CIICA’s Popular Resource Features In The Hearing Journal
CIICA is delighted that their paper about August’s Resource of the Month, Twenty Questions: A Prompt List for Persons Considering Cochlear Implants has been published in the August Edition of the Hearing Journal. This Question Prompt List was developed from a series of CIICA Conversations through a consensus process, described in the article. Thanks to all who contributed.
You don’t know what you don’t know! This gives you the questions to ask!
The article was written by Kris English (pictured) & Sue Archbold.
Kris English is Professor Emeritus of Audiology at the University of Arkon. She is the co-author of Counseling-Infused Audiologic Care (4th ed)
Sue Archbold is a teacher of the deaf, who coordinated Nottingham CI program from its inception, then The Ear Foundation with programs of family support and information, education and qualitative research. She is Coordinator of CIICA.
WHOears – The Launch of WHO Screening App Attracts Interest Across the Globe
A simple tool to support hearing screening at community level
An amazing 2,500 people registered for the webinar on the WHO Screening App and are interested in how this app WHOears can be used across the globe.
WHOears is a tone-based software application developed by the World Health Organization for hearing screening in community and primary health care settings. The app provides a simple, standardized, screening protocol that can be used to screen people over five years old. You can download and find instructions at WHOears
CIICA had a lot of interest at the 18th International Conference on Cochlear Implants and Other Implantable Technologies (CI2026), on May 10–13, 2026, in Warsaw, Poland. This was a busy conference for all – and great to see people come to see our stand – and take away our resources, offering to translate and share. 20 new members for CIICA!
CIICA’s Sue Archbold presenting at CI 2026Sue Archbold of CIICA & Dig Howitt, CEO & President of CochlearLeo De Raeve, CIICA Chair presenting at CI 2026
This prestigious event brought together leading researchers and clinical experts from around the globe, specialising in cochlear implants and other implantable hearing devices. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge, present the latest research, and discuss innovative solutions in the field of hearing implantology. CIICA’s unique approach gained a great deal of interest.
Sue Archbold and Leo De Raeve from CIICA, pictured with Jose Carlos from Nurotron.
Jarle and Leo chatting with visitors to our stand.
The CIICA team with Nicole Da Rocha from Advanced Bionics at the CIICA stand!
Dina Orazbekova from Kazakhstan visiting our busy stand.
Isabel Mosnier, Paris, a long time member of CIICA, and her colleague caught up at the CIICA stand.
Celebrating International CI Day & CIICA’s 5th Birthday!
Hearing Matters Whatever Your Age!
EURO-CIU began International CI Day in 2009 to commemorate the first CI on February 25, 1957 in France. Since 2009, this day has been celebrated all over the world, raising awareness about the life-changing impact of cochlear implants for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. On International Cochlear Implant Day 2026, we recognise the life-changing impact of cochlear implants worldwide. Access to hearing care is access to connection, education, and opportunity. CIICA remains committed to advancing equitable access, informed choice, and lifelong cochlear implant care worldwide.
It’s also CIICA’s fifth birthday!
Reflecting on the past year, one thing is clear, the global CI community is stronger, more connected and more active than ever. We now have over 700 individual members across 76 countries worldwide.
This year, we are celebrating by launching our report “Adult Hearing Screening: Why Wait?” Download and share this much needed review of this topic.
If this was picked up sooner, there would be such an improvement to people’s quality of life. I know of so many people who clearly have got hearing loss but won’t ask their GP for a referral. If screening was available many of these people would attend, as it would be seen as something that everyone is offered. Hearing loss at any level causes such upset and depression in people and their families. Once diagnosed it gives a person a chance to come to terms with wearing aids and meeting others in a similar situation. I found it takes a long time to admit deafness and be open about it. An adult with hearing loss, Quoted in Lamb & Archbold 2016).
World Hearing Day was celebrated across the globe, including our CIICA Network, who promoted some fantastic initiatives in their respective countries, including:
Harald Seidler, member of the CIICA Board, celebrated 125 years of hearing advocacy, on World Hearing Day, at the Embassy in Berlin, Germany.
Our Chair, Leo De Raeve, and Jarle Franceus, invited member of the Board, were busy on World Hearing Day in Belgium:
Artevelde University of Applied Science in Ghent (Belgium) was not only celebrating World Hearing Day, but also 30 years of Audiology at their university. Leo and Jarle told the 300 participants at their symposium that ONICI will become part of the Department of Audiology & Speech-Language Therapy and an International one year, on line post-graduate course on ‘Hearing, Implants & Rehabilitation’ will start in September 2026. For more information sent an email to info.hearing@arteveldehs.be.
