Rita works as a cashier in Kelowna, and she has hearing loss making it hard to interact with customers.

When she was looking for hearing aids, she was referred to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for financial assistance for the hearing aids she needed for work. Rita applied to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services and was quickly approved, and was able to get the much-needed hearing aids.

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These are the universal experiences that invigorate the mind and soul.

The endless joy in hearing your children laugh, noticing the first songbird mark the morning sunrise, or listening to your favourite piece of music.

But what if the freedom afforded by proper hearing was suddenly gone?

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Amy works as a chairside assistant and sterilization tech in a dental clinic in Grand Forks.

“My hearing is impaired,” she explains. “Without hearing aids, it is very difficult to hear instructions, communicate with patients, and understand what is required of me.”

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Joined once again by Nakia Singh, we discuss Apple’s new accessibility features, using AI as AT, advances in wearable technology, and more.

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Rob has been looking for work as a writer. However, he was having troubles in the job search process as his computer wasn’t very usable, and he didn’t have the right software to allow him to navigate his computer very easily — he is blind and needs a screen reader to use a computer.

“[The computer] was on its last legs, basically after 15 minutes it would overheat and shut down,” he explains. “Also, the fact that the screen reader program I was using called JAWS, I only had it in the demo version, so even if the computer lasted an hour before overheating, the JAWS would stop talking after 40 minutes, and I would have to restart it.”

All of this made it very difficult to browse online job boards, or to even apply to jobs.

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September 30^th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Today we honour the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

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Sheila’s job with an insurance company has her talking on the phone a lot. However, she began to notice she was having difficulty hearing clients on the phone.

“We service all of BC from our office in Kelowna, with the majority of work completed over the phone,” she says. “A couple of years ago I realized I was losing some of my hearing, and needless to say, this impacted my job tremendously as I was not able to hear the full conversation without a lot of ‘pardon me’ and ‘could you repeat that.’ Not only was this embarrassing, but it was taking me longer to complete a conversation.”

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Chelsea Osiowy, Bkin, ATACP

Manager of Solutions Prairie Region

Chelsea has been with the Neil Squire Society since 2018. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Regina, she eagerly began working at the Neil Squire Society. She enjoys finding inventive solutions that span from optimizing Office and Industrial ergonomics to harnessing the potential of creative applications. She encourages a client-centered approach in her work, using accommodations and assistive supports to minimize discomfort, and maximize independence. Chelsea is an Assistive Technology Specialist (California State University, Northridge) and an Ergonomics Specialist (University of Fredericton) who provides assessments and training in these fields, as well as accessibility evaluations, disability awareness presentations, and support consultations. In a dynamic industry, she enjoys continuously staying updated with the latest technology trends and connecting with her clients to find solutions to any barrier, big or small.

Visit Chelsea Osiowy’s profile page on LinkedIn.

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Tanya is currently looking for a job and undergoing job training in Smithers. However, she found that she was facing barriers in her job search.

“I have nerve damage with chronic pain. Unfortunately, this is what I have to deal with everyday,” she explains. “Some of my functional limitations are typing, sitting for long periods of time, using a pen and holding a phone.”

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