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About CHHA and the Manitoba Chapter
The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) is a non profit, self-help consumer advocate organization run by and for persons who are hard of hearing. The mission of CHHA is to ensure that hard of hearing consumers understand how to have their needs met, and to promote their integration and full participation in Canadian society.
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About CHHA Manitoba Chapter Manitoba Chapter Board members Contact Information
The Board of CHHA Manitoba Chapter is comprised of individuals committed to addressing the needs of the hard of hearing in Manitoba. There are nine Board members who bring their varied backgrounds and their experiences as hard of hearing people to serve the membership. Together they offer skills in administration, finance, teaching, marketing, information technology, healthcare and engineering. CHHA Manitoba Chapter Board members are all volunteers. The chapter has no paid staff.
The concepts of awareness, advocacy, accessibility and accommodation for the hard of hearing are the driving forces behind Board activities. Ten to 15 percent of Canadians are hard of hearing. It is therefore important to reach out to the thousands of hard of hearing people in Manitoba to extend support, information and services to them.
One board priority is increasing awareness of hearing loss within the hard of hearing population, as well as in both the public and private sectors, including employers, government, community services, healthcare services, political representatives and business. As awareness grows, it is the Board's responsibility to advocate for the hard of hearing to ensure that the services guaranteed to them by legislation are available. Through action groups the Board works toward improving accessibility of all services and agencies on behalf of the hard of hearing community. The Board also strives to keep the public apprised of the accommodations available that can help hard of hearing people lead productive, active and enjoyable lives.
The members of the Board of Directors of CHHA Manitoba Chapter would like you to know them better! Following are brief biographies of each board member, as well as information about each person's focus in serving the association. We also invite you to consider the rewarding experience of serving on our Board or volunteering to work on activities such as planning meetings and presenting information in public forums. For more information about Board or volunteer service, contact us at execdir@chha-mb.ca.
Robert Richard Gladys Nielsen Charles Mastin Brian Gaber Joanne Craig Betty Anderson Cathy Cooke John Cooke Starra SlykermanRobert (Bob) brings a wealth of experience to the position of president of the CHHA Manitoba Chapter. He has worked actively for the hard of hearing from 1999 to the present and, in addition to CHHA Manitoba Chapter, has served as a Board member of CHHA National as well as the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) Clearinghouse. Bob has had a hearing loss since he was a young adult and with the use of hearing aids, has been able to pursue a career in education. He has worked in a variety of teaching positions and has spent the past 25-plus years at Red River College. As an educator and a hard of hearing person, Bob has been able to work successfully - with the use of assistive technologies - in a very demanding hearing environment. Through his work with CHHA, he has had a positive impact on the lives of those with hearing loss. Bob views CHHA Manitoba Chapter as the "voice" of all Manitobans with hearing loss. With growth in our membership and partnerships with related organizations, he envisions an increase in the number of informed hard of hearing people who know how to have their needs met, and who will become active advocates for themselves and others in their communities. (return to board member list)
Gladys has been instrumental in making CHHA Manitoba Chapter the vibrant organization that it has become. In her roles as Past President of CHHA Manitoba Chapter and one of Manitoba's former representatives on the CHHA National Board, she has devoted significant time and energy to reaching out to hard of hearing Manitobans through various programs including the Living With Hearing Loss program and the New Horizons for Seniors program. She has shared her experiences from her own hearing loss to help countless others learn coping strategies and self-advocacy for a full and active life. In 1995 Gladys was able to have a cochlear implant which opened new opportunities for her to expand her work in the organization for the benefit of other hard of hearing people. She views her on-going work with CHHA as a way of repaying the association for the support and encouragement it has given her. Gladys is tireless in sharing her energy and caring for the benefit of others who are hard of hearing. (return to board member list)
Charles could be considered an historian of CHHA Manitoba Chapter having been involved for many years; he became a member after attending his first CHHA conference in Gimli in 1988. He has demonstrated commitment through his service to CHHA Manitoba Chapter as Board member, president and most recently as treasurer. He has managed the chapter's finances with precision and efficiency, and his sense of humour is an established tradition on all occasions. Charles comes from a family where hearing loss among many family members has been a fact of life. After leaving a long teaching career because of his hearing loss Charles has devoted his energies to working with others who are hard of hearing. Charles feels that, through his attendance at provincial and national CHHA conferences, and through his work on the CHHA Board, he has had the opportunity to meet a supportive community of people who understand and appreciate the challenges of hearing loss. Charles' contributions to CHHA are evident through the time and energy he invests in it and his commitment to educating the hearing world about hearing loss. (return to board member list)
Brian has been involved with CHHA Manitoba Chapter since 2003. As a board member, Brian's focus is on communications; he keeps the board abreast of what assistive listening devices are available and researches accessibility issues for the hard of hearing in entertainment and sports venues in Manitoba. Brian experienced a sudden hearing loss over 13 years ago; through CHHA Manitoba Chapter, attending Living With Hearing Loss classes, and with hearing aids, he worked as an environmentally concerned Energy Specialist. Brian attributes his success in coping with his loss of hearing in the workplace and at home to the support that CHHA provided for him. He has become a strong advocate for others experiencing this "invisible disability", and is committed to educating the hearing community about hearing loss. (return to board member list)
