CI ADVOCACY IN ACTION 2025: PRESENTATIONS
CI ADVOCACY IN ACTION 2025, BRUSSELS – PDF’S OF PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE NOW!
Below are downloadable PDF presentations for each speaker at our 2025 conference in Brussels. They are arranged by session title, and the chair of each session is pictured. You will find a great deal of inspiring information to follow up whether you were there or not!
DAY 1 – THURSDAY 16TH OCTOBER
WELCOME


The conference was opened by CIICA Chair, Leo de Raeve. There followed video messages from Shelly Chadha (WHO) and Graeme Clark. Rob Beenders (Belgian Minister) and Zala Tomasic (MEP) joined us in Brussels to open the conference.
You can watch the video message from Graeme Clark and read more about the conference highlights here: https://ciicanet.org/events/ci-advocacy-in-action-2025/
INFLUENCING GOVERNMENTS

CHAIR: Sue Archbold, CIICA
Anita Grover & Tori Bishop Rowe: What works, What doesn’t and Why It Matters
Teresa Amat: Influencing the Spanish Parliament
Katalin Gal: Changing policy in Romania: getting the evidence
Paul van de Heyning & Patrick D’Haese: Hearing Health Forum EU
Mark Laureyns: Influencing Governments: getting the numbers right
Bowen Tang: Developing a CI Report Card in Canada
Lee Schoushkoff: Hearing our Future: How CI consumers can drive change
WHERE SCIENCE MEETS EXPERIENCE

CHAIR: Astrid Van Wieringen
Tobias Fischer: Science in My Life: Living Well with CI Requires More Than Surgery
Harald Seidler: Where Science Meets Rehabilitation for Adults
Steph Halder: For Children: taking the technology into education
Agata Mikusek: How my work helped me come to terms with my hearing loss
Brian Cleary: Experiences as a Researcher with a Cochlear Implant
CI IN LOW RESOURCED COUNTRIES

CHAIR: Paige Stringer
Paige Stringer: Introduction: The continuum of care
Carolina Der: Ear and hearing care program for school students in Chile
Ekaterine Tortladze, Teona Gvalia: Building Hearing Care into Georgia’s Health System
Steve Kittur: CI & Assistive Technologies: Kenya’s Emerging Experiences
Lusine Stepanyan: Strengthening the CI Community in Armenia
Vahishtai Daboo: Dealing with numbers
Tanya Saunders: Advancing Awareness: what YOU can do
DAY 2 – FRIDAY 17TH OCTOBER
PARENTS AS ADVOCATES (SADLY EDDIE COULDN’T BE WITH US AS HIS VISA WAS REFUSED)

CHAIR: Eddie Mukaaya
Giovanna Troncoso: I got the lead role without auditioning!
Marcela Varela Vargas: When a child listens a family dreams
Asel Mairambekova & Zhanarkul Ilebaeva: Moving on in Kyrgyzstan, new developments
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Paul Sommers: Genetic Testing for Hearing Loss
Geraldine Honnet: Gene therapy information for families
PARENTS FIGHTING FOR EDUCATION
Leona Pejcharova: Resources for schools
Liubov Wolowik: Educating the educators
Connie Mayer: Where Science Impacts Literacy
YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CI: THEIR AGENDA FOR CHANGE

Qais Khan (presentation coming soon)
Melis Durmaz Yildrim from Turkey
Marie Stocklova & Raquel Tiana discussing their initiatives
ADULTS: ADVOCATING FOR LIFELONG SERVICES

CHAIR: Barbara Kelley
Lidia Best: Access to lifelong services: how and why?
Nikki Philpott: Towards personalised adult services
Elmar Haacke: Self-Help Groups – An important partner for successful aftercare
Francesco Pavani: Binaural hearing for all: the importance of listening with two ears
Darja Pajk: Stereo Hearing – From Magic to Mastery
Cathy Birman: Cochlear implants – you are never too old!
DELIVERING SERVICES DIFFERENTLY

CHAIR: Holly Teagle
Henk van Rees: The Echo of Experience: in the Living Room
Jantien Vroegop: Towards future-proof CI healthcare
Kirby van As: CI journey supported by resources
Helen Cullington: Wherever you are, we’re there too: remote CI care
Holly Teagle: Expanding CI service delivery options in New Zealand
Carolina Der: Approach to service delivery and cochlear implants in LMICs
ADVOCACY: WHAT DO WE NEED?

CHAIR: Leo De Raeve
Brian Lamb: New Briefing – Investing in our Hearing Improves Lives and is Cost-Effective. How to advocate for more investment in CIs
Sara Rubinelli: The next leap: Turning growth and advocacy into lasting resources for CIICA
SLIDO: MANAGED BY DANIEL ASPLIN
Daniel managed the Slido app throughout the conference and this provided some interesting information – the report is coming soon!