Canadian Association of the Deaf

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answer to your question in this category, do not hesitate to contact us.

Where can I learn Sign language?

Contact your local or provincial service agency.  You can easily find these agencies from many sources such as the Yellow Pages.  Or simply do a search on the Internet, using a key phrase such as “deaf service agencies”.  Nearly all of these agencies have their own websites.

Check colleges and universities in your area -- many of them offer Sign language programs.  Adult learning courses in Sign are very often provided by local school boards, too.

The Canadian Association of the Deaf does not offer classes in Sign language.

1)  Where can I hire a Sign language interpreter?

2)  Where can I learn to become a Sign language interpreter?

3)  I am a qualified Sign language interpreter because I have completed a course in fingerspelling. 

4)  How much do interpreters charge?

5)  Is there any funding available to pay for Sign language interpreters for our conference or job training?

Interpreting is an extremely challenging job.  It requires thorough training and professional accreditation.

If you are interested in becoming an interpreter, the first step is to complete a full program of Sign language training.  This can involve as many as seven levels.  One course in fingerspelling doesn’t qualify you to become an interpreter, any more than one course in the Cyrillic alphabet would qualify you to become a Russian translator!

When you have completed all levels of Sign language training, you may apply for acceptance into professional interpreter training programs.  These are usually provided by universities and colleges such as Douglas College in B.C. or George Brown College in Toronto.  Just like any other university/college program, these require several years of intensive education and practice.

Most professional interpreters in Canada become members of the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC).  After a few years of working, further certification may be sought (such as AVLIC’s CES certificate) in order to specialize in certain kinds of interpreting, or to obtain standing as a government interpreter.

Fees charged may depend upon location and the interpreter’s level of achievement.  We suggest you contact AVLIC for information about general fee rates in your province or city. 

Many interpreters work through the Deaf service agencies in each province; these agencies should be the first places to contact when you wish to hire an interpreter.  Many other interpreters work independently or through local/provincial interpreter cooperatives and networks, such as SLINC (Sign Language Interpreters of the National Capital, i.e., Ottawa-Gatineau area).

Interpreting costs can be deducted as business expenses for most businesses.  Governments are required to provide and fund interpreters for public and private government meetings and events at which Deaf people participate, whether or not those Deaf people are employees of the government itself.

For other funding possibilities, contact your provincial government. 

I want to teach my child Sign language 

The CAD offers a fully interactive parent-child approach in the form of a DVD called “Bridge of Signs”, which will help both you and your child learn some Sign language basics for everyday use.  Check our website for more information!  

You may also consider looking for local play-groups for Deaf children or Baby Sign groups, or even starting one yourself. 

1)  Where can I learn buy a hearing-aid?

2)  Where can I buy technical devices such as TTYs, visual alarms, vibrating clocks, etc.?

 Contact the service agencies.  The CAD does not sell devices.

My elderly parent has become very hard of hearing and I would like to know if there are any nursing homes or retirement homes that specialize in taking care of deaf seniors.

 There are very few care facilities for elderly people where Sign language is used.  The Bob Rumball Centre For the Deaf maintains facilities in Toronto and Barrie, Ontario.  Halifax and Montreal have special Deaf sections in a home.  One or two other cities may have similar facilities.  You need to contact your provincial/local service agency to find out if there are Deaf nursing or retirement facilities in other areas.

I am a Deaf person living in another country.  I would like to come to Canada to study, work, and/or live.  Please help me! 

 The Canadian Association of the Deaf has no resources for this purpose.  We cannot undertake immigration sponsorship or assist you with visa requirements. 

I would like to meet a nice Deaf boy/girl living in Canada.

 We are not a matchmaking organization and we will not respond to such requests.

How many Deaf people are there in Canada and my province and my city?

Please see our Position Paper on Statistics.

Are there are scholarships, bursaries, or other financial assistance for Deaf students?

None that we know of.  However, you should contact the university/college that you wish to attend and ask them the same question.

Please give me a job working for the CAD. 

Anytime a job opening becomes available at the CAD, we place an advertisement on our website announcements page.  Applicants must compete for such specific jobs.  We encourage you to check our website frequently for such announcements.

Where can I meet other Deaf Canadians for social activities?

 Find out what Deaf associations are active in your location.  You can usually obtain this information from your local or provincial service agency or Deaf organization, and by checking out the resources and links section of our website. You can also get it from provincial Deaf schools if your province has one.  And of course, a search on the Internet will turn up answers to this question, too. 

 I want to become a member of the CAD.

 Unfortunately, we do not accept individual memberships.  We encourage you to become a member of your local and provincial Deaf associations instead.  You can also support our work through your donation; see the “Donate” button on our home page.

I am fed-up with the terrible captioning on TV programming!  Also, why aren’t all TV programs captioned?

All programs are supposed to be captioned on Canadian channels.  If they are not, or if the quality of the captioning is poor, send a complaint to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission).  They have a very easy on-line complaint form here:  http://www.crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E.

I have a complaint about telephone Relay Service.  I also want to demand that Video Relay Service should be available in Canada.

Again, you need to file a complaint with the CRTC.  Use the same on-line complaint form:  http://www.crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E .

Please understand that the CAD itself has no power or authority to establish Video Relay Service.  We have been fighting for years to get VRS in Canada.  A national VRS will cost at least $25 million per year to operate, and obviously the CAD does not have that kind of funding.  We need your help in demanding that the CRTC establish a funding mechanism to support VRS in Canada.  File your complaint with them -- the more complaints they get, the better our chances of making them act!