Institute Returns to Provide Free Hearing Screenings at AES Convention
Newswise — At the 129th AES Convention, House Ear Institute is returning for its 13th year to provide hearing conservation education and screenings to thousands of Audio Engineering Society (AES) members, as well as introducing a more comprehensive hearing health outreach program.
Beyond the services on the show floor, the Sound Partners® program now features a hearing health hub tailored for the sound profession at www.hei.org, including a free and confidential help-line.
“Since introducing the concept of hearing screenings to engineers at the AES Convention in 1997, we’ve become increasingly aware of the need to expand our outreach services to the audio industry beyond that of just noise-induced hearing loss prevention,” said Marilee Potthoff, director of community education and outreach, House Ear Institute.
“The reality is that large numbers of audio professionals already struggle with hearing loss and related issues and are in need of treatment information and medical help. The Sound Partners program is uniquely positioned to serve as a comprehensive hearing health resource for audio and music professionals, with the strength of House Ear Institute’s world-renowned research and the House Clinic’s patient care behind it.”
The AES, a longstanding industry partner of the institute’s Sound Partners program, has provided facilities and space at its convention since 1997. The screenings and other hearing health information will be available during show hours in Booth T1 at the AES Convention, from November 5 through 7 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA.
Howard Leight Industries/Sperian and the TEC Foundation are sponsoring the House Ear Institute’s hearing screenings at AES. The institute will have a hearing screening truck providing the pure-one threshold tests to eight people at a time.
The results of the screenings are kept confidential and maintained in a database that tracks hearing screenings performed for AES members since 1997. Many audio professionals return yearly to see if there has been a change in their hearing.
Each year an average of 700 convention attendees and exhibitors take advantage of the free screenings and audiology consultations. In addition, over 7,000 pairs of ear plugs along with hearing health materials are distributed to convention attendees.
Licensed audiologists, from the House Ear Institute and House Clinic will be available to counsel participants on their hearing screening results. The institute’s outreach staff will offer additional hearing health information and help for convention attendee’s who have a hearing loss that is already impacting their careers. About the House Ear InstituteThe House Ear Institute (HEI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing hearing science through research and education to improve quality of life. HEI scientists investigate the cellular and molecular causes of hearing loss and related auditory disorders as well as neurological processes pertaining to the human auditory system and the brain. Our researchers also explore technology advancements to improve auditory implants, diagnostic techniques and rehabilitation tools. The Institute shares its knowledge with the scientific and medical communities as well as the general public through its education and outreach programs.
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