VOICE is excited to announce the return of its in-person conference: Together, we CAN!
Jodi Michelle-Cutler | Jodi Michelle-Cutler is a film producer (Rally Caps, 2022), an author, an activist, and a mother. A Baltimore native, she lived in Tuscany, Italy, for over 20 years, where she had two children (one of whom has a cochlear implant). Jodi is a founding member of the Global Coalition of Parents of Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and an online forum that supports over 15000 families of children with hearing loss. She was also instrumental in promoting and instigating newborn hearing screening in Italy. |
Marshall Chasin | As director of research and chief audiologist of the Musicians' Clinics of Canada, Dr. Marshall Chasin is a highly sought-after and award-winning expert in helping audiologists select and choose hearing aids so that music sounds fantastic to individuals with hearing loss. He lectures worldwide and is the author of five books on hearing, hearing loss prevention, and hearing aids. He will be sharing tips on how to help children with hearing loss get the best out of music with hearing technology. |
Julie Sparkes
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Jehan Shehata-Aboubak
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Hillary Ganek |
Karen MacIver-Lux | KAREN MACIVER-LUX, M.A., Aud(C), Reg. CASLPO, LSLS Cert. AVT was diagnosed with a bilateral mild (125 Hz) steeply sloping to profound (1000Hz) sensori-neural hearing loss at 3.11 years of age. The otolaryngologist told her parents that the diagnosis of hearing loss meant a lifetime of silence and lost opportunities in spoken communication. However, with the support of a young audiologist, speech-language pathologist, a teacher of the deaf and an auditory-verbal therapist, Karen's mother learned skills and techniques that helped Karen turn a grey world of silence into a colourful world of sound. Karen is now an audiologist, an LSLS certified auditory-verbal therapist, providing auditory learning services to individuals of all ages with hearing loss. She is a highly sought after speaker and makes significant contributions to the literature and professional education programs worldwide. Understanding first hand the profoundly significant impact that the effective and collaborative relationship between her parents and the above mentioned professionals had on her personal and professional life, Karen is passionate about sharing steps for achieving early, collaborative, evidenced based best practices worldwide and raising the bar for professional practice. Karen has been a member of VOICE's Board of Directors since 2020. |
Richard Plummer
| Richard Plummer joined the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) in June 2020 as the Director of Business Development and Operations. During that time, he was instrumental in advancing CHHA's strategic priorities through key initiatives including launching its social enterprise Barrier-Free Communication e-Store and leading the “Share your Smile” and “Get in the Hearing Loop” campaigns. Along with designing key changes to CHHA's accounting and operational practices, Richard has worked hard to strengthen the engagement with our national Networks and build new program partnerships with businesses and other sector stakeholders such as Cochlear Canada and Mohawk College. In 2022 Richard became CHHA's National Executive Director. He brings to his new role over 20 years of extensive experience in the non-profit and healthcare fields, including as VP, Community and Family Services YMCA-YWCA and was Senior Director, Community Impact and Investment for the United Way. His experience includes five years in Audiology and hearing healthcare management. As a strategy consultant, he established and led his own enterprise “Plum Solutions”. He has and continues to serve on numerous advisory committees and is an active member of several associations. |
Connie Mayer | Dr. Connie Mayer is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University and Academic Coordinator of the Teacher Preparation Program in the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students. She also holds an Honorary Professorship in the Division of Human Communication, Development and Hearing at the University of Manchester in the UK. She is Senior Associate Editor of the American Annals of the Deaf, on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, and on the Advisory Council of the Central Institute for the Deaf. Her research focuses on language and literacy development in deaf learners, cochlear implantation, communication approaches and bilingualism, and models of teacher education. In 2016 she was awarded the Sister Mary Delaney Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her teaching, research, and service in the preparation of teachers of deaf students by the American College Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Current projects include investigations of Theory of Mind in the written language of deaf learners, research updating the evidence base on the literacy outcomes of deaf students, and a global survey investigating the long-term needs of adult CI users (https://ciicanet.org/events/ciica-live-our-adult-survey-exploring-the-issues/) |
