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Listening @ ACI Alliance
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.
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CI2026 Chicago | Book Your Hotel!
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Register now to secure your spot at CI2026 Chicago and be part of an event that promises to shape the future for CI patients across the lifespan! Stay close to the action with our discounted room block. Convenience, comfort, and the best value for your CI2026 experience. The cut-off date to receive the special group rate is April 13, 2026. Reservations made after this date, or after the room block fills, will be based on space and rate availability.
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Emerging Technologies and Initiatives at CI2026 Chicago
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We’re excited to bring back a special segment at CI2026 Chicago that spotlights emerging technologies and innovative services from some of our industry partners. Attendees love this session because it’s a fast, direct way to hear what’s new - straight from the organizations that support children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This year’s Emerging Technologies and Initiatives presenters include:
- Simeon Audio who will provide a demonstration of Auracast technology for classrooms and other small meeting spaces.
- Lilly who will discuss safety and efficacy data from the hearing restoration trial of OTOF gene therapy.
- InnoCaption who will explore captioning for cell phones, FaceTime, and more, with options including automatic captioning.
- Chicago Hearing Society (CHS)/Anixter Center who will highlight their innovative services linking person-centered care for hearing, employment, and social-emotional needs.
- Hamilton CapTel who will share information on new captioning services, including rapid automatic captions.
- IotaMotion who will examine robotic-assisted cochlear implantation surgical outcomes, including impact on hearing preservation.
- Conditioned Play Innovations who will review the use of Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) in infants with early cochlear implantation to expand access to hearing assessment across age ranges and developmental considerations.
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Summer Camps | April 15, 7PM EST
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Join Lexi as she talks with teens about signing up for summer camps and what to consider before attending. In this session, she will cover important topics such as communication, device care, and safety to help ensure a positive camp experience.
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Aural Rehabilitation: How to Support Adults Pre- and Post- Cochlear Implantation
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Join us at CI2026 Chicago for a pre-conference workshop designed for professionals working in clinical settings who want to explore and discuss adult rehabilitation for adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients.
📅 Wednesday, May 6
⏰ 9:00 AM
💲 $50 registration fee
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The EHDI Heroes Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, or dedication in advancing the early identification of hearing loss and ensuring timely intervention services for infants and young children.
At the March 2026 EHDI Conference, two American Cochlear Implant Alliance members—Donna Sorkin and Teresa Caraway—were honored with this recognition for their significant contributions to the field. 🎉
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📅 Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
🕣 Time: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
📍 Location: Hyatt Regency Chicago, IL
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Supporting Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing to Maximize Language Learning with 21st Century
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Join us for a full-day, in-depth workshop focused on helping children who are deaf and hard of hearing maximize language learning through the use of 21st century hearing technology.
This workshop is designed for early intervention providers, educational professionals, and parents, and will explore evidence-based strategies, practical tools, and collaborative approaches to support listening and spoken language development in young children.
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Highlights from CI 2024 Vancouver International Conference on Cochlear Implants and Other Implantable Technologies
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Highlights from the CI 2024 Vancouver International Conference on Cochlear Implants and Other Implantable Technologies were published with free (one-year) open access as a collection of papers on 3/11/2026 in Otology & Neurotology. A range of topics was drawn from CI conference presentations:
- Assessment of mean activation maps
- Variability Psychological Adjustment of Prelingually Deaf Young Adults Implanted During Childhood
- Electrode Placement Factors and Impact on Spectral Resolution
- Adult Aural Rehabilitation
- Teamwork to Build and Maintain Effective Teams
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Use your story as data. Personal stories are powerful advocacy tools. If you’ve faced insurance delays, device denials, therapy gaps, or school barriers, write it down. These real-world examples help lawmakers understand how policy decisions affect families.
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Take action today: Contact your legislators and ask them to support S.1573 and H.4367. All you need to do is enter your name and address here; the website Voter Voice will do the rest of the work for you!
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Prenatal Education and Newborn Screening for Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV)
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Our advocates in Massachusetts are continuing to raise their voices in support of Senate Bill S.1573 and House Bill H.4367, as the legislation advances through the legislative process. ACI Alliance is proud to help amplify this effort by sharing their call to action. We thank our state leaders and advocates for their continued commitment to improving newborn and child hearing health. Together, we can ensure that babies affected by cCMV are identified early and given the best possible start.
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Advancing World Hearing Day Toward United Nations Recognition
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World Hearing Day (WHD) is a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and observed annually on March 3. The campaign raises awareness about hearing loss, promotes ear and hearing care, and encourages preventive action to reduce hearing impairment worldwide.
