Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
May 24, 2016

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development:

Minister Recognizes Better Hearing and Speech Month

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge May as Better Hearing and Speech Month.

Earlier this month, I joined representatives of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association – Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists, and the Hearing Instrument Practitioners Association, to officially proclaim May as Better Hearing and Speech Month in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Communication disabilities, such as hearing loss and speech-language disabilities, affect thousands of people in our province. It is important that we continue to work with community-based organizations to advance inclusion throughout our province.

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association - Newfoundland and Labrador is a non-profit, charitable organization which provides a variety of programs and services to support people who are hard of hearing.

Through Budget 2016 investments, our government will continue to promote inclusion and, as Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, I will continue working with community stakeholders to promote a more inclusive province and review existing legislation and regulations with the goal of enacting a new inclusion-based Disabilities Act.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in recognizing May as Better Hearing and Speech Month in Newfoundland and Labrador.

2016 05 24                             1:50 p.m.