Leo was also busy in the evening talking to the Flemish association of hard-of-hearing and deafened people called ‘Onder Ons’ on “What if your ears don’t function well”. 50 adults with a hearing loss and their relatives had lots of questions and discussion.
Giovanna Troncoso of “Fundación Oír es Vivir from Panama (pictured) and Tanya Saunders of AVID Language announced the launch of a new educational program in schools on World hearing Day. The program will give kids the opportunity to learn about hearing health, hearing aids, cochlear implants and inclusion while they enjoy an entertaining storytelling activity. READ ABOUT THIS EXCITING COLLABORATION
AICE celebrating World Hearing Day across Spain, with local bus companies and the Metro promoting hearing health to the public and illuminating landmark buildings to share the message with everyone.
Barbara Kelley, CIICA Board Member and Chief Executive of HLAA, USA, hosted with Donna Sorkin, AICA, an event on Capitol Hill, Washington, honouring the co-chairs of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus – Rep. Tom Barret and Mike Thompson. Raising awareness again!
HLAA are excited to partner with Hasbro to create an addition to our Hearing Loss 101 Toolkit, focusing on kids with hearing loss and their families.
This exciting new project is inspired by PEPPA PIG: Peppa’s younger brother, George, has moderate hearing loss. Our toolkit update will present information to children in ways they can understand.
For World Hearing Day, WHO decides the theme and develops evidence-based advocacy materials such as brochures, flyers, posters, banners, infographics and presentations.
These materials are shared with partners in government and civil society around the world as well as WHO regional and country offices. WHO invites all stakeholders to join this global initiative.
CLICK HERE to find useful resources. News of the day will be available soon.
The American CI Alliance held their 2025 Conference in Boston – with over 1000 delegates and a great atmosphere with the opportunity to share and have discussion time.
The themes of CI2025 Boston included: • Cochlear implant candidacy and outcomes in asymmetric hearing loss • What can be done to improve CI access to underserved paediatric and adult populations • Maximizing CI outcomes at both ends of the age spectrum • Accessibility for cochlear implant and hearing aid users to other technologies • The future of gene therapy for children and adults with hearing loss • Cochlear implants in the hearing health continuum: the US and around the world • Access to hearing health by children with congenital CMV • Listening, Language, Literacy in children with hearing loss
Andrea Warner Cryz welcomed everyone, and introduced Lexi Finnigan and her great plans to connect Teens with CI across the US. She is keen to be involved with the CIICA group. At the beginning Bruce Gantz, MD, Iowa, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the field, and was followed by Nancy Young, MD, Chicago, introduced by Donna Sorkin, Chief Executive, who gave the John Niparko Memorial Lecture on “Language Prediction to Improve Outcomes for Children with CI”.
There were some interesting features- quick poster presentations followed by the poster sessions, and Sue Archbold presented on CI Services Matter, CIICA’s report on adult ci services. Other interesting features were lunchtime discussions and Sue Archbold and Connie Mayer attended the one on Educational Issues. Forty people turned up and all recognized the importance of education for children with CI, and heard about the teachers of the deaf working on CI teams in the UK and the important educational data which is collected to provide evidence. They were interested in CIICA’s developing Conversations on Education.
Sue Archbold was on a panel on Global Healthcare and Cochlear Implant Access: Systems, Policies and Practices around the World, chaired by James Saunders. She made the point that you could achieve policy change, but unless practice changed they were not important. She quoted from Carolina Der, WHO: it begins with Awareness:
No Awareness, no information , no demand and no service
With the EDHI programme (Early Detection) having been scrapped in the US there is certainly plenty for the strong Advocacy of ACIA to address.
Next year will be in Chicago!
Sue Archbold & Bruce GantzSue Archbold & Lexi FinniganSue Archbold & Nancy Young
How did the CIICA network empower themselves on World Hearing Day 2025?
Paige Stringer, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss, had her article on addressing global shortages in professional expertise, published in the World Hearing Day special edition of AG Bell’s Volta Voices digital magazine.
Click here to find out more about the great work at GFCHL.
On World Hearing Day 2025: MEP Zala Tomasic hosted a Virtual Lunch Debate in the European Parliament with EFHOH, AEA and EHIMA on 4 March 2025.
Watch videos of all the speakers here:
MEP Zala Tomasic (EPP): Video Shelly Chadha (WHO): Video Monika Chaba (European Commission): Video Lidia Best (EFHOH): Video Ariana Laplante-Lévesque (WHO Europe): Video Mark Laureyns (AEA): Video Stefan Zimmer (EHIMA): Video Debate and conclusions: Video
Young Adults empowered themselves on World Hearing Day with their agenda! This new stakeholders’ group, the first to receive hearing through cochlear implants as children, are now entering higher education and the world of work.
See their recommendations for the provision of lifelong services, increased accessibility and public awareness.
