On 22 January 2026, CIICA LIVE – CI Advocacy: What Do We Need? brought together parents, families, cochlear implant (CI) users, young people, professionals, advocates, and industryrepresentatives for a focused discussion on how to strengthen advocacy on hearing loss and cochlear implants.
A central theme of the session was the need to challenge the persistent framing of cochlear implants as a cost, rather than as a high-return social investment. Speakers stressed that thismisconception is sometimes reinforced by the sector itself, weakening advocacy efforts.
Opening the discussion, Carolina Der from the World Health Organization highlighted that awareness is the starting point for action, and without it, evidence rarely translates into policy change.
Professor Sara Rubinelli challenged participants to think strategically about advocacy: how to turn awareness into influence, how to frame clear messages, and how to speak the language of decision-makers. This was echoed by Mark Laureyns, who warned that confusion is the fastest way to lose impact.
Brian Lamb also emphasised reframing hearing loss as an investment, presenting CIICA’s new resource “Investing in Hearing Loss Improves Lives and Is Cost Effective”.
Representing EFHOH, our President Lidia Best outlined EFHOH’s vision for a Hearing Loss Strategy at EU level, focused on:
- Awareness and rights-based advocacy
- Accessibility and inclusion (including hearing loops, subtitling, and real-time captioning)
- Universal access to hearing care, including hearing aids and cochlear implants
- collaboration through user-led alliances and united voices
Lidia Best also stressed the importance of moving away from harmful and stereotyped narratives towards a person-centred, rights-based approach, aligned with the European Union Disability Rights Strategy and the principle of the right to connect.
The session reinforced a shared message: effective advocacy combines evidence, clear framing, and lived experience to shift perceptions, and ultimately policies on hearing loss across Europe.
Read EFHOH’s presentation here.
