Manitoba Services for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Educators' Resource Guide: Supporting Students Who Are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing

Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Toolkit: Guide to Resources

A continuum of educational options is available for Manitoban students who are Deaf and/or hard of hearing:

Some parents choose to have their children attend classes in their home school. School divisions may support students primarily within the context of the neighborhood school or they may “pool or cluster” resources and have specialized classroom placements within their division. These “cluster” classrooms are designed to concentrate services and support a number of Deaf and/or hard of hearing students from across the school division. These classrooms typically have a variety of specialized supports. Students who attend class in their neighbourhood school may receive the following support: Consultants for the Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing, Teachers of the Deaf, Interpreters, Computerized Notetakers, Speech and Language Pathologists, Educational Assistants and Audiologists. School divisions can also request support from members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Unit Provincial Outreach Team (described below).

Some parents choose to have their children attend classes at the Manitoba School for the Deaf (MSD). MSD offers an enriched bilingual bicultural learning environment in which students complete the provincial curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The school philosophy provides opportunities for early language acquisition and facilitates proficiency in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. MSD is a modern school offering technical advances such as a visual announcement and classroom communication system, high-end videoconferencing equipment, videophone equipment and a Multi-media Centre. More detailed information can be found on the Manitoba School for the Deaf website.

The Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Unit Provincial Outreach Team supports educators throughout the province (see Map of Services -- 89 KB) in meeting the learning needs of students who are Deaf and hard of hearing and attending school in a public or independent funded school. The team provides highly specialized consultative support which, depending on needs of the division and available resources, may include information/consultation on:

• the range of educational options such as educational placement and programming;
• individualized support, upon referral
• opportunities for Deaf and/or hard of hearing students in the province to interact
• networking and professional development opportunities.
• The continuum of supports available to address the needs of students using all communication options, including oral, auditory verbal, ASL, augmentative communication or any combination of approaches.

Please refer to the individual services listings for further clarification.

Services for students in rural areas:
Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Consultant Services (Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing) are available for students with significant hearing losses in rural areas of the province on a regular, on-going basis. To access services from the rural Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Consultant Services, schools are requested to please complete the Consultants Referral Form ( 19 KB).

Services for students in First Nations communities:
First Nations schools who receive support from the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC) can contact their Special Education Specialist, Sylvia Henwood. She can be reached at:

Email: Sylviah@mfnerc.com
Telephone: 204-594-1290
1-866-319-4857 Toll Free

Services for students in Winnipeg:
Outreach Facilitator Services (Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing) are available to student with hearing losses in Winnipeg on a limited, short term basis (one or two visits). To access services from the Outreach Facilitators, schools are requested to please complete the Outreach Referral Form ( 45 KB).

Services for students across the province:
Outreach services from a Deaf Outreach Facilitator, Educational Interpreter Consultants, an Education/ASL Consultant and an ASL Development Assistant are provided to students and school staff in all areas of the province on a limited, short term basis. To access services from the Outreach Team, schools are requested to please complete the Outreach Referral Form ( 45 KB).

Coordinator of Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Services:
Karen Priestley
204 - 1181 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3G 0T3
Phone: 204-945-2051
Email: karen.priestley@gov.mb.ca

Manager
Nancy Schenkeveld
242 Stradford St.
Winnipeg, MB R2Y 2C9
Phone: 204-945-8934
Email: nancy.schenkeveld@gov.mb.ca

Consultant Outreach Team:
242 Stradford Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2Y 2C9
Phone: 204-945-8934

See Map of Services for further contact information.