HIGHLIGHTS FROM CI ADVOCACY IN ACTION 2026

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s CIICA conference, CI Advocacy In Action 2026, which brought together 118 delegates from 31 countries, for an inspiring, impactful and inclusive event in Brussels, Belgium on the 22nd & 23rd October 2026.

I love this conference, it is wonderfully warm, informal, and creates a genuine sense of a unified, global community. Ekaterine Tortladze, Georgia

CIICA’s third CI advocacy conference provided a unique platform for a broad spectrum of cochlear implant pioneers, users, parents, professionals and entrepreneurs to share their successes, challenges and ongoing advocacy work for sustainable lifelong cochlear implant services.

This conference is unique for many reasons, but primarily because at the heart of our network is a shared ambition, to bring science and lived experience together to improve access to cochlear implantation and sustainable, lifelong support.

#wheresciencemeetsexperience

Audiologists, ENT doctors and therapists who talk about how they are working on new ways of working through their intensive collaboration with CI wearers. It was inspiring! Joke Veltman, Netherlands

Thank you to Graeme Clark and Shelly Chadha for their welcome messages!

Watch Graeme Clark’s message:

35 CI users participated in this year’s conference (pictured below).

Our Speakers

The programme of presentations from across the globe enabled us all to learn from each other, to be inspired by each other and to learn of the amazing advocacy work done in challenging places.

: Gargi Agrawalla

: Arantxa Armero

: Sue Archbold

: Kelly Assouly

: Anirvan Banerjee

: Lidia Best

: Cathy Birman

: Brian Cleary

: Helen Cullington

: Vahishtai Daboo

: Carolina Der

: Leo De Raeve

: Shannon Dharmaratne

: Tobias Fischer

: Michelle Frisbie

: Katalin Gal

: Hilary Ganek

: Shaoqing Gao

: Teona Gvalia and Sopio Japiashvili

: Maryam Hussein

: Barbara Kelley

: Qais Khan

: Andrej Kral

: Brian Lamb

: Monika Lehnhardt Goriany

: Maria Marcelina

: Connie Mayer

: Robert Mandara

: Eddie Mukaaya

: Eulalia Juan Pastor

: Birgit Philips

: Tanya Saunders

: Harald Seidler

: Paul Sommer

: Emma Stapleton

: Kristine Sorensen

: Darja Pajk and Zana Tomasic

: Ekaterina Tortladze

: Giovanna Troncoso

: Astrid Van Wieringen

: Paul van den Heyning

: Joke Veltman

: Sanja Virijevic Miljkovic

: Melis Durmaz Yıldırım

: Charlotte Young

: Andrzej Zarowski

: Shirin Zhumabaeva

Presentations coming soon!

One of my biggest takeaways from the conference was how important it is for young people to have a voice in shaping their own future. We bring different perspectives, fresh ideas and lived experiences that deserve to be part of the conversation. […] After all, our future should not just be designed for us, but designed with us. Gargi Agrawalla, UK

Informal Networking

Networking was a real highlight of CI Advocacy in Action 2026, with two highly successful events giving delegates plenty of opportunities to connect, share experiences and build new relationships in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

On Wednesday evening, more than 90 delegates joined us at the MAI Conference Centre for our welcome reception. A glass of fizz, plenty of conversation and a warm welcome made it the perfect icebreaker, particularly for those attending a CIICA conference for the first time. CIICA Chair, Leo De Raeve, warmly welcomed everyone with an introduction to CIICA’s origins and journey, setting the scene for the exciting two days ahead.

Enjoyed the networking session on Wednesday…Leo’s talk about CIICA as a family was very valuable –I felt part of something important.

On Thursday evening, more than 85 delegates came together for our ever-popular networking dinner at the fantastic Italian restaurant, La Cocina. Building on the connections made during the first day, delegates enjoyed delicious Italian food, lively conversation and the chance to continue discussions in a relaxed and informal setting.

So…what’s next?

Over these two days, the international cochlear implant community came together around a shared goal, advancing equitable access to cochlear implantation and sustainable, lifelong services. The next step is to carry these insights into our organisations, professional networks, communities and conversations with decision-makers.