Joanne has represented the needs and challenges of the Meniere's Support group on the CHHA Manitoba Chapter Board since 2006. As a person with Meniere's Disease, including a mild hearing loss, she has been a member of and an advocate for this group since 1999. Joanne brings to the board a wealth of experience with other volunteer health and social services boards, including Northern Addiction Services in the NWT and the Canadian Celiac Association in Manitoba. She is a strong advocate for improvements in health, education and social services, and she enjoys being part of a community of advocates for these causes. Joanne has worked hard to develop our evolving CHHA Manitoba Chapter web site; she continues to share her growing expertise in web site management to help the chapter reach out to the hard of hearing community in the province and beyond. Joanne also enjoys a variety of other activities including the practice of Taoist Tai Chi, which in addition to its general health-benefits helps her manage the balance issues caused by Meniere's Disease. (return to board member list)
Betty joined the CHHA organization in 2004, the CHHA Manitoba Chapter Board in 2006, and the CHHA National Board in 2007; while a relative newcomer, she is very active in the organization. She became involved through attending Living With Hearing Loss classes in 2004. Betty has enjoyed a successful career as an educator of children with special needs including those with hearing loss. Her work in this field along with the experience of hearing loss in her own family have given her a sensitivity to the challenges of the hard of hearing. Through CHHA Manitoba Chapter, she sees exciting opportunities for participation in an organization that shares her commitment to advocating for the hard of hearing. Betty has many other interests including cross-country skiing and gardening; she also enjoyed her involvement with development of the CHHA web site by writing and editing articles. As a life-long student, Betty is pursuing further training and a new career option in 2008/09 while continuing with her CHHA interests and work. (return to board member list)
Cathy offered to serve on the board of CHHA Manitoba Chapter in November 2008, and agreed to take on the role of secretary. Cathy first heard about CHHA when she attended the first level of the Living With Hearing Loss program. She consequently joined CHHA and has now been a regular supporter of the chapter since 2004. Cathy has a hearing loss that developed gradually over 15 or 16 years, and she now has a severe hearing loss in both ears. Cathy is enthusiastic about CHHA Manitoba Chapter, and says it has given her a voice in the community and provided her with many contacts that have helped her to cope with her hearing loss. She feels very strongly that if you have a disability you should try to be active in your support organization in order to advocate for yourself and others. As a board member, Cathy hopes to promote membership growth and reach out to the many people - both hearing and hearing-impaired - who still consider hearing problems something that should be hidden. In addition to her understanding of the challenges faced by those with hearing loss, Cathy's career in information technology make her a great resource to CHHA Manitoba Chapter. (return to board member list)
John joined CHHA in 2006 in support of his wife Cathy, who is hard of hearing. He had been attending Living With Hearing Loss classes with Cathy in order to better understand her hearing challenges, and to improve his ability to communicate with her. He volunteerred to serve on the CHHA Manitoba Chapter board in November 2008. Commencing in January 2009 John will begin to assume the role of treasurer. John has a long history of volunteering. He has served on the board of the Manitoba School Counsellors' Association for 40 years in positions ranging from member at large to president, and for the past 20 years he has served as the organization's treasurer. John has also been a volunteer for many years at the Winnipeg Rotary Career Symposium, and has served as treasurer for that organization as well. John looks forward to working with the CHHA Manitoba Chapter Board to ensure we continue prudent financial management. (Return to board member list)
After a year as a member of CHHA, Starra agreed to join the Board in the fall of 2008. Starra, a registered nurse, is a Coordinator of Client Specific Services with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. She has worked in the community as a resource nurse since 1985, and brings a wealth of healthcare and special needs knowledge to her role on the board. Starra has had a hearing loss since birth, and wears a hearing aid. She first learned about CHHA when she found information about us in her mail box that had been delivered to her address in error! Starra reports that CHHA Manitoba Chapter has provided her with personal support and valuable facts about hearing loss, as well as information about the different kinds of equipment available to enhance her hearing. She says that CHHA has opened her eyes to a wide range of resources available to the individual with hearing impairment. By volunteering to serve on our board of, Starra aims to be a part of the team providing information and resources to others affected by hearing loss. When asked about her vision for CHHA Manitoba Chapter, Starra said, "Tell everyone! I did not know that CHHA existed until I received that flyer in the mail. Had I known about CHHA in my youth and while completing my nursing education, I could have had more support and resources available to me." Starra's nursing experience, combined with her first-hand understanding of hearing loss will further broaden the capabilities of CHHA Manitoba Chapter. (Return to board member list)
Our chapter has an office and clerical support at the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) Clearinghouse.
Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association c/o SMD Clearinghouse 2nd floor, 825 Sherbrook Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 1M5phone 204-975-3037
fax 204-975-3027
email mbchha@mts.net or info@chha-mb.ca