Sight and Sound
Sight and Sound
Seeing and Hearing the World More Clearly
If you can’t see the blackboard or hear your teacher it’s hard to learn. That’s why the Gift of Sight and Sound program provides vision and hearing checks for children right in schools.
The Gift of Sight and Sound helps thousands of children living in Toronto’s highest needs communities. Through this program, children are screened for vision and hearing problems in the one place outside their homes that they trust the most: their schools.
Services are offered in 12 languages, those who need glasses and hearing assistance devices receive them free of charge* and often health issues are detected early enough to prevent significant future problems. There are many reasons why children don’t get the healthcare they need. It could be because their families face language barriers and can’t navigate the healthcare system, or it could be that parents simply can’t take time off work.
Choosing between keeping your job and making sure your child is healthy is something no parent should have to do. During a regular school year we bring vision and hearing checks to almost 16,000 children in their local schools. This essential program would not be possible without help from private and corporate donors. To donate, please click here.
The Impact
A new student enrolled in our school. The family had just arrived in Canada. English skills were at a minimum and learning issues were evident. The clinic was held within the child’s first few weeks at school and the student was fast tracked through the health care process. A hearing loss was diagnosed for the first time, free devices were secured, and this young life was changed for the better!
A group of young students giggled outside the room where they had just received their glasses. One ran to the end of the hall and began reading the words that were painted on the wall. He read our school name, our school spirit slogan, and laughed as he read it again out loud, stopping and laughing and reading it again and again. I wiped away my tears as I watched the joy that these young people could not contain!