Dr. Kenneth Southall is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work. Dr Southall is a researcher at Institut Raymond-Dewar, a Montreal-based public health and social service institution for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have communication difficulties. He received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Université de Montréal, with graduate studies funded by the Fond de la recherche en Santé du Québec and by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. His research interests concern the stigma associated with age-related health conditions. Dr Southall is interested in how stereotyping, prejudices and discrimination impact upon the management of multiple age-related health conditions. During his graduate and post-doctoral studies, he explored the stigma associated with hearing loss, vision loss as well as urinary incontinence. His publications address the psychological and social factors that influence adoption and use of assistive technologies, access to health care, and disclosure of stigmatizing traits. Currently funded research includes work to better understand the stigma associated with urinary incontinence among older women.
Education
2010 - 2012 Post-doctorate (Health Sciences)
Institut de recherche Élisabeth-Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa
Study title: Stigma and age-related health inequality: a visual ethnography study to explore how multiple stigmas influence adaptive technology use by older Canadians.
Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Jutai
Ontario Research Coalition Early Researcher Award ($10,000)
2011 Doctor of Philosophy (Biomedical Sciences)
Université de Montréal
Thesis title: La stigmatisation reliée à la déficience auditive
Supervisor: Dr Jean-Pierre Gagné
Doctoral Research Award – FRSQ (60,000$)
CIHR Strategic Training Grant on Communication and Social Interaction in Healthy Aging (37,500 $)
2005 Masters of Science (Biomedical Sciences - Audiology)
Université de Montréal, Montréal
Thesis title: Factors that influence the use of assistive listening devices by older adults who have a hearing loss
Supervisor: Dr Jean-Pierre Gagné
Master’s Research Award - Réseau provincial de recherche en adaptation- réadaptation (30,000$)
2001 Bachelors of Science (Therapeutic Recreation - with distinction)
Dalhousie University, Halifax
Employment
May 2012 – present Agent de planification, programmation et de recherche, chercheur d’établissement
Institut Raymond-Dewar
Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation
2009 Research Assistant
Team grant preparation
Self-stigma in older adults with sensory impairment
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
2008 - 2009 Research Assistant
“Stigma and disclosing (or not) one’s hearing loss in the workplace”
Funded by Hear the World Foundation
Supervisor: Dr. jean-Pierre Gagné
Research
Research Interests
My research concerns the stigma associated with age-related health conditions. I am interested in how stigma impacts upon management of one and multiple age-acquired health conditions, as well as its impacts on the adoption and use of assistive technologies. I have an interest in the use of visual ethnography to explore these themes.
- Stigmatization
- Healthy ageing
- Complex (multiple) health conditions
- Rehabilitation
- Adaptive technologies
- Qualitative research
- Visual ethnography
Involvement in on-going research
Independent ageing in place: how stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination impact adaptive technology uptake and use by older Quebecers with dual sensory impairment ($300,000)
Co - Principal Investigators - Kenneth Southall and Walter Wittich
Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
A new take on clichés about age-related hearing loss ($24,813)
New Horizons Seniors Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory, Tools and Technology (2,500,000$)
Principal Investigator - Eleanor van den Heuvel, Brunel University (United Kingdom); New Dynamics of Ageing Programme (NDA)
Role : Co-Investigator
Continence across Continents To Upend Stigma and Dependency Trial ($637,000)
Principal Investigator - Cara Tannenbaum, Université de Montréal (Canada); European Research Area on Ageing 2
Role – Co-Investigator
La stigmatisation associée à la déficience auditive – caractérisation du phénomène et développement d’un programme d’intervention ($300,000)
Principal Investigator - Jean-Pierre Gagné, Université de Montréal;
Role: Consultant
Usage of technologies of information and communication among seniors: does ageism contribute to digital divide? (unfunded)
Principal Investigator - Martine Lagacé, University of Ottawa (Canada)
Role : Co-Investigator
Grant applications pending
Visual and auditory requirements for older adults with dual sensory impairment when utilizing assistive technology ($80,000)
CIHR - Catalyst Grant: Health Services and Systems for an Aging Population
Co - Principal Investigator - Aaron Johnson (Concordia) and Walter Wittich, McGill University
Role – Collaborator
Best Practice for Sensory Screening in Older Adults by Occupational Therapists: Where are we and where should we be? ($12,000)
Edith Strauss Research Project
Co-Principal Investigators: Daphne Mulrooney and Walter Wittich
Role: Co-investigator
Publications
Published – refereed
Jennings, M.B., Southall, K., Gagné J.-P. (accepted). Disclosure of hearing loss in the workplace: identity management strategies used by workers with acquired hearing losses. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation.