Read WHO’s article about Darja Parjk, a health and care worker with hearing loss, highlighting the importance of empathy and understanding. Darja Pajk works as an occupational therapist at a long-term care facility in Slovenia for people with intellectual and physical impairments. She lives with severe hearing loss in both ears and has two CI.
SUKI in the Czech Republic, celebrated together with an organisation Microtia Czech Republic which focuses on the users of the compensatory aid called BAHD. So there were three presentations about the device and surgery, about the indication criteria and about speech therapy and in the second half of the evening we rewarded three people who – above and beside their job – contributed the most to the improvement of the system support of the users of BAHD in the Czech Republic. https://suki.cz/
CIICA Network’s Activities on CI International Day 2025
There was a huge amount of activity on International CI Day this year. See below some of the initiatives within the CIICA network! Do send us yours!
On CIICA’s fourth birthday and CI International Day, we were delighted to share the Agenda that a global group of Young Adults with CI has been working on. This new stakeholders’ group, the first to receive hearing through cochlear implants as children, are now entering higher education and the world of work.See their recommendations for the provision of lifelong services, increased accessibility and public awareness.
Spanish organisation AICE marked International CI Day with their campaign across the Spanish public transportation system, with advertisements on buses and in Metro stations in various Spanish cities.
AICE also raised awareness at the Palacio de la Música in Valencia with 1,500 people; tickets sold out!! Beethoven’s wonderful music reminded everyone of his battle with his deafness.
EURO-CIU declared the slogan “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges” for Cochlear Implant Day 2025, emphasizing the urgent need to overcome the stigmas and everyday challenges faced by the hard of hearing and deaf people. Through education, culture, and the dissemination of information about cochlear implants, the goal is to enhance understanding and improve lives. Read more about their International CI Day activities here.
CI user and Young Adults with CI campaigner, Qais Khan, shared the Young Adult’s agenda with his colleagues and treated them to Dunkin Donuts!!
Five Flemish Associations for people with hearing loss join together
A great new video launched on CI International Day from HOORNETWERK VLAANDEVEN. This video is the result of a great collaboration between 5 Flemish associations for people with a hearing loss, representing > 90% of the population with a hearing loss in Flanders-Belgium, showing the help that is available when people lose their hearing.
Collaboration is so important! Watch the video here
On International Cochlear Implant Day, Auditory Verbal UK shared Sanemi’s story (pictured) celebrating what is possible when deaf children have access to early and effective support. Sanemi, 12, was born profoundly deaf and had cochlear implant surgery at 15 months. She is now thriving at school after the support from her family and professionals, including her Auditory Verbal Therapist, who supported Sanemi to learn to listen and talk by learning to make sense of the sound she receives through her implants and develop spoken language. Sanemi won the 2024 Claire Campbell Outstanding Achievement Award for going above and beyond to demonstrate that deaf children can achieve their potential. She is also an ambassador and mentor for Advanced Bionics and volunteers with the BEARS Both Ears trial.
AVUK were also proud to share the Young Adult Agenda launch from CIICA, which saw input from Ava Pearson, who was supported by AVUK’s family programme as a young child.
On CI International Day CHHA launched their Spend2Save Canada campaign aimed at improving provision of CI and equity across the Canadian provinces.
Brian Lamb and Sue Archbold were delighted to contribute to this launch, having contributed Spend2SaveCanada and it was great to hear how much has been done by their Spend2Save Campaign Committee to support this powerful launch. We look forward to further collaboration with CHHA on this topic – that investing in CI changes lives and saves society money!
International Cochlear Implant Day 2025 coincides with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Hearing Day theme, “Changing Mindsets: Let’s Make Ear and Hearing Care a Reality for All.” This shared focus recognises the vital role cochlear implants play in improving hearing and communication for thousands of New Zealanders.
Visit PinDrop’s website here for more of their activities.
CIICA’S 4th Birthday & International CI Day: Young Adults with Cochlear Implants Launch their Agenda
“As part of the new generation of deaf people working and thriving in the hearing world, this Agenda exists to connect us to a wider community across the world …
On CIICA’s fourth birthday and CI International Day, we are delighted to share the Agenda that a global group of Young Adults with CI has been working on.
This new stakeholders’ group, the first to receive hearing through cochlear implants as children, are now entering higher education and the world of work.
See their recommendations for the provision of lifelong services, increased accessibility and public awareness.
While CI solves so many problems, there are a few that could be solved with just a bit more attentive, lifelong care.
A global group of Young Adults with Cochlear Implants have come together to make an exciting video about the small changes they would like to see to make their life even better with this great technology. Watch the video below.
I’ve always heard through my cochlear it’s all I know
Agenda project supported by AICE, York Uni, Toronto, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada
