Advocacy & Public Education

VOICE is the proud recipient of the 2010 Consumer Advocacy Award by the Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

Awareness raising on the part of the VOICE organization of the needs of children with hearing loss has directly impacted policies developed for early identification programs and early intervention supports. Through regular government contact and participation on advisory committees and government consultations, VOICE continues to provide current information to policy makers on the changing needs of children and youth with hearing loss. The VOICE Health and Education Committees meet regularly to discuss matters of concern for children with hearing loss in the educational and health sectors. VOICE has a network of Special Education Advisory Committee representatives who meet annually at the VOICE SEAC Workshop and who receive regular written communications from our VOICE Team.

Click here to review Parent Advocacy "Sound" Advice

Click here to apply to be a SEAC Representative in your community

VOICE Public Education Committees

Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)

SEAC representatives and alternates represent and focus on the interests of all exceptional students. Committees are composed of board trustees, administrators and volunteers from the community as well as local agencies representing children with special needs. Every school board in Ontario is required by the Education Act to establish a Special Education Advisory Committee. Anyone can attend SEAC meetings as an observer.

The purpose of a SEAC as set out in the governing legislation is to make recommendations to the board in respect of any matter affecting the establishment, development and delivery of special education programs and services for exceptional pupils of the board.

VOICE has appointed as many as 40 Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) representatives on school boards across the Province of Ontario to share their understanding of the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students.

For more information, please refer to the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training at:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/speced.html

Or contact us at admin@voicefordeafkids.com with the subject line "SEAC"

Provincial Parent Association Committee (PAAC)

PAAC on SEAC was established in 1983 to provide a forum for sharing ideas and strategies and for resolving common concerns relating to Special Education Advisory Committees (SEACs) throughout the Province. PAAC on SEAC believes that provincial parent associations are a valuable resource to elected school board officials, to education and service professionals, to parents and to the community at large in the decision making process for the provision of special education programs and services for exceptional pupils.

PAAC on SEACs mandate is to provide support to and sharing opportunities among the parent associations. Its goal is to promote successful practices for Special Education Advisory Committees. PAAC on SEACs objective is to serve as a resource and a support, to identify provincial parents associations’ concerns, to respond to, provide advice for and/or information and suggestions to the Ministry of Education and Training.

VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children is one of the actively participating member associations on the Provincial Associations Advisory Committee on Special Education Advisory Committees (PAAC on SEAC).

For more information, contact us at admin@voicefordeafkids.com with the subject line "PAAC"

Ministers Advisory Council on Special Education (MACSE)

The Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education advises the Minister of Education on any matter related to the establishment and provision of special education programs and services for exceptional students, including the identification and provision of early intervention programs for students with special needs.

The Council ... 

• Responds to proposals or positions of the Ministry of Education or other ministries, as submitted to the Council from time to time;

• Identifies concerns in the delivery of special education programs and services for exceptional pupils and provides information, advice, and recommendations for ministry consideration;

• Submits an annual report and recommendations to the minister, and

• Meets up to three times a year (February, June and November) for a maximum of three days.

​The council has 22 members, most of whom represent either exceptionality or a profession. There is also a representative for students and youth, and there are two representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community and Social Services who sit as non-voting members. All Council members are appointed by the Minister of Education.

For more information on the Ministry of Education, click HERE.

For more information on the Ministry's Advisory, click HERE.

Or contact us at admin@voicefordeafkids.com with the subject line "MACSE"

Public Education