CHHA - Manitoba

Disability Tax Credit:  The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has updated its web site information for qualified practitioners on how to complete the T2201 Disability Tax Credit Certificate.  

CRA indicataes that qualified pracitioners are physicians, optometrists, audiologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech language pathologists.  CRA further notes that these practitioners have a legislative responsibility to complete the form when requested to do so by a patient. Here's a link to the information on CRA's web site: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/qualified-practitioners/

Defining balance problems:  The Vestibular Disorders Association published an item in its Winter 2010 newsletter issue, On the Level, regarding the establishment of an International Classification of Vestibular Disorders. 

The Bárány Society, an international group of vestibular experts based in Sweden, has determined the terminology to differentiate between dizziness and vertigo:  dizziness is "the sensation of disturbed or impaired spatial orientation without a false or distorted sense of motion" and vertigo is "the sensation of self-motion when no self-motion is occurring or the sensation of distorted self-motion during an otherwise normal head movement".

You Tube Adds Video Captions:  Using speech-to-text technology, You Tube has started adding automated captions to videos.  Originators of the videos can then download the captions and edit them to ensure accuracy.

Three siblings receive cochlear implants on the same day -  In his December 11, 2009 report on TODAYshow.com Mike Celizic documents the story of three profoundly deaf sibllings who received cochlear implants on the same day at the House Ear Institute of Los Angeles. 

All three children were born with Waardenberg syndrome, a genetic disorder than can cause profund deafness 50% of the time.  Read the story at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34377973/ns/today-today_health/?ns=today-today_health 

Say What Club:  The SWC Mini Conference will be held in Denver from August 4 to August 8, 2010.  For information about activities and accommodations, visit the conference web site at http://www.saywhatclub.com/events/co-con/Denvercon.html.

Ask an Expert:  CHHA National has a new feature on its web site where readers' questions are answered by the experts.  Click this link to view this great new feature

Access 2 Entertainment provides discounts for support persons at member movie theatres across Canada.  To learn the details and download an application for this discount card visit http://www.access2.ca/.  

Other Links:  Be sure to check out our Links Page where you'll find a variety of information, including our newest item called Bosley's Blog which provides information about life with a hearing dog.

Removing Barriers in Telecommunications:  Citizens With Disabilities Ontario has made submissions to the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) about bringing down barriers to persons with disabilities in all areas of telecommunications.  The organization's position is that radio, television, telephones and the Internet must be accessible regardless of an individual's disability.  Click this link to read the report prepared by the Technical Resources Committee.  Update:  See CBC's July 21, 2009 report on the CRTC's direction to telecommunications and television providers.

Pet story:  Some folks were discussing their pets, and one of them mentioned that his elderly cat had become deaf, just like him.  His friend quipped, "Well, maybe she just needs a catlear implant!" 

MP3 Player volume control:  Check out this April 2009 story on CBC's web site about arguments for and against establishment of regulations that would require manufacturers to place limits on the maximum volume of their MP3 players.

Cochlear Implants - more than 112,000 people worldwide have received cochlear implants, including approximately 23,000 adults and 15,500 children in the U.S.

A marvellous quote from the February 7, 2009 Hearing Loss Help eZine published by Dr. Neil Bauman: "Hearing aids aren't perfect, but they help us hear better.  As someone noted, 'Hearing aids help me hear about as well as my grandmother's walker helps her run!'"

Selected information on the US approach to disabilities is included under Articles on our Access page.

Hearing aid doll - Great news for anyone who would like to give their hard of hearing child a special doll with its very own hearing aids!  These dolls are available from the Lakeshore Learning Materials at http://www.lakeshorelearning.com.  After you select the doll you want, you can then select its hearing aids, which come in a package of two aids and two pairs of glasses.  Playtime just got a lot better!

Balance disorders support groups - there are four Canadian balance disorder support groups registered with the Vestibular Disorders Association: St. John's, Toronto, Vancouver, and CHHA Manitoba Chapter's very own Meniere's Support Group here in Winnipeg.

Meniere's Disease - approximately 615,000 people have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease in the U.S., and another 45,000 are newly diagnosed each year

Medical Mystery - Mal de debarquement is the illusion of motion when the motion has stopped.  Read ABC's January 24, 2008 report on this unpleasant condition that can arise after a cruise or even a plane trip.  Or visit the Vestibular Disorders Association web site to learn more about this and other vestibular disorders.