Cheryl works full-time as a booking clerk/secretary in the health care sector.

“I have conductive hearing loss. It was gradual, and then seemed suddenly I had severe hearing loss. I had great difficulty hearing information,” she shares.

Her hearing specialist referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for help funding the hearing aids she needs for work.

• Read More

Our team in Burnaby marked six incredible years of WorkBC Assistive Technology Services today with a well-deserved celebratory lunch.

Since 2019, over 7,800 British Columbians received over 9,950 employment related disability supports through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services.

• Read More

Cheng is a senior consultant for a cross-cultural communications consulting firm, where his role involves facilitating focus groups, consultation sessions, and online interviews. He also works on-call as an interpreter. His hearing loss was making both roles difficult.

“I have difficulties with hearing pitch and tones of individuals who are speaking to me especially in noisy environments. I was finding that I can only hear part of the conversation or speech. As I need to take notes and interpret verbatim, it is very challenging when I am unable to hear the whole [conversation],” he says. He notes that he often can’t interrupt to ask for clarification, and the fact that much of his work takes place over video calls rather than in face-to-face meetings also makes it even more difficult.

• Read More

Liam is currently obtaining work experience and looking for employment in the communications sector, while undergoing career training. He was motivated to switch careers because of an injury.

“I have a severe neck injury which makes getting to and from places very difficult, I am re-training so that I can find work from home or hybrid positions,” he shares.

• Read More

Douglas is employed as a Marine Field Research Scientist on Vancouver Island, working from small vessels conducting research on marine birds and their prey.

“Hearing loss requires me to use hearing aids in the field for safety reasons,” he shares.

• Read More

Wilma works as a server at an assisted living facility for seniors. She takes orders from residents, and communicates meal adjustments to the kitchen. However, her hearing loss impacts her communication with residents, co-workers, and management.

Her audiologist referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services to help fund the hearing aids she needs for work. Wilma applied and was quickly approved.

• Read More

Naida was looking for work in northern BC. However, she found that she was facing barriers — she is deaf in her left ear, and she also has hearing loss in her right ear. This makes meetings challenging, and she has trouble in noisy settings.

Through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, Naida received funding for the hearing aids she needs for the job search process and future employment. “[It] helped tremendously, I would not have been able to receive hearing aids without the secondary help,” she shares.

• Read More

Bev teaches at a university. A large part of her job involves engaging students in group discussions, and listening and responding to help her students understand the themes and ideas explored in class. However, this can be difficult with hearing loss.

“I have otosclerosis, a degenerative hearing condition, with moderate to severe hearing loss. Without hearing aids, it would be difficult if not impossible to teach in an actual classroom. It is incredibly challenging to hear and understand students, many of whom speak softly,” she shares. “My hearing loss is also worse in one ear, which makes it impossible to tell where sound is coming from without corrective devices.”

• Read More

Bob works at a non-profit afterschool program for elementary school students in the Okanagan. He is a C5 complete quadriplegic, and he uses a wheelchair.

He needed a new adapted van that he could drive to work when he heard about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services from friends that had gotten support through the program.

“The program assisted me with the purchase of a new wheelchair accessible van. By covering the conversion portion of the van, [it] made it financially accessible to replace my old failing van,” he says.

• Read More

Tom is currently looking for work. He has Central Sensitization Syndrome and widespread chronic pain, making it difficult for him to work.

“It severely limits the amount of time I am able to spend up and about, including time spent sitting at a desk. Since 2021, I have been unable to work because of my condition,” he explains.

• Read More