What we run, and what you can join.
The Branch runs on volunteers, and it is led by people who are hard of hearing and deafened. Some of what follows we run close to home, across Ottawa and the National Capital Region. The rest is run by CHHA National, and we connect our members to it.
CC“Is any of this for someone like me?”
What we do in Ottawa and the National Capital Region.
The aim is plain: break down the social and communication barriers, build awareness, and create full inclusion. Here is what that looks like on the ground.
Fostering Inclusive Communication for Seniors with Hearing Loss (FICS)
In August 2025, CHHA National awarded the Branch a five-year subcontract, part of a collaborative initiative with nine Ottawa-based community organizations. FICS works to improve inclusion and accessibility for seniors with hearing loss, especially those facing social, cultural, or economic barriers.
What the project does
FICS supports seniors living with hearing loss, works to reduce social isolation, and helps community organizations make their meetings, programs, and services genuinely accessible. Its live-captioned workshops cover what age-related hearing change actually looks like, the everyday strategies that work (face the speaker, choose a quieter room, ask for repetition, use captions and microphones), how to get confident with assistive technology, and where to find volunteer and peer-support roles. Underneath all of it sits one message: inclusive communication is a core part of respectful service delivery, not an optional add-on.
Who it is for
Seniors 55 and over, seniors with disabilities, and the frontline staff, volunteers, program facilitators, and service providers who work with them.
Who we work with
Immigrant Women Services Ottawa, Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre, John Howard Society of Ottawa, Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre, Rural Ottawa South Support Services, the RA Centre, Volunteer Ottawa, Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, and Vectors Group.
Who runs it
Our part time Project Officer, who is hard of hearing and brings years of disability advocacy experience from across Ontario. Upcoming sessions are listed on our Calendar of Events. FICS is funded in part by the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Advocacy
We advocate for the rights and needs of hard of hearing and deafened people across Ottawa and the National Capital Region, and we help you do the same where you live, work, and learn.
Education & awareness
We build public awareness of hearing loss, and we spell out what real accessibility asks of a room, a venue, or a service counter.
Referrals & information
We share information on accessible public facilities, and we refer you to the assistive listening devices you need at home or out in your community.
Community
We are a self-help consumer group, which means the people planning it are the people living it. Meeting others who get it is the point, not a side effect.
Programs run by CHHA National, open to members here.
We are one branch of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. These programs are run by CHHA National, and members here are welcome to take part.
Mentorship Program
Hearing loss can feel lonely and frustrating. CHHA National's online mentorship program connects Canadians of all ages with mentors who have been through it, for practical advice or simply a listening ear. NCR members are welcome to join.
- One-on-one mentee support
- Monthly group mentoring sessions
- Open to all ages, anywhere in Canada
Get in the Hearing Loop
CHHA National's campaign for communication access. It helps venues, installers, and communities build hearing-friendly spaces so people with hearing loss can take part fully, everywhere they go.
- Collaborative research and policy
- Advocacy for better services
- Public awareness campaigns
Hearing Health Alliance of Canada
An alliance of experts, people with hearing challenges, health professionals, and policymakers, working to put hearing health on the public agenda.
- Collaborative research and policy
- Advocacy for better services
- Public awareness campaigns
Spend to Save
A CHHA National initiative on the real cost of hearing care, and the savings that come from getting the right support sooner.
Scholarship Program
Each year CHHA National helps students with hearing loss pay for college, university, and trades programs through its national scholarships. Applications and details are shared every fall.