CI ADVOCACY IN ACTION 2025: THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s conference, which brought together 120 delegates from 32 countries, for an inspiring, impactful and inclusive event in Brussels, Belgium on the 16th & 17th October 2025.

“Very grass roots and impactful. Love how intentional each panel is to address different angles, yet in a cohesive fashion”.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW & DOWNLOAD ALL PDF PRESENTATIONS

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PROGRAMME

OUR WELCOME SESSION

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

WATCH GRAEME CLARK’S MESSAGE:

 

Shelly Chadha joined us from Geneva, sharing that CIICA’s messages are completely aligned with those of WHO, advocating for equitable services for Ear and Hearing Care. 

SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS

Rob Beenders (Belgian Minister & CI user)

Access to CI shouldn’t depend on your age or how well you navigate the system. Get CI advocacy on the agenda – politicians aren’t waiting for you. 

 

 

 

 

Also, Zala Tomasic, a Member of the European Parliament and daughter of CI user Darja Pajk, member of the CIICA Board,  shared movingly the impact of deafness in the family on other members, and the change made by CI:

Having a cochlear implant is not just a medical change. It changes your life, your family life, it changes your confidence, it changes what you as a person dare to do and what you are afraid of and what not. It is one of the most powerful technologies.

 

 

 

 

Several of our delegates couldn’t attend as the Belgian immigration services refused their visas, but sent their videos.

EDDIE MUKAAYA’S (Uganda) MESSAGE TO DELEGATES:

 

Two young adults also couldn’t be with us because their visas were refused:

MELIS DURMAZ YILDRIM (Turkey)

ELAINE MUKAAYA (Uganda), SHARING WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN UGANDA FOR CI USERS

 

 

40 CI users participated in this year’s conference (pictured below). One delegate:  CI users should be part of all CI conferences.

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.

“The topics were so well created, the speakers so well chosen, each of them spoke from the heart and the lived experience and vast knowledge”.

 

More of our speakers:

A big thank you to all our speakers – PDF presentations will be available soon.

We also launched some new resources at this year’s conference. You can find these and all our resources on our webpage.

The new resources are:

📄INVESTING IN OUR HEARING IMPROVES LIVES AND IS COST EFFECTIVE – CIICA

📄A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR CI ADVOCACY & TRAINING VIDEOS – CIICA

📄CONSIDERING A COCHLEAR IMPLANT(CI)? 20 QUESTIONS TO ASK: A PROMPT LIST – CIICA

Thank you to all our sponsors (some pictured above), without whom, this would not be possible.

FULL PHOTO GALLERY COMING SOON!