Hammel, J., Southall, K., Jutai, J.W., Finalayson, M., Kashindi, G. and Fok, D.(in press). Evaluating use and outcomes of mobility technology: A multiple stakeholder analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology.
Southall, K., & Wittich, W. (2012). Barriers to Low Vision Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Approach. Journal of Vision Impairment and Blindness. May, 261-274.
Jutai, J., Southall, K., van den Heuvel,, E. (2011, April). Measuring the Psychosocial Impact of Continence Management Technologies. Generations review- British Journal of Gerontology.
Southall, K., Jennings, M.B., & Gagné, J.-P. (2011). Factors that influence disclosure of hearing loss in the workplace. International Journal of Audiology, 50, 699-707.
Southall, K., Gagné, J.-P., & Jennings, M.B. (2010). Stigma: A negative and a positive influence on help-seeking for adults with acquired hearing loss. International Journal of Audiology, 49:804-814.
Published contributions to collective worksBook chapters
Southall, K., Gagné J.-P., & Jennings, M.B. (accepted). The sociological effects of hearing loss stigma: Applications to people with an acquired hearing loss. In J. Montano & J.B. Spitzer (2nd Eds.), Advanced practice in adult audiologic rehabilitation: International perspective.
Gagné J.-P., Jennings, M.B., & Southall, K. (accepted). Implications of the International Classification of Functioning for audiologic rehabilitation. In J. Montano & J.B. Spitzer (2nd Eds.), Advanced practice in adult audiologic rehabilitation: International perspective. New York, NY: Plural Publishing.
Jutai, J.W. and Southall, K. (in press). Measuring the effectiveness of assistive technology on active aging: capturing the perspectives of users. Technologies for Active Aging. Eds: A. Sixsmith and G. Gutman.
Gagné J.-P., Southall, K., & Jennings, M.B. (2009). The psychological effects of social stigma: Applications to people with an acquired hearing loss. In J. Montano & J.B. Spitzer (Eds.), Advanced practice in adult audiologic rehabilitation: International perspective (pp. 63-92). New York, NY: Plural Publishing.
Gagné J.-P., Jennings, M.B., & Southall, K. (2009). Implications of the International Classification of Functioning for audiologic rehabilitation. In J. Montano & J.B. Spitzer (Eds.), Advanced practice in adult audiologic rehabilitation: International perspective (pp. 37-62). New York, NY: Plural Publishing.
Proceedings
Gagné, J.-P., Jennings, M.B., & Southall, K. (2009). Understanding stigma associated with hearing loss in older adults (pp. 203-212). In L. Hickson (Ed), Hearing care for adults 2009 - The challenge of aging: Proceedings of the second international adult conference. Phonak AG.
Southall, K., & Wittich, W. (2008). Barriers to Vision Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Approach Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Low Vision 2008, Montreal, Quebec.
Southall, K., Gagné, J.-P., & Leroux, T. (2007). Assistive listening devices: Pre-procurement factors that influence uptake by older adults who have a hearing loss. Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT).
Contributions to professional journals without review committee
Gagné J-P, Southall K., Jennings, M.B. (2011). Stigma and self-stigma associated with acquired hearing loss in adults. Hearing Review:18(8):16-22.
Gagné J.-P., Jennings, M.B., & Southall, K. (2009). The ICF: A classification system and conceptual Framework ideal for audiological rehabilitation. Perspectives on Aural Rehabilitation and Its Instrumentation,16: 8-14.
Research reportsGagné J.-P., Southall, K., & Jennings, M.B. (2009). Stigma and disclosing (or not!) one’s hearing loss in the workplace: The strategies used by people with acquired hearing loss. Report to be prepared for Phonak – Hear the World foundation.
Published peer reviewed abstracts
Southall, K., Jennings, M.B., & Gagné, J.-P. (March, 2011). Workers’ perspectives on revealing hearing loss in the workplace. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology