Starkey announces partnership with UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund

On July 10, Starkey announced its role as the inaugural partner of the UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund, a new fund aimed at delivering quality and timely interventions to create sustainable change for children with disabilities across the globe.

“We are honored to be the first corporate partner of the UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund,” said Brandon Sawalich, president and CEO of Starkey. “At Starkey, we believe in a world where everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. This partnership reflects our commitment to creating a more inclusive and compassionate world – a world where hearing health isn’t a barrier, it’s a bridge to connection.”

With support from Starkey, the fund focuses on early screening and identification, as well as expanding access to disability support services and assistive technology, empowering children to fully develop and participate in every aspect of society.

Starkey’s global corporate responsibility program, Starkey Cares, focuses on bringing better hearing to communities in need by providing hearing health care services and hearing aids to underserved populations.

In a news release, Starkey said its partnership with UNICEF builds on this legacy by expanding support to broader disability inclusion efforts.

“Starkey’s leadership and compassion will help transform lives on a global scale,” said Michael J. Nyenhuis, president and CEO of UNICEF USA. “With their support, the UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund can deliver upon its critical mission to give every child – including those with disabilities – the opportunity to thrive.”

With Starkey’s support as the premier donor, the UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund aims to transform the lives of children and young people with disabilities through resources, support and opportunities to overcome barriers and create more equitable communities.

The fund aims to drive systemic change and ensure that children with disabilities are not left behind. Starkey states that its chairman and co-chair, Bill and Tani Austin, share this passion and have dedicated their lives to providing hearing healthcare access to underserved communities and people in need.

Bill Austin founded Starkey, a privately held hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, in 1967. It is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies.