Cochlear Implants to Many Hearing

Cochlear Implants

To many hearing people, the controversy surrounding cochlear implants seems odd. After all, the implants can enable an otherwise deaf person to function in the hearing world. The implants might not be a cure and they do not help all deaf persons, but they do restore a considerable amount of the lost sense. Nevertheless, many deaf persons "deem the implants unnecessary, oppressive, and emotionally risky," (Nevala). In fact, for many deaf people, cochlear implants a "death knell for deaf culture," and even view them as "genocide," (Nevala). These strong sentiments stem from the fact that deaf culture thrives because it provides a strong, vibrant community from which a deaf person derives considerable social support and psychological strength. The implants, according to some deaf persons, threaten to undermine the integrity of the deaf community. However, far from being a death knell for the deaf community, cochlear implants can offer improved communications, safety, and functioning in the hearing world; rather than undermine deaf culture, the implants can enhance it and increase its diversity.

The implant, which is surgically inserted into the ear, bypasses the malfunctioning portion of the inner ear and creates the electrical impulses necessary for hearing. Many parents of deaf children are opting to implant their children at a young age, one of the reasons the implants are causing such a stir. Opponents to the technology believe that these children will never be exposed or introduced into deaf culture, and that their parents are stealing away an essential part of their identities. Opponents to the implants also believe that being deaf is not a disability so much as it is an identity.

However, for many deaf persons, the implants are a boon; they will contribute to, not detract from deaf culture. Michael L. Pierschalla noticed that the implant not only helped him to hear; it also helped him to listen. When he was totally deaf, he would actually talk more; his inability to hear caused the man to pay attention less to his friends and loved ones when they spoke. The implant enriched his relationships, both those with hearing and hearing-impaired persons. Moreover, he remarks how the implant greatly contributes to the safety and well-being of the deaf, who "can't speech read the sound of a speeding car horn." Nancy Bloch of the National Association of the Deaf agrees that the implants will not destroy deaf culture. "Deaf culture, with its rich visual language and heritage, will nonetheless continue to endure through the ages, even with new and emerging technologies." Hearing aids are already part of the deaf culture, and so too should implants.