House Ear Institute Offers Hearing Tests at AES Convention

Sep 20, 2005 8:00 AM

Celebrating a longtime partnership, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the House Ear Institute (HEI) will again offer hearing screenings and hearing health information for attendees and exhibitors at the AES Convention, which runs Oct. 7-10 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York. Shure will co-sponsor the hearing screenings, which are offered as part of HEI's Sound Partners hearing conservation program.

Screenings are available throughout the four-day convention, and same-day appointment times can be scheduled at HEI Booth 478. A certified OSHA technician will conduct the screenings and, upon completion, participants will receive a computerized printout of their test results. All individual test data is retained in a confidential database at the institute, so that people who have had previous screenings at AES can compare their current test with their prior year's results. A licensed audiologist will be available during the show to counsel participants on their results, and HEI staff will offer educational information.

The screenings and hearing health information offered at AES and other industry shows are a traditional part of the HEI's Sound Partners program, an outreach initiative to raise awareness among audio and music professionals and the listening public about the importance of safe listening practices in the prevention of permanent hearing loss. The complimentary materials provide information on noise-induced hearing loss, hearing protection devices, and conservation practices promoting better hearing health.

"We're thrilled that AES recognizes the importance of good hearing health for people who work in the world of audio," says Marilee Potthoff, marketing director, House Ear Institute. "In fact, AES was the first major industry association to sponsor hearing screenings for its members, and we're proud to consider them a Sound Partner."

HEI, through its Sound Partners program, was the first hearing health organization to offer this service to the pro-audio industry. Since 1997 HEI has educated several thousand audio professionals at the annual AES Convention about protecting their hearing health from noise-induced hearing loss and given them an opportunity to have an annual hearing screening.

As a world-renowned non-profit scientific and educational institute devoted to advancing hearing science research, HEI has been able to analyze the multi-year data it has collected from thousands of screenings conducted at these shows through its Sound Partners program, with the goal of providing the audio and entertainment industries with a better understanding of hearing health trends in the profession. Recent study results analyzed by HEI experts Rachel Cruz, M.A., CCC-A, and Laurel Fisher, Ph.D., have confirmed significant trends within the audio professions regarding the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss compared with other sectors of the general population, substantiating the importance for those in the industry to have regular hearing screenings and protect themselves from excessive noise exposure, both on and off the job. It is particularly encouraging, therefore, that there is a growing concern and appreciation among audio engineers about the importance of safe listening practices.

For more information on the hearing tests at AES, visit www.hei.org.