Lalsa Perepa | Lalsa Shilpa Perepa is a clinical audiologist (Doctor of Audiology) and a speech language pathologist working at AudiPro Audiology Clinic, Nobleton - Highway 27 and King Road. Lalsa holds dual bachelor's and master's degrees in both audiology and speech-language pathology. She has also earned a clinical doctorate in audiology (Au.D), which reflects her commitment to advanced clinical practice. Additionally, she is registered with CASLPO, indicating her professional standing. Lalsa's journey began as a student clinician, accumulating over 2000 clinical hours during her bachelor's studies. Her experiences range from working in neurology and memory clinics to specialized programs like Smile Train for pediatric patients with cleft lip and palate. She also gained valuable experience in an NICU ward and a private clinic where she learned about electrophysiological and vestibular testing. In her master's program, she accrued 600+ hours working in audiology and speech therapy settings in a hospital, dyslexia clinic, and special school. After completing her master's, Lalsa worked in India for one and a half years as an audiologist and speech-language pathologist in an ENT hospital and a private clinic. Her work included partnerships with otolaryngologists and patients to address hearing and speech needs. She is particularly skilled in voice therapy and was involved with the Dyslexia Association of Andhra Pradesh (now Dyslexia Association of Telangana). Upon moving to Canada, Lalsa worked in various settings, including private clinics, ENT clinics, and a mobile clinic to serve different communities. She found a mentor who further honed her skills and motivated her to establish her own practice. Lalsa's niche expertise lies in auditory processing disorders (APD), making her one of the few professionals globally who offer this specialized service. Lalsa's areas of expertise include the assessment and intervention of Auditory Processing Disorders, Tinnitus management, vestibular rehabilitation, and hearing aids. She has pursued specialized coursework in each of these areas to ensure her clients receive the most appropriate and timely treatment. Lalsa is known for her compassionate care and treats every client as if they were family. She takes the time to fully understand her clients' needs and strives to provide the best recommendations for their well-being. She aims to identify hearing difficulties early on to minimize the potential negative effects of hearing loss and to improve the quality of life for adults and children with auditory processing deficits. Lalsa aspires to be an accessible community audiologist, offering guidance and timely recommendations to her clientele. Her goal is to support her patients in reaching the right resources and making informed decisions about their hearing health. |
Sheila Waller-Kellen | My name is Sheila Waller-Kellen. I work as the Early Childhood Development Specialist and Program Coordinator at the Rumball EarlyON Child and Family Centre in Toronto, where I've been for nearly 15 years. However, my most essential role is being a mother to two incredible teenagers, one of whom was born with hearing loss. Rumball EarlyON is a welcoming place for parents and caregivers of Deaf and hard-of-hearing children aged 0-6. We organize social events that bring families together, offer free ASL classes for families who want to learn, provide weekly Drop-in sessions for families to connect and get the resources they need, and have a Parent Mentor Program that matches new families with those who have been through similar experiences. As the President of Ontario Hands & Voices (a volunteer-led organization supporting Ontario families with Deaf and hard-of-hearing children), I'm dedicated to providing resources, information, and family connections to families across Ontario. |
Bronwen Alsop | Bronwen Alsop is a mother of two children with hearing loss. Her son has profound sensorineural hearing loss with an absent nerve and cochlea where he wears Cros II aid. Her daughter has a mild high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. She is currently an Infant Hearing Screening Technician at Oak Valley Health Tri-Regional Infant Hearing Program. Bronwen is passionate about advocacy and sharing her story. Some of her advocacy efforts include:
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Gillian Lalonde | Gillian Lalonde is a Speech-Language Pathologist with the Toronto Infant Hearing Program at Surrey Place in Toronto. Gillian has been working with young children with a variety of communication disorders and their families since 2009. In 2012 she began her training and the provision of a listening and spoken language (LSL) therapy approach to children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. She is currently in her final year of achieving a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) certification. Gillian’s passions include close collaboration alongside families and professionals in order to best support a family’s goals and holistically address the needs of their child, and contributing to the improvement of early intervention services in order to help all children who are deaf or hard of hearing achieve their full communication potential. |
