Tusaajuit Nunavik: A New Sound for Northern Health

In Nunavik, high rates of hearing loss among Inuit children have long gone unaddressed, driven by untreated infections, noise exposure, and limited access to care. Tusaajuit Nunavik was created to help address this issue, and winning a $500,000 Arctic Inspiration Prize in 2020 helped accelerate their efforts.

Hearing Loss, Loud and Clear

Founded as a non-profit to address one of the highest rates of hearing loss in the country, Tusaajuit didn’t begin with a building or a big staff. It began with a simple but urgent idea: communities in Nunavik deserved better access to hearing care, and the knowledge to prevent hearing loss before it began.

The effects of hearing loss reach far beyond the ear. It shapes how children learn, how they communicate, how they feel about themselves. “The impact of hearing loss can be minimized with a hearing aid,” one team member shared. “It’s no different than wearing glasses. But stigma still exists, especially for kids.”

Tusaajuit wanted to change that.

From Seed Funding to System Change

Since receiving the Arctic Inspiration Prize, the team has grown from an idea into a full regional presence. They’ve built strong partnerships with school boards, health centres, and community organizations to make hearing care accessible and understood.

Their impact is already resonating:

• School Screenings: Tusaajuit acquired portable hearing screening equipment and trained educators to use it. Children are now being screened in schools across the region – many for the first time.
  Teacher Training: Through a partnership with ODYO Online, Tusaajuit launched free courses for educators on classroom sound-field systems, helping all students, especially those with hearing challenges, stay connected in the classroom.
• Awareness Campaigns: Whether through posters in daycares or community events, Tusaajuit’s culturally rooted education efforts have reached hundreds of families with information about ear health.
• Stigma Reduction: Their campaigns help normalize hearing aids and build empathy among students, teachers, and families. By speaking about hearing loss openly, Tusaajuit is shifting attitudes across generations.

In 2024 alone, Tusaajuit reached three Nunavik communities in person, hosted workshops in partnership with the Kativik school board and the Inuulitsivik Health Centre and supported 19 Deaf Nunavimmiut in a historic two-day gathering in Montreal.

“Success came from building relationships. Once trust was there, we could start building long-term programs.”

A Future with Less Silence

Thanks to the Arctic Inspiration Prize, Tusaajuit has not only scaled its reach but secured additional funding and credibility within the region. What began as a grassroots effort is now shaping how Nunavik thinks about and acts on hearing health.

Their goal remains bold and community-driven: to prevent hearing loss in children, support those already impacted, and build a Northern approach to care that’s based on Inuit needs, knowledge, and futures.

Tusaajuit means “those who listen.” And thanks to their work, Nunavik is listening more clearly than ever before.