Wits will soon be offering a much-needed community service through the establishment of the Wits Hearing Aid Bank at the Emthonjeni Centre, in the School of Human and Community Development, in the Faculty of Humanities.

This exciting initiative is in keeping with the Centre?s commitment to service provision (in addition to research and training) in Psychology, Social Work, Speech Pathology, Audiology and cognate fields.

The Wits Hearing Aid Bank (Wits-HAB) will provide an important service by lending hearing instruments to young hearing impaired children awaiting hearing aids from state hospitals within the greater Johannesburg area. The hearing aid devices provided by the Wits-HAB will be fitted by Wits audiology students at the Centre.

The Wits-HAB will assist state hospitals with early hearing detection and intervention, provide students with the opportunity to work with young children who are hearing impaired as well as their families; and conduct research into hearing loss in children, early amplification, early intervention and support services.

The launch takes place on Monday, 7 December 2009 at the Emthonjeni Centre on East Campus.

?The Wits-HAB will significantly improve the quality of life of young children,? says Dr Edmarie Pretorius, Acting Director of the Emthonjeni Centre.

For more information about the project, please contact Kathleen Stoop on (011) 717-4551 or email kathleen.stoop@wits.ac.za