Shocking news of Island Deaf & Hard of Hearing closure
When I received this notification a few days ago from the Island Deaf and the Hard of Hearing Association I was instantly surprised, saddened and angry. How can this be happening? And why?
Since then my anger has grown to the point where I cannot just sit and fume, we must as a community do something to preserve this amazing entity and Seniors 101 will do everything it can to help reverse this situation.
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IDHH Announcement
“After 35 years of service to clients on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in British Columbia, Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre Association (IDHHC) is closing on June 30, 2026. Serving Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing and hearing communities has been our goal since September 1991, and it is with great sadness that we take this action.
Accessibility, community connection and essential hearing health services cannot be delivered without adequate and ongoing funding. Since the onset of COVID-19, IDHHC had to relocate office spaces in Victoria and Nanaimo. A long-term Government contract was terminated in 2023, resulting in a loss of services to the Deaf community. Despite generous donations from members and aggressive cost containment measures, the gap between revenue and expenses has continued to grow. All efforts to seek continuing funding from Government has been unsuccessful, resulting in the closure of all services.
The information about our closing is now in the public domain, so we wanted to be sure you heard from us about this closure. In the final few days ahead you will receive additional emails from the service area that you are connected with (employment, hearing health services, interpreting and captioning) about potential next steps and/or options if they are available.
Again, it is with sincere and heart felt sadness we share this news.
IDHHC Board of Directors”
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I have to state that my feelings are not just as an outsider looking in, I was fortunate enough to have been a client of Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre at a time when I could not afford to buy hearing aids. I was given a simple application form to fill out and submit, which I did and the next day I received a phone call telling me that I had been approved. The following week I attended my first appointment with the audiologist and I walked out with the gift of hearing. It was then that I realised how deaf I had become. It was a miracle for me, a life changing moment.
Every person I met IDHHC was an incredibly kind caring individual.
This opportunity was experienced by thousands of individuals before me with the same unbelievable results. But now for a mere $250,000 that feeling of joy which brings so much security and independence in daily life will not be there for you, your family, friends and neighbours.
Morally that is a crime.
Please do all you can to help spread the word about this insane happening which lands solely at the feet of our provincial government. Contact your MLA to ensure that they are fully aware of what has happened and of the tragic consequences it will cause in their riding.
Roy Summerhayes – Publisher
Seniors 101
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