TORONTO, Dec. 3 /CNW/ - The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) has received a $191,600 grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to create web content in American Sign Language (ASL) and la langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).

TORONTO, Dec. 3 /CNW/ - The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) has received a $191,600 grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to create web content in American Sign Language (ASL) and la langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).

"I'm really thrilled with this news," says Marco Lamontagne, a culturally Deaf CHS consumer. "Sign language is quite distinct from spoken languages but there is limited sign language content on the web. I'm often forced to find important information in a language that is difficult for me to access. That can be confusing."

The CHS website is a major portal for individuals and organizations in search of information about deafness, employment services, sign language interpreting, technical aids, communication strategies, and related services.

Over the next year, an in-house video production facility will be built as part of the grant, allowing for the timely production of sign language video web content, including information in response to emergencies or unexpected events that affect the entire community, including Deaf Canadians.

"The web has the huge advantage in its capacity to support sign language produced in video format," said Brad McCabe, CHS Director, Corporate and Foundation Giving. "This grant will allow us to eventually provide information in the first language of our consumers. We're very excited about the upcoming year."

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The Canadian Hearing Society (www.chs.ca) is the leading provider of services, products, and information that remove barriers to communication, advance hearing health, and promote equity for people who are culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (www.trilliumfoundation.org) is an agency of the Government of Ontario. The Foundation allocates grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts and culture, environment, human and social services and sports and recreation sectors.

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