Our Mission, Vision, Who We Serve, Our Guiding Principles and Our History
Founded in 1963, Connect Society exists to strengthen connections among Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and hearing people. We are a nonprofit community agency providing individuals and families with resources to help them fully participate within families, relationships and the community. We believe the ability to communicate fully is an essential and basic need. This is our purpose.
Over the years, Connect Society’s commitment to meeting the needs of families affected by hearing loss has inspired a variety of center-based and outreach services that are now responsible to a broad range of groups, needs and abilities. Connect Society’s success is built on a wide range of service programs.
Empowering Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind children, adults and their families to engage fully within their communities.
Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind individuals experience full, equitable lives.
Every individual is unique and valued for their diverse talents, attributes and abilities in all aspects of life.
The ability to communicate fully is essential to all aspects of living.
Individuals must have access to the communication mode that best facilitates and enhances their full participation in community life.
We strive to empower people to access the supports they require to participate as fully as possible in all aspects of community life and fulfill their aspirations.
Through our collective efforts the general community recognizes its responsibility to ensure all aspects of community life are accessible.
Through healthy and strong relationships we work together to achieve success.
How it all began
In the winter of 1958, a group of concerned parents gathered in a room at Garneau School on Edmonton’s south side. They were there to discuss the need for preschool hearing conservation classes for their children who were hearing impaired. The children were not profoundly deaf and, as a result, were ineligible to attend the Alberta School for the Deaf when they were old enough to enter grade one. Neither did they have sufficient hearing to benefit from the regular school system. At this time there was only one educational option open to those children when they reached school age: “To receive an education, they would have to leave home to attend a school in another province.” Thus, the outcome of that winter meeting in Garneau School was the formation of what at that time was called the Association for Hearing Handicapped Children.
The Association for Hearing Handicapped Children, under the leadership of its first chairman, Mr. Michael Warren, acting solely as an advocacy group, lobbied the provincial government and others to provide hearing conservation classes in Edmonton for children of preschool age with a hearing impairment. The provincial government responded by lowering the age restrictions at the Alberta School for the Deaf for profoundly deaf children from six years of age to four. While this was a valuable move for those children who were profoundly deaf, the age reduction still did nothing to reduce the concern of parents whose children were diagnosed as hearing impaired. Therefore, parents decided to provide a preschool program for their children under the guidance of the Association for Hearing Handicapped Children.
From this initial beginning, and with the ongoing support of Board members, volunteers and staff, Connect Society has evolved to its current stage of development, providing a multifaceted array of programs and services to deaf and Hard of Hearing people; children, youth, adults, seniors and their families. Please enjoy reading our timeline.
A group of parents concerned about the lack of options for preschool children with hearing losses gathered at Garneau School and formed the Association for the Hearing Handicapped Children
Under the leadership of the Association’s first chairman, Michael Warren, advocacy and fundraising began to support the opening of a preschool.
The Association for Hearing Handicapped Children was registered as a Society and the preschool began operating out of the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in space donated by Pastor Bauer. The program is currently known as ECS.
The first sustainable funding was secured for the preschool program through the United Community Fund which eventually became the United Way.
Crowded classroom conditions in the basement of the church forced the preschool to relocate to two classrooms in Woodcroft Elementary School.
To reflect that programming included both children and their parents, the Association changed its name to the Association for the Hearing Handicapped (AHH).
St. Joaquim’s Catholic Church provided one of their residential buildings to house the preschool. It was also the year that a new program was introduced. With provincial funding through Social Services and Community Health, a program for parents and their very young children was initiated. The Parent Infant Communication Program employed an intervention consultant to go out to homes and support families and their babies who had been identified with a hearing loss. Expansion of the program in the early 1980’s occurred to include Deaf parents and their hearing babies. The program, currently known as the Early Intervention Program, has evolved and now includes numerous home and group services.
A classroom for children with special needs was opened and housed at the Alberta School for the Deaf. This program operated under the association for a few years.
The organization was moved to St. Andrew School where the agency stayed until 2010.
Through the efforts of a building committee established by the board of directors, a residence was purchased to provide a home and specialized support for adults who were deaf and had developmental needs. Expansion of this program known now as CLSS occurred in the late 1980’s to include outreach supports.
Early Intervention Program expanded to serve hearing children of Deaf parents.
AHH initiated a 14 month pilot program providing mental health counselling for Deaf adults.
Family Learning and Sharing Vacation Camp (FLV) was a very successful recreational and educational camp for Albertan families with Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing children.
Lauderdale House expanded to include an outreach component and the program was renamed Community Living Support Services to encompass both the group living and outreach services.
The Early Childhood Program expanded its mandate to serve Deaf parented hearing children. The Deaf Youth Outreach Program (DYOP) was also implemented this year.
AHH changed its name to Connect Society: Deafness, Education, Advocacy & Family Services.
Building Bridges was added to the agency’s service delivery of existing programs to address gaps in service, such as support for parents to learn ASL
DYOP reallocated funding to provide both residential services to out of town students plus outreach support to Edmonton children and youth who are Deaf and their families.
Edmonton Interpreting Services was transferred to Connect Society and began operation March 1st.
Connect Society was able to renovate and relocate to the east side of S. Andre’s school when the Catholic School Board closed their elementary school.
Advanced Education approached Connect Society to start a family literacy program for community members impacted by deafness. Literacy Connect Families began providing a number of literacy activities for children 0 – 6 that involved their parents and caregivers.
A number of services within Connect Society were consolidated and through this process Family Support Programs was launched. Through the development of this program, Connect Society is able to offer a continuum of services that provide families with support that spans from infancy through the school years.
Connect Society moves to new location in the Alberta School for the Deaf campus.
On May 17, 2013 more than 100 friends and families of Connect Society gathered at Churchill Square for a presentation by Mayor Mandell to Connect Society’s board chair, Linda Cundy, to celebrate Connect Society’s 50th anniversary
Connect Society received funding to provide Deaf Adult Literacy Programs.
On September 8, 2015 Connect Society’s Calgary Early Childhood Education program opened its doors
Connect Society was accepted as a participating Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink charity, run under the Shaw Charity Classic. The program is designed to help raise new funds for local charities. Funds raised by Connect Society for children’s programs are matched up to 50%!
In November 2018, Connect Society received government funding for a demonstration project to provide Support Service Providers (SSPs) to DeafBlind Edmontonians. The program received ongoing funding and was approved to serve the Calgary DeafBlind community in 2022
Connect Society piloted a Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC) Program in partnership with NorQuest College
Connect Society prides itself on being responsive to community needs and expects to adapt and grow continually. We are excited to see what the future will bring!