Summary:
Starkey has become the inaugural corporate partner of the new UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund, aiming to accelerate global disability inclusion and empower millions of children through early intervention and expanded support.

Key Takeaways:

  • As the fund’s premier donor, Starkey will help UNICEF deliver early screening, assistive technology, and broader disability support to children worldwide.
  • This partnership builds on Starkey’s longstanding commitment to underserved communities through its Starkey Cares program.
  • Together, Starkey and UNICEF aim to remove barriers and create more equitable opportunities for children and young people with disabilities to reach their full potential.

Starkey has 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. As the inaugural partner, Starkey is helping UNICEF accelerate disability programming and results, empowering children and young people with disabilities to realize their full potential.

According to the company, this partnership underscores Starkey’s long-standing culture of caring and its global corporate social responsibility program, Starkey Cares, which is committed to bringing better hearing to communities in need. With Starkey’s support as the premier donor, UNICEF has launched this critical fund to transform the lives of children and young people with disabilities through resources, support, and opportunities to overcome barriers and create more equitable communities.

“We are honored to be the first corporate partner of the UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund,” says 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.”

The UNICEF Children with Disabilities Fund was established to drive systemic change and ensure that children with disabilities are not left behind, a passion shared by Starkey’s chairman and co-chair, Bill and Tani Austin who have dedicated their lives to providing hearing healthcare access to underserved communities and people in need. 

With support from Starkey, the Fund will focus 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.

Through Starkey Cares, Starkey has impacted millions of lives across the globe by providing hearing health care services and hearing aids to underserved populations. Starkey’s 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,” says 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.”

For more information, visit the Starkey in support of UNICEF web page. 

For more information on Starkey Cares and Starkey’s corporate social responsibility efforts, visit www.starkey.com/starkeycares.