These are trying times, particularly for persons with disabilities. Daily, it seems, new regulations, protocols and announcements critical to our continued navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic command attention.
This new regime brings with it a variety of disruptions, including elevated individual stress and anxiety. Coping under current circumstances is a challenge for sure, but for deaf and hard of hearing, the strain of everyday life is greatly amplified.
Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic condition nationally in older adults and the most widespread disability. There are an estimated 357,000 culturally deaf Canadians and 3.2 million hard of hearing Canadians.
Closer to home it is difficult to generate an empirical estimate of persons on Cape Breton affected by hearing loss. However, extrapolating from national data and taking into consideration this island’s demographic and economic circumstance, it is possible that upward of 15,000 suffer from some form of hearing loss. By any measure this is significant.
The non-profit Society of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Nova Scotians develops and manages coordinated services, to assist deaf, hard of hearing and late-deafened people in gaining full access to public, private and community services.
Like so many other non-profits across the country, we are having a hard time, at present, fulfilling our mandate due to the pandemic. It is reasonable to assume that as the pandemic drags on reaching those in need of our services will become increasingly problematic.
The Society is publicly funded in part only. It is essential that a significant portion of the resources required for our continued successful operation be sourced from within the community. While financial donations are a part of the equation equally important is expertise and know-how at the board level.
At this particularly challenging time, the Society needs directors. We are looking for community-minded persons who relate to and appreciate the vital work we do. Drawing on their respective training, experience and competency, Society directors are essential to navigating a way forward. As a director, you will help to ensure that the Society continues to provide a lifeline to the many in-need persons it serves and that our community’s human capital is optimized.
Bryan Kelloway
Glace Bay
Chairperson, board of directors, Society of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Nova Scotians - Cape Breton Affiliate