Rosary Kwak | My name is Rosary Kwak and I often refer to myself as a professional parent. I am an Infant Hearing Program Service Coordinator, part of the family support team in Toronto. Previously I worked at the Bob Rumball Centre of Excellence for the Deaf for 13 years as Early Childhood Development Specialist. I worked simultaneously for 4 years as an Infant Hearing Screener. I am on the board of Ontario Hands & Voices, have sat on the TDSB’s SEAC committee, and am generally interested in the ways that parents can insert themselves into the system in meaningful ways. |
Tammany Petrie | Tammany Petri is the mother of two sons, her eldest was born with profound hearing loss and is the recipient of bi-lateral cochlear implants, and her youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD. Frustrated with her own experiences looking for the best resources to help her kids, Tammany and her incredible team knew parents deserved better and build an e-health platform that would help families access the care they need. |
Janet Martino | Janet Martino attended a mainstreamed school in the Halton School Board before enrolling at E.C Drury School for the Deaf. She attended Gallaudet University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. From there, she went on to earn two Masters Degrees in Counseling and Deaf Education. In between her studies in graduate school, Janet was accepted to join a group called “Up with People” where she performed and volunteered her time with people from 22 different countries in 10 countries for a year. Janet worked in the counseling field before deciding to take up Deaf Education. She has worked as a classroom teacher for 12 years and is currently an Educational Coordinator with the Resource Services Program under the Ministry of Education. Janet is Deaf and Bilingual in ASL and English. She has been a strong advocate for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children to ensure that they have a strong language foundation in both ASL and Spoken Language especially in the Early Years. She and her husband Pino, who is also a teacher have three hearing children who are also bilingual in both ASL and English. |
Vida Peric | Vida Pecic arrived from Europe at the age of three months. Her parents went through the grieving period and a doctor told them that her learning will be limited. Luckily, they received wonderful support from the Home Visiting Program. She attended both EC Drury school for the Deaf and mainstreamed schools in the catholic board. She can draw on her experience from being a student in both worlds. She attended Madonna University and the University of Michigan, where she majored in History and studied to be a Teacher of the Deaf. She was also involved in acting part time for such shows as FB Eye: Sue Thomas, Twice in a Lifetime and few other TV shows. Vida has taught, mentored, and led a variety of initiatives and groups, and she is particularly delighted to be a member of the Deaf community. Vida has been a classroom/home visiting teacher for over 21 years and a coordinator for the past 6 years for the Ministry of Education- Resource Services Program. Her professional expertise has provided her with several opportunities to give back to the community and educators. She is a strong supporter of ELL families and ELL/ASL families. She draws understanding from her own parent’s experience. Vida is married to a wonderful man and the mother of two children and one stepchild. |
Dayna Blustein | Dayna Blustein became deaf in both ears at the age of four from Pneumococcal Meningitis. She was implanted with a cochlear implant at the age of five on her right side, and 12 years later, implanted on her left side. Becoming deaf never stopped Dayna from pursuing her dreams or holding her back from anything she wanted. She graduated from Western University with an Honours Specialization in Psychology. Her focus on Consumer Psychology led her into the Advertising world, working as an Account Executive on the SickKids VS campaign and currently as an Account Supervisor for LOTTO 6/49 advertising across Canada. Dayna is passionate about wellness, fitness and attending concerts. She believes her disability has given her a unique perspective on the world around her and feels grateful to have found a community of like-minded individuals. |
Emily Akerman | Emily Akerman is 24 years old and an avid cyclist often biking all over the city of Toronto! She loves nature, music and art. She is currently at OCAD University in her third year studying Illustration and Creative Writing. When she graduates University, she aspires to be an Art Therapist and provide support to individuals like her to become the superhero they know they can be. She wants to help people use art as an outlet and a tool to thrive in their lives. During her studies at OCAD, she is learning to design pieces that are inspired by her life and others close to her. Overcoming struggles of trying to fit in a hearing world, hold a job, learning to advocate and use her voice have all been the biggest motivator in her success and in the works she’s produced and will continue producing. She is a representative for VOICE and is part of UTS High School Community Service program where young teens support organizations like ours to express and share our message. Her main goals in her desired career with the arts is to create more awareness and understanding towards the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. She is extremely honored and excited to be here to share her story. |
