In this cultural artifact, I wanted to discuss about the controversy of cochlear implants in the Deaf community, but first, I think some background would be beneficial.
Deafness is incredibly unique. Although many perceive being deaf as a disability, there is a whole culture, language, and history behind this community. The word “deaf” is referring to the “audiologic lack of hearing” while “Deaf” is referring to the cultural identity. This is why most deaf people prefer identity-first language (“I am Deaf”) and not the person-first language (“I am a person who is deaf/hard of hearing”). Of course, this is still a complex issue that depends on the individual. Instead of looking at deafness as a disability, it is looked at as a welcoming, supportive community.
Now, let’s get back into talking about the controversy. This actually comes up a lot in TV shows and other parts of the media. People record babies, children, spouses, and friends get their cochlear implants activated and upload them so other can react to it too. Those in the hearing community can be naïve and think “wow this is amazing”, “so heartwarming”, or even, “I’m so glad they got cured!”, but this is not the case. Those in the Deaf community who read these comments can be shocked and horrified by the responses. Some even say that this is sugarcoating everything. When the implant is activated, some might think the reason the child is crying is because they are filled with joy. The reality of this is that many young individuals are surprised by the sounds and cry in shock.
Cochlear implant surgery does not miraculously cure deafness for each individual. In fact, it doesn’t fully restore hearing to the average level. It also takes time and experience for the brain to comprehend this new input and make sense of it. This means that those who choose to make this medical decision must adjust to it and will most likely go to therapy to learn what all of the new sounds mean. For children, there is another obstacle. Parents could assume that their child can comprehend the surrounding sounds as well as they can and not teach them American Sign Language (ASL). This can result in delayed language acquisition and make it difficult for the children to communicate well with others.
Another reason is that those in the Deaf community can take this as an offense. Since being Deaf means that you are part of a culture, they do not want to be “fixed” because they are proud of their identity and like being Deaf. But still, many others think this technology is an advancement that can help create opportunities for Deaf folks.
I don’t think we can categorize and say that cochlear implants are a “good” or “bad” thing, and I don’t think the world can ever come to that decision because there are so many factors in consideration from many different viewpoints. Taking ASL and reading about Deaf culture has definitely opened up my mind and I’m excited to keep learning!
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