Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 11/05) - The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association hopes its new drop-in centre will ease the struggle for hearing services in Yellowknife.

The centre at the Baker Centre covers just about every hearing topic imaginable, says Esther Braden, president of the Yellowknife branch.

With just one audiologist employed for the territory and one technician, the wait times for hearing tests or advice are growing.

The association has asked Health Minister Michael Miltenberger to bring more hearing professionals to the North, but in the meantime, the centre will try to fill the hole.

The drop-in centre will cater to people of all ages looking for advice or knowledge about new hearing technology.

Youth are an important target market for the association, since statistics say five per cent of all high school students have a hearing problem.

The centre can arm them with tips on how to protect themselves from harmful noise from snowmobiles, concerts and loud hockey games.

"Noise is really something we want to focus on," says Braden.

Workshops on things like how to use a hearing-impaired phone and how to communicate with hard-of-hearing people will be held for the general public as well.

Juanita Green has had a hearing problem since she was 13. As a volunteer with the association, she hopes to talk with people visiting the centre about the difficulties of hearing loss.

"This is great. I hope a lot of people come in and use it," she says.

The myriad of gadgets, from amplifying phones to vibrating alarm clocks weren't available in Green's Labrador town. "When I was growing up, there wasn't anything," she says.

Volunteers like Green will man the centre on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:30 to

3 p.m.