About Us
Creating Connections, Breaking Barriers
At Wavefront Centre, we’re dedicated to making communication seamless for Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and hearing communities. Through innovative services and inclusive solutions, we help bridge gaps and ensure accessibility for all.
Discover how we’re making a difference.
Bridging the Gap in Communication Accessibility
Too often, Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities face barriers to clear communication. At Wavefront Centre, we’re changing that by providing essential services such as Sign Language Interpreting, captioning, Sign Language translation, plain language, and audio description.
For those looking to enhance their hearing, our audiology and hearing healthcare services offer comprehensive assessments and advanced hearing solutions—all with accessibility at the forefront.
As a social enterprise, we reinvest our profits to ensure that accessible communication remains a reality for the communities we serve.
Join us in making communication truly inclusive.
Comprehensive Services for Accessibility and Inclusion

Audiology & Hearing Heathcare
We offer comprehensive hearing care, including assessments, tinnitus management, earwax removal, and advanced hearing aid solutions. Specialized services like vestibular treatment and a musician’s clinic support diverse hearing needs.

Community Research
We conduct clinical studies and collaborate with universities and healthcare providers to drive innovation in accessibility. Our partnerships bridge research and real-world applications, ensuring better communication solutions for the communities we serve.

Accessibility Services
We help break down communication barriers and create inclusive environments. We provide Sign Language Interpreting, Captioning, Translation, Plain Language, and Audio Description. Our team also supports businesses and organizations with Accessibility Audits, Consultation, Training, and Policy Development to improve accessibility for those with hearing and communication needs.

Community Outreach Services
We provide employment support, seniors’ programs, and specialized DeafBlind services to enhance independence and accessibility. Our education and outreach initiatives promote awareness, while our technology assistance ensures access to the latest communication tools.
Our History
Back in the 1930s and 1940s, two distinct groups existed for those with a hearing loss and deafness in BC: the Vancouver Adult Deaf Association (VADA) and the Vancouver League for the Hard of Hearing (VLHH).
While these groups made great strides for helping the social, recreational, and self-help needs of their members, a local Vancouver Quota Club committee sought to investigate what more could be done to help all people with hearing issues, whether they were Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing.

On February 9, 1956, VADA and VLHH supported the incorporation of a new society, titled the Society for the Advancement of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, shorthanded to “the Society.”
The Society featured representatives from the original Quota Club, the Parent-Teacher Association of Jericho Hill School for the Deaf, and the Metropolitan Health Services, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing people were elected to the Society’s first Board of Directors.

The Society was dedicated to addressing the needs and concerns of the communities it served and laid the groundwork for today’s Counselling and Sign Language Interpreting services.
As the Society grew in both numbers and scope, the name was changed to the Western Institute of the Deaf (WID) in 1965, and in 1966, WID brought on the first audiologist to help assist individuals with their hearing aid needs.

After several upgrades and moving to larger premises in the 1980s, WID decided to create income-generating options to help support the community programs.
The Audiology department was authorized to sell hearing aids, and WID also began selling assistive devices beyond hearing aids in what we now know to be the Communication Devices program.

In 1989, we had another name change to the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WIDHH) to better reflect our widened scope and the diversity of the communities we serve.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, we continued to grow, from opening a second office in 2010 to expanding our head office into a new and improved building.
In October 2019, our new office in Mount Pleasant was opened to the public, along with another rebranding in July.

Our final name change came as we realized that “Institute” was deemed outdated by many in our community and no longer represented the breadth of our services.
Furthermore, we serve more communities now than ever; the Deaf, the DeafBlind, the Late Deafened, the Oral Deaf, the Hard of Hearing, and the Hearing communities needed to be incorporated—but how?

We launched our new name and identity on July 23, 2019: Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility. The timing of our rebranding came along with the passing of Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, which committed to strategies to address barriers to people with disabilities.
We’re proudly making waves (get it?) and setting new benchmarks for communication accessibility, allowing for a society where Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing individuals can interact freely without communication barriers.

We now serve over 25,000 clients annually and have expanded our programs and services across multiple areas.
Our goal is to help the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing achieve accessible communication in employment, social settings, healthcare, and beyond—ensuring communication is free from barriers.

Contact Us
Request A Callback
Have questions or need support?
Fill out the form, and our team will be in touch.
Prefer to call? Reach us at:
Mount Pleasant: 604-736-7391
Kitsilano: 778-329-0870
Tri-Cities: 604-942-7397
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Our Vision, Mission, and Values
Our Vision:
Wavefront Centre’s vision is to change the landscape of products and services for individuals who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, ensuring they have access to innovative solutions that improve communication, connectivity, and overall well-being.


Our Mission:
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and create positive change in the lives of those we serve while promoting a more accessible and inclusive society for all.
- We are dedicated to promoting accessibility and inclusion for individuals who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing
- We believe everyone deserves equal access to communication and information.
- We are committed to removing barriers and empowering our communities to connect with the world around them.
Our Values:
Inclusiveness – We are committed to the practices of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA).
Quality – We strive for excellence through innovation and continuous improvement and aspire to best practices in all the work we do.
Teamwork – We commit to a culture of collaboration that aims for win-win outcomes.
Engagement – We promote full participation for people who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in our society.

Your Hearing, Our Hearing Centre’s Mission: Personalized Care Beyond Hearing Aids
We go beyond selling hearing aids. As a registered charitable organization, we are dedicated to putting the hearing health needs of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing persons first. We are commited to communication accessibility for everyone.
The decision to purchase hearing aids and enhance your hearing is a deeply personal journey, unique to each person that comes in to visit us.
Our philosophy is to work with you to help you develop your hearing rehabilitation program, one that is custom fit for your hearing needs, lifestyle, support network, and budget.
As an independent group of hearing clinics, we fit multiple brands of hearing aids and operate separately from manufacturers, allowing you the choice of whichever make and model you believe fits best with your hearing loss.
We believe that hearing aids are just one part of the process of helping you deal with your hearing loss. We can also discuss strategies to help you better manage your hearing loss including communication devices, accessible communication, and support to enable you to live a full independent and connected life, through our community outreach programs.
We serve all clients, including clients from:
- WorkSafeBC
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
- Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
- Inter-Tribal Health Authority
- Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations
- Private extended health coverage