Grant description:
In some Indigenous communities in Canada, it has been reported that hearing loss affects up to one in four children – far higher than the rate among non-Indigenous children. Indigenous children are most at risk of developing ear infections due to repeat, untreated ear infections, overcrowded homes, inadequate diets and lack of access to hearing services.
This grant will enable the World Wide Hearing Foundation (WWH) and partners to expand audiology services available to remote communities in Ontario and Quebec; increase Indigenous children’s ability to develop the skills required to fully participate in their education; and explore how solutions finance can be applied to sustain this work.
WWH will work in ten communities in Quebec and Ontario. The project will provide hearing care services for 2,000 children and training for 150 healthcare professionals and educators. Results will be used to influence health ministries to improve provision of hearing care for all Indigenous communities across Canada.
Background of the organization:
Founded in 2011, the World Wide Hearing Foundation (WWH) develops innovative means of providing high quality, affordable hearing care to children and youth in underserved communities. By using mobile technologies, training local personnel, and building “last-mile” distribution networks, WWH significantly reduces the cost of providing hearing care. Its interventions are designed to ensure long-term follow-up services in order to connect people to their world through better hearing and thus enable greater social inclusion, as well as access to education and employment.
Overview
- 2019-2022
- $ 500,000
- Funding Type: Past Initiatives
- Initiatives: McConnell Reconciliation Initiative
