Free Lecture @UBC on how we hear and what happens when we don't

The following free lecture is being held tomorrow night at the Chan Centre at UBC. The lecture is being presented by the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. It may be of some interest to those who want to learn more about the systems behind hearing and hearing loss, as well as about the impact of hearing loss.

September 16th, 2009
7-8:30 pm

Sound and Silence: How we hear - What happens when we don't
by
Sharon Adelman, Valter Ciocca, Lorienne Jenstad, Navid Shahnaz
UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences

Synopsis
The talk will introduce the amazing ability of the human brain to process sound vibrations in the environment.

Firstly, the speakers will explain how the hearing system transforms sound vibrations into neural impulses that are processed by the brain. Second, the audience will learn how the brain derives pitch, loudness, location and timbre from the sound vibrations that stimulate our senses, and how we recognize sounds in a noisy environment.

While ability to recognize sounds in noisy environments is remarkable, many of us experience challenges in processing sound vibrations because of hearing impairments. The speakers will review some of the common causes of hearing impairments (illness, aging, and noise exposure), and explain the impact of a hearing disability on an individual's daily life. Finally, the speakers will describe how many of the disabilities caused by hearing impairments can be successfully managed by the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and related technology.

The Chan Centre and the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences are grateful to UBC Access and Diversity for kindly providing captioning for people with hearing disabilities who will be attending the talk.

If you plan to attend the talk and you have a hearing disability, please identify yourself prior to the talk by sending an email message to: Valter Ciocca, director@audiospeech.ubc.ca. Thank you.

This lecture will precede the Sept 19th concert by Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra at the Chan Centre. For further information about this concert, please visit:
http://www.chancentre.com/whats-on/manitoba-chamber-orchestra-anne-manson-music-director-dame-evelyn-glennie

As a companion piece to the School’s presentation “Sound & Silence – How We Hear, What happens when we don’t” at the Chan Centre on Wednesday, UBC alumnus and WIDHH audiologist, Charles Fontaine, will be interviewed on hearing and hearing loss on French-language Radio Canada (in Vancouver, 97.7 FM) tomorrow at 3:15pm.

Si vous parlez français, vous pourriez écouter à Radio Canada (97.7 à Vancouver) demain à 15h15 pour l'interview avec Charles Fontaine, l'audiologiste de WIDHH.

Students Returning to or Entering Post-Secondary Education

Starting post-secondary education can be daunting for anyone. With a hearing loss there are often additional considerations in terms of accessibility that students must also consider. Many students will require items such as FM systems or other assistive listening devices, note-takers, captionists or interpreters. Access to equipment and services is available but there are applications processes in place which can take time. Here are some links to provide information about different funding options and grants that are available to hard of hearing or Deaf students.

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students has some excellent information and links:

Financial Assistance

Note: These applications can take several weeks to process. You may want to contact the Disability Resource Centre at your educational institution for information on when and how to apply. NEADS has a database of all the Disability Resource Centres in Canada.


Scholarships for Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Students:
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association Scholarship
Alexander Graham Bell