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.

Student Scholarship Recipients for CI2026 Chicago have been announced. Congratulations to our recipients and thank you to everyone who applied. We received a record number of applications again this year.

For a full list of scholarship winners: CI2026 Chicago Student Scholarship Recipients - American Cochlear Implant Alliance

CI2026 Chicago registration is officially open 🎉 Take advantage of early bird rates through March 18. Click here for details and a schedule at a glance.

Join us for the Student SIG on Thursday, May 7

Panel Title: Building a Successful Mentorship Program: How to Start One at Your Own Center

This session will focus on practical, real-world guidance for creating a mentorship program that works. Panelists will share their experiences and lessons learned.

Sessions will highlight evidence-based research alongside practical clinical tools to support patients across the lifespan. Featuring expert perspectives from psychologists, educators, physicians and speech-language pathologists, the forum will explore real-world strategies to strengthen communication, resilience, and quality of life. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to enhance patient-centered care in diverse clinical and educational settings.

ACI Alliance now has its own article on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article highlights how the organization serves as a central voice in the U.S. cochlear implant community — advancing research, influencing policy, raising awareness, and advocating for equitable access to cochlear implantation services for people of all ages.

World Hearing Day is celebrated on March 3^rd. This year, WHD highlights the theme "From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children." The campaign focuses on two imperatives: Preventing avoidable childhood hearing loss and ensuring early identification of and care for children with ear or hearing problems. Schools and communities are natural entry points to reach children, parents, and teachers. By integrating hearing care into school health and child health programs, we can help children hear, learn, and succeed. Use #WorldHearingDay on social media.

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

Butler University has announced the launch of a new Master of Arts (MA) in Deaf Education, supported by a $1.25 million federal grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The program will welcome its inaugural cohort in Fall 2026 and will prepare educators and early interventionists to serve DHH children using listening and spoken language approaches grounded in family-centered, evidence-based practice.

In this short video, Dr. Teresa Caraway, a speech-language pathologist for over 40 years, and pediatric audiologist Dr. Jace Wolfe team up to tackle some of the most common (and confusing!) questions about childhood hearing loss. 

February 25 is International Cochlear Implant Day. Click below for ASHA's page on cochlear implants, which was updated by members of ACI Alliance.

House passed bipartisan legislation, H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 which, if passed by the Senate, will set the funding levels for the Department of Health and Huma Services. Included in the bill was level funding for the EHDI program in the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

ACI Alliance staff and members held numerous meetings with House and Senate offices over the past six months to restore the EHDI funding and ensure that key offices were aware of the importance of the EHDI program.

Advancing cCMV Policy in Massachusetts and Vermont

ACI Alliance continues to support state-level advocacy efforts to improve early identification and intervention for children impacted by congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a leading non-genetic cause of childhood hearing loss. New cCMV legislation has been introduced in both Massachusetts and Vermont.

Take Action: New cCMV Action Alert
To support these efforts, ACI Alliance has launched a new cCMV Action Alert, now live on our website. We encourage advocates, clinicians, families, and partners to raise their voices in support of evidence-based cCMV screening and education policies.

Your engagement helps ensure lawmakers hear directly from the hearing health community about the importance of early detection, timely intervention, and comprehensive support for children and families affected by cCMV.

ACI Alliance is meeting with members of the U.S. Congress to discuss the importance of current hearing health policy issues and legislation including Ally’s Act, cCMV, and support for EHDI.

In our meetings with Congressional members, our key discussion points included:

The ITEM Coalition’s advocacy efforts target barriers to access to necessary devices and technologies under Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other federal health programs and private plans; and build support for broad-based legislative and regulatory changes to address the problem of inadequate access to assistive devices, technologies, and related services. Membership includes 103 organizations from across disability organizations, aging organizations, consumer groups, voluntary health associations, and non-profit provider associations.

ACI Alliance is proud to participate in the ITEM Coalition and reaffirm its support for two Veterans-related bills recently reintroduced in the 119th Congress. We appreciate the continued leadership behind these efforts and are pleased to formally sign on in support of advancing policies that improve access to innovative technologies, rehabilitation resources, and comprehensive care for Veterans. Our support for Veterans remains a shared priority, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Congress to help ensure service members and Veterans receive the health care access and support they deserve.

Please send your survey to Donna Sorkin; dsorkin@acialliance.org by Tuesday, February 10th to be included in the February survey distribution, using the following format. 

Title: 
Brief Summary: 
Audience: 
Survey Link:

Lilly Grant Office is currently seeking Continuing Education proposals to improve the diagnosis and care of individuals with genetic hearing loss through on-demand multimedia activities (e.g., webinar, video, self-study, live) in conjunction with relevant professional organizations and societies. Proposals are due by February 27.

Patient portal engagement and referral source both influence continuity and access for patients undergoing CI evaluation. Promoting portal adoption and streamlining referral workflows represent actionable targets for reducing barriers and improving access to cochlear implant care.

The purpose of the American Neurotology Society (ANS) Research Grant is to encourage and support academic research in sciences related to the investigation of otology and neurotology. The deadline for applications is March 2, 2026.