2026 GPODHH Parent Leadership Symposium

Building Skills to Build Capacity

8-9 June 2026 | Bad Ischl, Austria

GPODHH is hosting a Parent Leadership Symposium prior to the Family Centered Early Intervention Conference.

This inaugural Symposium will bring together parent leaders from organizations around the world, united by a shared goal: training parents to speak up for their own children and families, and preparing parent supporters to support other families.

The Symposium will also explore how parent leaders can drive positive change beyond the individual level - working to improve services, systems, and outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. Throughout the event, members will share successful examples of parent leadership programs from across GPODHH’s network of 22 organizations.



GPODHH thanks our generous supporters for making this Symposium possible. 


2026 GPODHH Parent Leadership Symposium Organizing Committee

  • Janet DesGeorges (USA) - Chair
  • Julia Carneiro (Switzerland)
  • Daiva Muellegger-Treciokaite (Austria)
  • Joyce Sserunjogi Nalugya (Uganda) 
  • Sari Paloposki (Finland)
  • Terri Patterson (USA)
  • Nicole Schilling (Germany) 
  • Debbie Talbot (UK)