Songs for Sound Hear the Music Project Finds 85 Percent of Veterans, 67 Percent of Senior Citizens and 41 Percent of Underserved Children Struggle with Hearing Loss

    NASHVILLE, TN, February 08, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Songs for Sound, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of people living with hearing loss offers free hearing health services to the public through the Hear the Music Project. Results from the first seven months of the project reveal troubling rates of hearing loss among veterans, senior citizens and underserved children.

Songs for Sound has been helping people access sound since 2010. Jaime Vernon founded the charity after her daughter, Lexi, was born deaf and received the life-changing ability to hear through cochlear implants at 19-months old. Lexi's hearing loss was missed for over a year and it is Vernon's mission to keep this from happening to others.

"After years of raising awareness and helping families navigate what can be a frustrating hearing health system, we realized we need to do more to reach the people who need our help the most," says Vernon. "We designed the Hear the Music Project to target populations where hearing loss is common or goes undetected - among veterans, senior citizens, and underserved children." To fulfill this mission, the project prioritizes Boys & Girls Clubs and similar youth groups, senior citizens centers, and veterans' organizations in every city of the tour.

The Hear the Music Project is a charity mission and mobile multi-room exhibit designed to not only provide free hearing tests, but to help you navigate hearing healthcare. It connects you with audiology and today's hearing solutions. If you do not pass a hearing test, you can find an audiologist, book an appointment and even demo hearing aids, cochlear implants and captioning telephones in just minutes aboard the exhibit. Industry leaders Cochlear Americas, CapTel, and Phonak sponsor the project.

During seven months of targeted outreach spanning July 2016-January 2017, the Hear the Music Project:
- gave 4036 free hearing tests;
- gave over 15,000 pairs of hearing protection;
- identified hearing loss in 67% of visitors overall (43% referred). This includes 85% of veterans, 67% of senior citizens, and 41% of children.

"Our goal is not to alarm people, but to make sure everyone understands the options available today for people of all hearing levels. There are serious health & wellness risks associated with untreated hearing loss and we encourage everyone to consider their choices so they can make the best decision for their lifestyle," says Vernon.

The project is already impacting lives. A young woman who visited the Hear the Music clinic in Ohio on a whim in September was referred to an audiologist at Ohio State University where she had a procedure last month that should improve her significant hearing loss. She wrote to Vernon this week to express her gratitude, saying, "I can't thank you and Songs for Sound enough! The surgery went well. I should be hearing normal again soon!"

The Hear the Music Project has already toured Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. The clinic continues to make its way through Florida in February before heading to the Southwest and West Coast this spring. For all tour dates, more information or to support Songs for Sound's mission and the hearing loss community, visit http://songsforsound.com/.

About Songs for Sound:
Songs for Sound is a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that believes all people have the right to choose how they hear and communicate. The organization serves as a voice for children and adults with hearing loss, provides education on hearing loss solutions, raises funds for individuals and families with hearing loss, and lobbies for legislation that makes solutions more affordable and accessible.

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