Cochlear Implants have become more and more prevalent as accessibility and technology continue to grow. Many are under the assumption that these implants are extremely beneficial and maybe even in high demand due to the function they serve. However, many fail to realize that these are not as highly favored within the Deaf community as you might think. I aim to show both perspectives on the Cochlear Implants as well as share a little insight into the Deaf community.
First and foremost, deaf individuals heavily resonate with one another. They have built a very strong and supportive community. It is stated that deaf, with a lowercase “d”, refers to the disability in itself. While Deaf, with an uppercase “D”, refers to a community of people that are deaf. Their community is like any other, they share common ideas, language, culture, etc. They prefer to socialize amongst members of their community and in fact often do not interact much with members outside of their community. They praise being deaf and prompt confidence in it. Many report that they enjoy their lifestyle and would not change any aspects about it.
With knowledge on the tight knit community of the Deaf you might be able to imagine why some deaf people are not thrilled in regard to the Cochlear Implants. Videos have risen of people hearing words for the first time with their implants. The Deaf community felt as though this was a horribly invasive thing to do when someone is so vulnerable. Often times these videos portray that maybe they are hearing a sentimental phrase for the first time which typically is not the case. When these implants are installed, they take a long time to fully activate and work. The brain has to go through some rewiring to even process this new sense. Patients are typically overwhelmed with sense overload and do not even begin to work cohesively with their implants for a while. Not to mention that many of these patients have worked with ASL (American Sign Language) and will not be able to understand words and sounds right away. A lot of the frustration rises due to the fact that many romanticize and falsely portray reality in these videos. The Deaf do not view their disability as a curse and these videos depict that it is unfortunate that someone would be deaf and that is extremely offensive to their community.
On the other hand, many felt as though that the dismissiveness of a disability was inappropriate, and that technology has provided a way for many to better represent and express themselves so why not seize the opportunity. In reference to the videos previously mentioned, the comment section was filled with a vast amount of different perspective. Some went as far as referring to the Deaf community as a cult. A “cult” is a harsh word, but it does reinforce the idea that people who receive the Cochlear Implant would be “shunned” or no longer apart of that community. Another perspective was from parents who struggle with making this decision for their infants. Parents want what is best for their children and if they can give them a chance to grow with their implants, they believe it would better benefit them down the road. In addition, in most cases they would rather give their child the best than worry about preserving a community. A final counterpoint, the perspective on a disability. In some cases, it is something that people can overcome and often times feel extremely successful in those endeavors. Many people peg the question as to why you would not try to overcome it.
This is still a heavily debated topic. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. It truly comes down to you as an individual and where your morals and values lie. It is important to be respectful of those who have differing point of views and to be mindful that it is not always something that needs to have a definitive answer.
