New Sudbury hub aims to improve access for and deaf-blind and deaf communities

Marjan Massoom · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 21, 2026 1:22 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 21

Two organizations supporting people who are deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind are joining forces in Sudbury, creating a shared hub they hope will make services easier to access across northern Ontario.

Sensity, a non-profit that supports people who are deaf-blind, has established its first physical office outside its resource centre in Paris, Ont., sharing space with the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf at 1233 Paris St. in Sudbury.

Deaf-blindness is a unique disability involving both vision and hearing loss, affecting how a person accesses information, communicates and interacts with the world around them. 

The partnership will create a home base for outreach, service navigation, referrals and community engagement, according to Natalie Lamondin, director of community services programs at the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf.

“No single organization can meet every need within the deaf and hard of hearing and deaf-blind communities,” Lamondin said. She said the partnership will allow the organizations to combine their expertise and help connect individuals and families with the support they need.

The need for those connections can be especially significant in northern Ontario, where vast distances can make specialized services difficult to access. Lamondin also pointed to unreliable internet access in remote communities as another barrier, particularly when people rely on virtual services or interpreters.

Cathy Proll, Sensity’s CEO, said the result can be isolation that extends beyond physical distance, limiting access to information, communication and community life.

Deaf-blindness it's also is alsio considered a low-incidence disability, meaning some communities may have only one or two people who require intervenor services. Proll said this can make it more difficult to build local expertise, recruit trained staff and connect individuals and families with others who understand their experiences.

Sensity’s core service is to provide intervenors — trained professionals who help people who are deaf-blind access information, communicate and navigate their surroundings. Because every person’s experience of deaf-blindness is different, the support and communication methods are tailored to the individual, Proll said.

“The goal is not to make decisions for someone,” she said. “The goal is to give that person the information and access they need to make their own choices and live their own life.”

Sensity currently supports about 10 people in northern Ontario through its adult services, but Proll said the organization expects the need for support to grow.

“We are also seeing opportunities for growth in northern Ontario,” Proll said. “We want to build the infrastructure, workforce and community partnerships needed to respond as those needs grow.”

Proll said the new Sudbury location will allow Sensity to provide more training locally and strengthen its presence in the region. “The office is really a tool for building something much bigger,” she said.

“Our vision moving forward would be to create a strong connection for the deaf and hard of hearing and deaf-blind communities in northern Ontario,” Lamondin said, “and to create a place where people feel welcome, understood, supported and connected.”