Listening is a vehicle for us to share information on cochlear implants and hearing loss with hearing healthcare providers, adult CI recipients (and those exploring CI), parents and family members interested in CI, educators who work with deaf and hard of hearing children, and anyone wanting to learn more about cochlear implants. 

ACI Alliance is a not-for-profit organization created with the purpose of eliminating barriers to cochlear implantation by sponsoring research, driving heightened awareness and advocating for improved access to cochlear implants for people of all ages. There is a wealth of information on our website. 

Our work at ACI Alliance follows our mission encompassing research, advocacy, and awareness. Accordingly, Listening covers all three.

We encourage you to share sign-up details for this free e-newsletter with patients, family members, colleagues or anyone who may be interested.

July is a peak season for Vancouver visitors in general. Don't wait to reseve your hotel accommodations for the ACI Alliance annual meeting. The CI2024 room blocks are filling quickly. The cut-off date to receive the Vancouver Hotels special group rate is Friday, June 14th.  Reservations made after this date, or after the room block fills, will be based on space and rate availability.
New inventory has been added to accommodate increased demand. Please Click the link below for more information.

Thanks for sharing this great video Hearing First! What a wonderful resource for parents.

Q: How often does my child need to wear their hearing devices?🦻

A: Watch this video to find the answer and more about childhood hearing loss from an experienced pediatric audiologist.

This July, Macquarie University in Sydney will offer a free workshop called Beyond Speech centered on language and literacy in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. This workshop will be live streamed but they also will share recordings of presentations after the event. 

Consumer membership is $10 annually and designed for the public at large and people of all ages with hearing loss and their families. Become a member and receive these benefits:

Event Title: A Decade of Hope & Impact: A CMV Awareness Journey 

Date: 6/12/24 

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET 

Description:  Register for this FREE webinar to learn about cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common cause of childhood hearing loss as well as other significant neurodevelopmental complications.  This webinar is brought to you by ASHA Special interest Groups 8 and 9 in collaboration with the National CMV Foundation to #StopCMV.

Allison M. Biever AuD, CCC-A
Rocky Mountain Ear Center PC 
Title of Presentation
Best Practices for Adult SSD CI Candidates and Recipients

This course covers best practices for evaluating adult cochlear implant (CI) single-sided deafness (SSD) candidates, including the insurance elements that need to be considered with this population. Additionally, the outcomes and benefits of the technology with this population are discussed.

This course is presented by AudiologyOnline in partnership with ACI Alliance.

This two-series session focuses on cochlear implant evaluation, candidacy, outcomes and benefits for adults and children with single-sided deafness (SSD). The adult session will also include important elements about insurance coverage, and the pediatric session will discuss factors that can influence outcomes.

Lisa Park AuD CCC-A
Associate Professor
Division Chief, The Children's Cochlear Implant Center at UNC
Research Audiologist, Division of Auditory Research
UNC Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery
Title of Presentation
Cochlear Implants as an Option for Children with Single-Sided Deafness

This course focuses on referral, candidacy, and the evaluation process for cochlear implantation (CI) in children with single-sided deafness (SSD). Expected outcomes and factors that could influence performance in this population are discussed.

Have a position to fill at your organization? Post your job and reach qualified candidates who are seeking employment in a field associated with cochlear implants. To post a job, you must either be an organizational member or you can purchase a posting.

Explore some of the job opportunities in the field of cochlear implants that are available now and use this system to apply for an open position. This resource is open access.

During COVID, many people relied upon virtual meet-ups like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet for business meetings, family interactions, and even social events like book clubs and “parties.” After some initial trials, almost all of the virtual options implemented captioning to facilitate participation for those who are deaf or hard of hearing (and everyone else). Many people realized how helpful captioning was and began using it more in other settings. With the general public now more aware of how captioning benefits everyone, we’re seeing more opportunities for people with hearing loss.

In an exclusive preview of unreleased technology, designer and inventor Jason Rugolo unveils an entirely new kind of computer you can talk to like a friend. This "audio computer" — which can augment the sounds around you, translate conversations in real time, naturally respond to your voice and more — promises to shake up how we use our devices. It's shown publicly for the first time ever on the TED stage.

A bill to ensure that Missouri Medicaid would cover cochlear implants for adults failed to pass at the very last minute of the Missouri legislative session. Despite the stellar work of our Missouri State Champs and others, circumstances outside of anyone’s control resulted in the bill’s failure to move. Work will continue in 2025. 

President Biden signed the bi-partisan FAA Reauthorization Bill into law in May. This key legislation includes language benefiting people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The FAA is required to set up committees focused on ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities including hearing loss. ACI Alliance will monitor developments.

In an effort to support and advance research activities by our members, ACI Alliance provides a service to assist our members to collect information from other CI clinicians and investigators on the CI process, outcomes, access barriers and research needs. Twice every year—in February and in August—we solicit and electronically distribute surveys that have been submitted by members.