Young Adults Network
About our Young Adults Network
The Young Adults Network (YAN) is a non-profit network of young adults aged 18-35 with varying degrees of hearing loss that strives to educate communities about hearing loss, to provide resources and support to young adults with hearing loss so they can become productive members of society, and to foster connections and active leadership amongst our membership.
The purpose of YAN is to raise awareness about the issues and concerns of hard of hearing young adults in Canada, to enable them to connect with each other, and to provide support for them to be involved within CHHA and to lead a healthy and happy life.
- be the vehicle of concerns and coordination for members’ activities on behalf of and in the service of hard of hearing young adults in Canada.
- advocate for the development of social, educational, technical and employment environments which would enable young hard of hearing Canadians to achieve their potential.
- encourage the hard of hearing young adults to take individual and collective responsibility for their growth and development through the development and encouragement of social networking and mentoring, whether on a formal or informal basis.
- explore and advocate for the strengths of, and the obstruction to equal access of hard of hearing young adults and develop solutions to these barriers.
- promote the development of and access to technical aids, services, and facilities for people with hearing loss.
- promote the education of the public, social institutions, professionals and the hard of hearing young adults themselves, about hearing loss problems and the available solutions.
Strategic Plan
We are excited to announce the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan for the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association – Young Adults Network. Please click the link below to read it in full.
YAN Corner
To catch up on the latest YAN publications, visit our YAN Corner to access content that highlights the impact and experiences of hard-of-hearing young adults in Canada.
If you would like to share your experience and be published in our YAN Corner, please reach out to us at: yanbod@chha.ca. We would love to hear from you!
Resources
With the new normal, face masks are an everyday encounter now and this can be incredibly stressful and anxiety-inducing for anyone with hearing loss, not just young adults. Many of us rely on speech-reading to understand what is being said and how it is being conveyed; however, with half the face blocked, speech-reading is no longer possible. Approximately 35% of Canadians have some form of hearing loss (source).
If you have a business, please read this PDF and consider creating a print-out of the common/repetitive questions your staff ask, so they can point to the questions when encountering customers who cannot understand what is being said. When customers have a positive experience with communication barriers being broken down for them, they are more likely to return.
If you have hearing loss, please distribute this PDF to the store managers of the businesses you frequent. We hope the business considers and implements new measures to make your day easier!
Board of Directors
Join YAN Today
Stay informed on the latest developments and events for young adults with hearing loss.
Contact us at: yanbod@chha.ca to become a member of the Young Adults Network (YAN) today!
