About
Whether you have recently been diagnosed as hard of hearing or are in need of a new set of hearing aids or hearing assistive devices, The Campbell McLaurin Foundation for Hearing Deficiencies has been established to financially assist those in need. It is our mission to make hearing devices more affordable to those who qualify.
Our Impact
4000+
Grants provided to hard of hearing individuals
8000+
Aids or assistive devices funded
Over $8.9 Million
Distributed to further Foundation goals since our establishment
History
The Campbell McLaurin Foundation for Hearing Deficiencies was established based on the wishes and bequests of the Honourable Colin Campbell McLaurin, former Chief Justice of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Alberta. He was appointed to Alberta’s Supreme Court in 1942 and named Chief Justice of the Trial Division in 1952. He retired in 1968. From 1966 to 1970 he served as the first Chancellor of the University of Calgary.
Chief Justice McLaurin had a hearing loss in his later years. His Will directed that a Foundation be funded by his estate that would enhance the lives of individuals with hearing deficiencies. The Campbell McLaurin Foundation for Hearing Deficiencies grants financial support to low-income individuals for the provision of medical treatment or equipment that will assist with a hearing deficiency. Typical requests are for financial assistance to purchase hearing aids and alerting devices.
Sponsorships & Partnerships
The Campbell McLaurin Foundation for Hearing Deficiencies is proud to work with the following leading researchers to fund hearing research.
In 2022, we funded two programs at the University of Calgary:
- Dr. Justin Chau: The Calgary Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Program—Retrospective Review; and
- Dr. Justin Lui: A phase 3 randomized controlled clinical trial: balloon dilation treatment of the eustachian tube dysfunction
The goal of the funding is to fuel basic and/or clinical research in the area of hearing deficiency by:
- Providing leadership in research in hearing deficiencies
- Promoting collaborative research across disciplines, building on the strength and utilizing the existing resources currently available in the CSM and the University of Calgary
- Attracting outstanding students, research associates, and faculty to UCalgary
- Promoting service and educational programs in relation to hearing deficiencies, and fostering a bench-to-bedside approach to research in hearing deficiencies
In 2022, we proudly supported the only endowed research chair focused on Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. This contribution supported the research, teachings, and community partnership activities of the Peikoff Chair, Dr. Lynn McQuarrie. While school-based projects were on hold due to the Covid 19 pandemic, work was able to continue online on the development of a fatigue measure for deaf or hard of hearing students. The contribution also provided funding for Dr. McQuarrie’s research associates and project staff and the publication of an edited book titled “Discussing Bilingualism in Deaf Children: Essays in Honor of Roberta Hoffmeister.”