

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Cheryl works full-time as a booking clerk/secretary in the health care sector.

“I have conductive hearing loss. It was gradual, and then seemed suddenly I had severe hearing loss. I had great difficulty hearing information,” she shares.

Her hearing specialist referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for help funding the hearing aids she needs for work.

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May is Speech & Hearing Month in Canada. It’s a time to shine a spotlight on communication health and the life-changing work of Speech-Language Pathologists and audiologists.

Many of us take communication for granted, but speaking, hearing, and being understood are essential to daily life. For those with communication challenges, even simple interactions can be difficult — impacting work, education, relationships, and overall well-being.

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Cheng is a senior consultant for a cross-cultural communications consulting firm, where his role involves facilitating focus groups, consultation sessions, and online interviews. He also works on-call as an interpreter. His hearing loss was making both roles difficult.

“I have difficulties with hearing pitch and tones of individuals who are speaking to me especially in noisy environments. I was finding that I can only hear part of the conversation or speech. As I need to take notes and interpret verbatim, it is very challenging when I am unable to hear the whole [conversation],” he says. He notes that he often can’t interrupt to ask for clarification, and the fact that much of his work takes place over video calls rather than in face-to-face meetings also makes it even more difficult.

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Douglas is employed as a Marine Field Research Scientist on Vancouver Island, working from small vessels conducting research on marine birds and their prey.

“Hearing loss requires me to use hearing aids in the field for safety reasons,” he shares.

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Wilma works as a server at an assisted living facility for seniors. She takes orders from residents, and communicates meal adjustments to the kitchen. However, her hearing loss impacts her communication with residents, co-workers, and management.

Her audiologist referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services to help fund the hearing aids she needs for work. Wilma applied and was quickly approved.

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Naida was looking for work in northern BC. However, she found that she was facing barriers — she is deaf in her left ear, and she also has hearing loss in her right ear. This makes meetings challenging, and she has trouble in noisy settings.

Through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, Naida received funding for the hearing aids she needs for the job search process and future employment. “[It] helped tremendously, I would not have been able to receive hearing aids without the secondary help,” she shares.

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Bev teaches at a university. A large part of her job involves engaging students in group discussions, and listening and responding to help her students understand the themes and ideas explored in class. However, this can be difficult with hearing loss.

“I have otosclerosis, a degenerative hearing condition, with moderate to severe hearing loss. Without hearing aids, it would be difficult if not impossible to teach in an actual classroom. It is incredibly challenging to hear and understand students, many of whom speak softly,” she shares. “My hearing loss is also worse in one ear, which makes it impossible to tell where sound is coming from without corrective devices.”

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Anthony is a self-employed carpenter in the Lower Mainland, focusing primarily on cedar fences and decks. Through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, he received hearing aids that have made a huge difference on the job.

“I’m very grateful for your assistance,” he shares. “I can say that the hearing aids have been a godsend! Thank you!”

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Wallace is 67 and he works as a nutrition and food services manager for an alcohol and drug treatment centre on Vancouver Island. He manages a staff of 12 people to provide food services for about 100 inpatients. As part of his job, he needs to consult with patients about their dietary and nutritional needs.

“Clear and concise communication is a must in an, at times, noisy environment,” he shares. “Progressive hearing loss had begun to limit my effectiveness within the workplace. Constantly asking others to repeat themselves or crowding in to hear what is being said can be very uncomfortable. Participating in open meetings was becoming very difficult if I was unable to follow the conversation or discussion. My overall effectiveness as a manager was declining.”

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