“I Am Very Happy [. . .] That Such a Program Exists for Helping People Like Me”
Lidia works as a host at a stadium, and her duties include ticket scanning, helping patrons find their seats, and resolving any issues they may have. She also has genetic hearing loss, which makes it difficult to hear patrons, as well as important safety and operational information during meetings.
Needing a new hearing aid for work, she learned about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services from her daughter and decided to apply. “The program helped me a lot,” she shares. “They helped me get my hearing aid which improved my ability to do my job.”
“I Feel More Comfortable at Work,” New Hearing Aids Make All the Difference for Mandy
Mandy works as an Administration Manager. She has hearing loss in both ears, but more severe in the left ear, which makes her job more difficult.
“Clear and accurate communication is a key part of my job every day. I am responsible for answering phones, managing messages, supporting staff, and making sure information is passed along correctly,” she shares. “Because of my hearing loss, many of these tasks are more difficult and require extra effort, and in some cases, they increase the risk of mistakes. Hearing aids are necessary to help me do my job safely and effectively.”
WorkBC Assistive Technology Services Accommodations Help Amy Learn Skills to Build a New Career
Amy is currently working part-time, while taking online courses in marketing, social media, and videography.
“In early 2025, I suffered an L5-S1 herniated disk injury that took me out for a long time. I ran my own dog grooming business which I had to close down due to this injury. I needed to learn new skills that weren’t so physically demanding,” she shares. “Although I have made great progress in my healing journey, I am still limited to what I can do on a daily basis — repetitive bending, heavy lifting, and sitting for long periods of time in the wrong chair causes the pain to flare up.”
WorkBC Assistive Technology Services Helps Delyn Complete Training and Embark on a New Career
Delyn recently embarked on a new career path, training to become a Certified Education Assistant. She has Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), and has limited mobility in some of her joints, including her left knee and right thumb.
“My disorder is degenerative, so I have chronic pain and worsening joint conditions over time,” she shares. “I must be able to sit/stand whenever needed throughout my job to relieve the knee issues. I have a special pen to reduce pain while scribing, although it causes pain regardless so I cannot do extended periods with writing. These conditions definitely impacted my search for work prior to my current career change.”
Having New Hearing Aids “Allows Me to Do My Job Efficiently”
Roxanne works as an office administrator for a non-profit, managing the office, finances, media communications, and design. Through her work, she communicates with over 100 churches and their staff through phone and email to offer them supports and resources.
“I am severely to profoundly deaf and rely on my hearing aids for day-to-day communications,” she says. “Without up-to-date hearing aids, I struggle to understand those around me, those I talk to on the phone, and fully participate in running the events that we host.”
5 Apps to Prevent Summer Learning Loss
Summer break is almost here, and students and teachers across the country are no doubt counting down the days until their well-earned freedom. But for many students, summer break also means a “summer slide”, where a significant portion of the knowledge that they’ve acquired during the school year will be lost. In fact, according to Scholastic, elementary students lose roughly twenty to twenty-seven percent of their learning progress during the summer months.
So, in an attempt to prevent some of that inevitable learning loss, we’ve compiled a list of five apps designed to keep students on track as they enjoy their summer break.
WorkBC Assistive Technology Services “[Made] It Affordable for Me to Purchase Hearing Aids”
Jack is a driver and operator. For his job, he operates trucks and equipment, does labour, instructs workers as a foreman, and talks with clients. He has hearing loss.
“[I] can not hear communications from clients and workers, by radio or in-person,” he shares.
Clarify Assistant: An Accessibility-Focused Writing Tool for iOS
Clear communication can be a daily challenge for many individuals, especially for people with disabilities that affect writing, language processing, or fine motor skills. Clarify Assistant on the Apple App Store is designed with this reality in mind, offering an integrated writing support tool that works directly within the iPhone and iPad keyboard.
“I Have More Confidence and Optimism Than I’ve Had in Decades”
Andrew is self-employed, doing woodwork and renovations. In that capacity, his job involves everything from the actual fabrication and installation work to dealing with customers and billing. He has hearing loss, which has made it hard to find work.
“I have congenital bilateral sensorineural moderate to severe hearing loss which has made lifelong communication challenges in-person and on the phone. Word recognition is low in all environments, speech in noise is virtually impossible,” he shares, noting that while had a previous set of hearing aids, they were no longer effective for his hearing needs on the job.
Polypad by Amplify: A Free Math Manipulative App
Not long ago, I was visiting an elementary school when a resource teacher asked me if I knew of a free math manipulative app that students could access on their iPads. I wasn’t sure what to recommend at the time, so I decided to do a little digging, and I discovered a great app that definitely deserves a mention.
Polypad by Amplify is a free virtual space where students can explore mathematical concepts using interactive manipulatives, models, and tools. Originally developed by Mathigon and now part of Amplify’s educational ecosystem, Polypad combines the flexibility of a digital whiteboard with a comprehensive collection of math resources.



