CHHA Advisory Committees

CHHA ADVISING COMMITTEES- WORKING FOR YOU!

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association is the voice of Canadians who are hard of hearing. CHHA National is deeply committed to achieving real progress on a variety of fronts. The issues are many!

The CHHA National Board of Directors and the CHHA National Executive Director have identified several important issues that require a team effort. In each case, the key to success starts with acquiring an in-depth understanding of the issue. The next steps include the planning of an effective strategy, and then carrying out the actions required to "make it real". In addition to the issues that are addressed by the CHHA National Groups listed below, there is much other work being carried out by the CHHA National Office every day on an ad hoc basis.

The issues that are important to Canadians with hearing loss are many. It is not possible for CHHA National to deal with all of these at the same time. At the same time, it is important to recognize that CHHA Chapters, Branches, Networks and members across the country are doing important work in our communities. So there is no issue that is not being dealt with in some way!

CHHA National Groups are a way of maximizing limited human and financial resources, for the purpose of advancing strategically on issues important to persons who are hard of hearing no matter where they are in Canada.

There are two kinds of CHHA Advising Committees:


 

CHHA ADVISING COMMITTEES:
NATIONAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. CHHA NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, HEALTH AND INDUSTRY provides advice to the National Board of Directors on issues in the areas of science, health and industry to support its directions, policies, and services affecting members, as well as professions related to hearing healthcare.
    Lead: Dr. André Marcoux
    Members: Dr. Ingrid Johnsrude, Dr. Kathy Pichora-Fuller, and Dr. David Schramm
     
  2. CHHA NATIONAL STANDING COMMITTEE ON BYLAWS provides advice to the National Board of Directors on the national bylaws, on all applications for new chapters, branches and networks, as well as on all requests for approval of amendments to the bylaws of chapters, branches and networks.
    Lead: Carole Willans
    Members: Ainsley Latour, Bev Speight and René Rivard

    CHHA Bylaws Task Force on Electoral Reform and Governance Review is a team established on an ad hoc basis by the National Board of Directors on the recommendation of the CHHA National Standing Committee on Bylaws to consult the membership and present recommendations for reform to national bylaws and policies.
    Lead: Louise Normand
    Members: Colin Cantlie, Michael Currie, Marilyn Dahl, Michael Devine, George Thomas, and Ruth Warick
     

  3. CHHA NATIONAL STANDING COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS provides advice to the National Board of Directors on nominations, elections and appointments to the Board.
    Lead: Charles Laszlo (interim lead)
    Members: Leon Mills and Hugh West

  4. CHHA NATIONAL STANDING COMMITTEE ON AWARDS provides advice to the National Board of Directors on nominations for national awards.
    Lead: Gladys Nielsen
    Members: Mel Durdle, Doreen Gyorkos and Ian Hamilton
     
  5. CHHA NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE reviews applications and awards scholarships to postsecondary students with hearing loss.
    Lead: Annie Lee MacDonald
    Members: Lynn Wheadon and Leslee Scott
     

 

CHHA ADVISING COMMITTEES:
NATIONAL ISSUES AND INITIATIVES

  1. CHHA NATIONAL COORDINATING GROUP ON CAPTIONING

    This group provides oversight and coordination of all the working groups dealing with captioning, as listed below, to minimize duplication and maximize collaboration. It also ensures the flow of relevant information between the working groups. It provides direction from time to time to working groups, such as recommending that each group's strategy include key components, such as raising awareness, and measurables for assessment purposes. All of the working groups dealing with captioning, listed below, report directly to the CHHA National Coordinating Group on Captioning.
    Lead: Snookie Lomow
    Member: Carole Willans
     

    1A) CHHA National Working Group on CART and Court Reporters provides leadership and actively works in the area of CART and Cart Reporters for the purpose of improving the situation of Canadians who are hard of hearing with respect to this form of communication accessibility.
    Lead: Sandra German
    Members: Colin Cantlie
     

    1B) CHHA National Working Group on Television Captioning provides leadership and actively works in the area of captioning in television broadcasting.
    Lead: Snookie Lomow
    Members: Kurt Lynn and Pierre-Louis Smith
     

    1C) CHHA National Working Group on Captioning in Entertainment provides leadership and actively works in the area of captioning in cinemas, theatres, music venues, museums and other public areas linked to the entertainment industry. It will also work on the provision of assistive listening devices in the same venues.
    Lead: Snookie Lomow
    Members: Brian Gaber, Robert Gould, Adina Lebo, Thomas Santramand Alex Varley
     

    1D) CHHA National Working Group on Speech-to-Text Captioning provides leadership and actively works in the area of speech-to-text and voice recognition technologies (e.g. Liberated Learning Consortium).
    Lead: Snookie Lomow
    Members: Nicole Synowski and Karla Wilson
     

    1E) CHHA National Working Group on Captioning in French provides leadership and actively works in ensuring that captioning in all its forms is made available in French.
    Lead: Louise Normand
    Members: Carole Willans, Rhéal Léger, and Linda Périard
     

  2. CHHA National Committee on Transportation provides advice on accessible transportation, and represents the interests of the association and its members on national transportation issues vis-à-vis a variety of stakeholders, including federal government departments and agencies.
    Lead: Colin Cantlie
    Members: Cindy Gordon and Karla Wilson
     
  3. CHHA National Working Group on Cochlear Implants provides leadership and actively works on improving the situation of Canadians who have cochlear implants (CIs).
    Lead: Betty Anderson
    Members: Myrtle Barrett, Anita Bernstein, Noreen Brazil and Louise Normand
     
  4. CHHA National Working Group on the Disability Tax Credit provides leadership and actively works on improving the situation of Canadians who are hard of hearing with respect to the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
    Lead: Michel David
    Members: Michael Currie, Dailaan Shaffer, Dave Spencer, Frank McNally, and Carole Willans