Farrah Sattaur | Farrah Sattaur was diagnosed with moderate to serve hearing loss when I was four years old where I was fitted with right and left hearing aids. I attended my local school in a regular class from grades one – eight where I whore an FM system and had help three times a week from a deaf and hard of hearing teacher who came from broad this teacher would check my equipment and help me with language and my homework. When I was 14 I knew it was time to upgrade to digital hearing aids and that was a huge help to improve my hearing since I was entering high-school. When I got it I started hearing the rumbling of the cargo train near my home, which I had never heard before even though it traveled by every day. Growing up with hearing loss at times a felt alone and always had to advocate for myself. For example, in school and in collage I always had to ask for the front row so I could hear better and also I read lips. My advice to younger kids and parents: don’t take no for an answer. Parents, you know your children the most and Children don’t be afraid to speak up to teachers or the special educators to help them improve their classroom. After all you kids are the future of the world. |
Holly Marini | My name is Holly Marini, I am 19 years old, and I live with reverse-sloping conductive hearing loss. I am a third-year student at McMaster University studying Honours Life Sciences with a minor in neuroscience and am incredibly passionate about spreading a smile and supporting individuals living with a disability. I am the Assistant Captain of the McMaster Varsity Figure Skating Team and an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant. I am also a Research Assistant at McMaster in the School of Rehabilitation Science where I research how Canadian workplaces can better welcome and accommodate workers with disabilities and investigate school-based disability awareness programs for youth and their impact on attitudes towards childhood disability. I am also a Peer-Support Volunteer at McMaster where I provide individualized support to undergraduate students living with a disability and a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House Charity where I serve meals to pediatric patients staying at McMaster Children's Hospital. |
Kelina Powell
| Kellina Powell is a deaf coach and advocate, a podcast speaker, a best selling author, and a passionate entrepreneur on a mission to help young adults with disabilities achieve their goals while also educating others about the deaf community. What makes her story even more incredible is that Kellina is actually a hard of hearing person who lost 100% of her hearing at the young age of 4. Being hard of hearing hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her dreams including gaining her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from York University and post-graduate certificate in Mental Health and Addiction, becoming a life coach, and an Amazon best selling author with her first book, “Everyday I Am Just Deaf.” |
Kristen Kyone
| My name is Kristen Kyone, and I am a second-year Health Sciences student at Queen’s University. Growing up with mild-moderate bilateral hearing loss has presented me with many challenges but also many opportunities for growth and learning. As a current Research and Fundraising Volunteer for VOICE, I am interested in assessing various stress factors that affect youth who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and working to eliminate them on a systemic level. I am appreciative to be able to share my experiences with hearing loss at the 2023 VOICE Conference and reflect on how our community can support youth with hearing loss to the best of our ability! |
Martin Leduc | Hi there! I’m, Martin Leduc, 17, I’ll be a speaker to talk about my experiences as a bimodal, hard-of-hearing person pursuing my passions in aviation, law, and leadership. I’ve had hearing aids since I was 9 (2014) and was implanted at 15 in 2021. I’ll share insights into my life as a pilot, Air Cadet, university freshman, and more I picked up along the way. I can’t wait to connect with all of you, see you soon! |
Kelsey Hampson | Kelsey Hampson is the Youth Program Coordinator for the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association National Office. She had progressive hearing loss from age 3 until she went completely deaf at age 16. She now has bilateral cochlear implants and hears better than she ever has. Kelsey volunteers for Cochlear Canada to educate and mentor other cochlear candidates, as well as providing tech support to seniors through Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre where she lives in Victoria, BC. |