In a global push to make hearing healthcare more accessible, sustainable, and locally driven, Starkey Hearing Foundation (SHF) is revolutionizing its pioneering WFA ® Community-Based Hearing Healthcare model. This globally recognized model equips and empowers local professionals to deliver hearing services where needed most.
At the heart of this transformative approach lies a steadfast commitment to capacity building, skills transfer, and creating long-term community-owned hearing health systems. Unlike short-term interventions, Starkey Hearing Foundation’s model fosters individual empowerment and continuity of care, particularly in regions where hearing healthcare is often underserved and overlooked.
This innovative strategy was the central theme of the inaugural Starkey Hearing Foundation Champions Alumni Summit, a historic gathering that united 110 alumni of the Starkey Hearing Institute (SHI) from 19 countries. These graduates are the driving force behind Starkey Hearing Foundation’s community-based initiatives, returning to their regions after 10 months of training to establish and lead local hearing health programs for treatment and accessibility.
“This model is about more than just providing hearing aids – it is about investing in people,” said Richard S. Brown, President and Board Chair of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “By training local professionals and building permanent programs, we are creating sustainable systems that can evolve and scale long after our teams leave. The Alumni Summit was our way of celebrating that success and reaffirming our commitment to community-first care.”
The Foundation’s Wide Frequency Audibility (WFA) model is the cornerstone of the community-based strategy. Designed to be simple, scalable, and sustainable, the WFA® Model enables between 200 and 2,000 fittings a day, making it the only model of its kind in the world. It shapes the hearing care process into five efficient phases — from identification and testing to fitting and follow-up — and is adaptable to local conditions and cultures.
SHI alumni and their local teams are fully trained to implement the “WFA ® Model, which allows them to deliver high-quality care consistently, while gathering data, offering Active Care, and strengthening referral systems in partnership with local health providers and ministries of health.
“WFA ® Model is how we turn vision into action,” said Brown. “It transforms the idea of access into a daily reality for thousands, and it works because it is owned and operated by the communities themselves.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 430 million people worldwide have hearing loss, a number projected to reach 700 million by 2050. Nearly 80% live in low- and middle-income countries, where hearing care services are extremely limited or nonexistent.
Hearing loss, especially when untreated, can profoundly affect a person’s education, employability, mental health, and overall quality of life. Yet, most health systems still lack integrated hearing services, particularly at the primary care level.
Starkey Hearing Foundation’s work spanning over 100 countries directly addresses this need. In addition to direct service delivery and professional training, SHF invests in community awareness, inclusive policy advocacy, and technology transfer to ensure long-lasting impact.
“For decades, we have seen how the gift of hearing can change lives,” said Tani Austin, Co-Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “But our real legacy lies in the systems we help build, in the local leaders who rise to the occasion, in the clinics that keep serving year after year. That is the future of global hearing healthcare.”
With nearly 1.5 million lives impacted over 40 years, and recognition from the WHO and the United Nations for its leadership, Starkey Hearing Foundation continues to lead a global movement to make hearing healthcare and accessibility a fundamental part of public health.
The Champions Alumni Summit marks a new chapter in that journey and one focused not just on what Starkey Hearing Foundation provides, but also on what empowered individuals can achieve when equipped to care for their own community.
“This is what true partnership looks like,” said Brown. “Local knowledge, global support, and a shared belief that no one should be left behind because of hearing loss.”