Following a year of unprecedented global engagement around WHD 2026, the hearing health community is now channeling that momentum into a bold next step: securing formal recognition of WHD as an official International Day on the United Nations (UN) calendar.
The American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance) has played an active role in this effort through its participation in the World Hearing Forum (WHF) and broader WHD events, helping to advance global awareness and policy engagement around hearing health.
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Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act
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ITEM Coalition letter to House Energy & Commerce Committee leadership in support of H.R. 5343, the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act.
This bipartisan legislation would ensure that Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)-designated breakthrough devices and technologies are covered under Medicare during a four-year transitional period, while also establishing a pathway to make a permanent coverage determination. The ITEM Coalition believes this bill would be a positive step in the right direction towards ensuring timely access to breakthrough devices and technologies for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.
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EHDI 2026 reinforced what drives our work forward, the shared commitment to children and families. By continuing to learn from one another and push systems forward, the field moves closer to a future where every child with hearing loss is identified early and supported to reach their full potential.
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EHDI 2026 Conference: Advancing Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
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The 2026 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference 2026 marked a significant milestone, celebrating 25 years of progress in improving outcomes for infants and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Held March 15-17 in Jacksonville, Florida, the conference brought together a diverse community of advocates, clinicians, researchers, program leaders, and families—all united by a shared commitment to early identification and intervention.
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The American Cochlear Implant Alliance participated in the Hearing Health Leaders Panel, highlighting our key priorities and accomplishments. A common theme throughout the entire meeting was strengthening and advancing collaboration across hearing health stakeholders. Overall, the meeting underscored strong alignment across the field and a shared commitment to improving access and outcomes in hearing health.
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Advancing Hearing Health: ACI Alliance at the HIA Annual Meeting
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The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) Annual Meeting on March 13, 2026 brought together leaders from across the hearing health ecosystem in Washington, DC, for a day of policy insight, industry alignment, and forward-looking discussion. From federal dynamics to emerging technologies, the meeting underscored a shared commitment to expanding access, improving outcomes, and modernizing hearing healthcare, alongside HIA’s forward-looking “HIA 2030” vision.
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NIH Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research
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NIH recognizes that Americans with disabilities have health needs both related and unrelated to their disabilities. This plan takes a person-centered approach, placing individuals—not impairments—at the center of research while coordinating efforts across NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices.
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NIH is seeking public input on a framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2027–2031 through a newly issued request for information (RFI). This RFI provides an opportunity for the extramural research community to help inform NIH’s highest-level priorities and goals for the next five years.
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Authored by: Blair C. Richlin, Janel L. Cosby, Aaron C. Moberly, Meaghan Foody, Stephanie McCabe, Michelle Havlik, Molly Schoenfeld, James R. Dornhoffer, Donna L. Sorkin, and Kate Sinks
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Perspectives on Aural Rehabilitation From Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients
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An Adult Cochlear Implant Aural Rehabilitation Special Interest Group was formed in 2023. The aim of this study is to survey adult CI recipients to determine their perspectives on the AR process. Findings shed light on current gaps in providing the most effective AR services, which will need to be addressed to optimize hearing health care and outcomes for adult CI recipients.
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Authored by: Holder, Jourdan T; Warner-Czyz, Andrea D.; Park, Lisa R.
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Pediatric CI 3-60 Guideline: When to Refer Children for a Cochlear Implant Candidacy Evaluation
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Despite the success of CIs in providing access to sound for children with significant hearing loss, only approximately 50% of children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss in the US receive this treatment option. One contributing factor to this underutilization is uncertainty surrounding the appropriate time to refer for a CI candidacy evaluation.
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Advancing Clinical Utility of Artificial Intelligence
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Authored by: Valentina Carducci, MS, Horacio Sanchez-Trigo, PhD, Yesmeen Elgabori, MD, Matthew Carlson, MD, Nicholas Deep, MD, Santiago Romero-Brufau, MD, PhD
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This study demonstrates how AI models can be translated into clinically actionable tools by reformulating regression outputs, selecting metrics aligned with clinical priorities, and addressing data variability.
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Like what you’ve seen? There is no obligation to join to continue receiving Listening but if you wish to be more involved in ACI Alliance, explore the opportunities for membership.
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P.O. Box 103 | McLean, VA 22101-0103 | Phone: 703.534.6146
Website: https://www.acialliance.org
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