ORFA and CHS Partnership

ORFA and CHS Partnership

Toronto, ON Dec. 11, 2013 - The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) and the Ontario Recreation Facilities Association Inc. (ORFA) are working in partnership on a project titled: Creating Accessible Recreation Facilities for People Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This EnAbling Change project is being produced with the support of the Government of Ontario. Educational resources – webinars, videos, and articles will be produced to educate ORFA members about their obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). These resources will help to create accessible and inclusive environments in recreation facilities throughout Ontario. This will enable deaf and hard of hearing people to have increased access to opportunities that promote healthy living and leisure activities. The first project deliverable was recently shared with ORFA members at the Association’s annual general meeting, held in Markham December 5, 2013. An awareness video was produced to provide a better insight on how to communicate with Deaf and hard of hearing consumers, along with incorporating communications and alerting devices into the built environment. A series of scenarios were filmed over a two day period at the City of Pickering, Pickering Recreation Complex with a number of volunteers and recreation staff participating in each scene. 

For access to the video, please visit: http://youtu.be/NGs0iqs0f_k

The Ontario Recreation Facilities Association Inc. (ORFA) was incorporated in 1947 as a provincially-recognized, not-for-profit, volunteer driven recreation organization to be the leader in the recreation facility profession. The mission of ORFA is to provide leadership in the development and delivery of innovative training and education programs, value-added services, and quality products for the benefit of the recreation facility profession. The ORFA serves as the National Head Office of the Canadian Recreation Facilities Council.  Contact (416) 426-7062 or info@orfa.com

Founded in 1940, the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) is a charitable agency and the leading provider of services, products, and information that remove barriers to communication, advance hearing health, and promote equity for people who are culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and hard of hearing.  CHS is governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing. Contact: JoAnn Bentley, CHS Program Director Communications Devices and Accessibility Consulting Programs at (416) 928-2500 Ext. 318 or jbentley@chs.ca.