In this webinar Sue Archbold, Consultant on research, public policy and practice in hearing loss and cochlear implantation, discusses advocacy and empowering community voices- what role can consumers and health professionals play?

You can view Sue's webinar above, and you can download a copy of her presentation notes by clicking here:

About Sue Archbold, Consultant on research, public policy and practice for hearing loss and cochlear implantation.

Sue was the teacher of the deaf of the first child in the UK to have a cochlear implant in 1989, amidst much controversy. She then helped establish The Ear Foundation to fund the first paediatric cochlear implants in the UK and went on to co-ordinate the Nottingham Paediatric Cochlear Implant Programme from its inception in 1989 until 2004. The programme rapidly became one of the biggest in the world, and there she developed methods of assessing and monitoring young children for implantation and a database to manage a cochlear implant programme. 

She helped establish quality standards for ci programmes and to influence the guidelines of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), including studying and demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of cochlear implantation. She has published widely on the education of deaf children and on outcomes from implantation, and received her doctorate from the University of Nijmegen, cum laude, on the subject of Deaf Education: changed by cochlear implantation? 

She was Chief Executive of The Ear Foundation from 2008 to 2016, leading its programme of support, information, education and research to ensure the maximum benefit from the latest hearing technologies at home, school and work.  

Sue was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Nottingham for her groundbreaking work on cochlear implantation for children and adults and continues to lecture internationally on the huge impact of hearing loss, and the value of access to today’s technology and good hearing care for all. Her public policy reports with colleague Brian Lamb illustrating that providing cochlear implantation for adults not only changes lives but saves society money are now used worldwide. She feels passionate that the impact of deafness and hearing loss are not recognised by the public and decision-makers and seeks to influence public policies on hearing care, working with major international organisations, including WHO.