SIXTY YEARS OF HEARING, SPEECH SERVICES

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia, a provincially funded organization dedicated to providing hearing services to Nova Scotians of all ages and speech-language pathology services to preschool children and adults.

Since 1963, HSNS has been helping people across the province live life to the fullest with quality audiology and speech-language pathology services.

It was established because of the vision and advocacy of the late Dr. Barrie Coward, a Nova Scotia pediatrician, who, along with a group of individuals, was concerned about the lack of services for pre-school children with hearing and speech disorders.

The Hearing and Speech Clinic was officially opened on May 7, 1963, with then-premier Robert L. Stanfield officiating.

Over the years, HSNS has grown significantly in response to increasing demand and changing needs. Today, it operates 35 clinics, serving more than 25,000 Nova Scotians annually. It collaborates with community partners to provide specialized programs and services, including autism, balance, tinnitus, swallowing, voice, infant hearing, alternative communication systems and cochlear implants.

Every year, staff provide over 35 practicum placements for speechlanguage pathology and audiology students enrolled in the Dalhousie School of Communication Sciences and Disorders master of science program.

Over the past six decades, our highly skilled and dedicated staff have helped hundreds of thousands of people improve their communication skills and overcome related difficulties in achieving their goals in learning, working and social interactions. We have helped employers protect their employees’ hearing through onsite testing and education, and participated in research, education and advocacy to advance the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology.

All services are co-ordinated and meet professional standards provincewide. Services are free as part of the health-care system and there is no need for a doctor’s referral; Nova Scotians with a health card can make appointments directly.

We look forward to the future with optimism and enthusiasm. We are eager to embrace new opportunities and challenges that may arise in the ever-changing landscape of health care.

We are grateful for the support and trust of our clients, partners, funders and communities that have made our work possible and allowed us to improve hearing and speech-language pathology services.

All of us at Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia remain steadfast to our mission of providing high-quality hearing and speech services because every person deserves a voice and every voice deserves to be heard. Anne Mason-browne, CEO of Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia