Nicolas Denton
Ms. Amber Sweigart
ASL II
12 May 2015
The Cochlear Implant Imagine this, going from the blank nothingness of void hearing, to suddenly being able to hear once more even if it is not as clear as natural hearing, it is still hearing all the same. This is the activation of a Cochlear Implant, a medical device created to re-enable hearing in those not even a hearing aid can assist. This tool, while it may have its flaws, is still extremely useful in restoring hearing in those who have lost it or giving it to those who have never experienced it. The implant started its life in the 18th and 19th centuries as electrical stimulation to induce hearing, which yielded only vague, primitive results instead of the extremely nuanced hearing
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The Deaf Community commonly interprets the prompt nature of early implantation as slowly eradicating their culture and community. The Cochlear Implant usually gets its best results in young patients due to the development of hearing going hand-in-hand with the reintroduction of sound in the subject. This, although scientifically proven, is still very much seen as an affront to the Deaf society due to the widespread forcing of it upon the young, rather than having them develop and make their own decision. While many deaf people have been well on the way to recovery with the implant, many others shed it and embrace the culture proper and continue speaking in ASL. This all depends on the time they were implanted and what kind of parents they have. The debate is very heated on this topic, the hardcore enthusiasts of Deaf Culture continuing to shun it and those who put them onto their children, while those who support it continue to support it and help it advance further forward. The implant in the end, is the most popular choice for those who are candidates that either used to be hearing or are the children of hearing parents, while those who are deaf and prefer to stay that way mostly choose to stay …show more content…
The device which started as a simple, weaker current to the ear evolved into a marvel of technology that is one of the few that can put forth an effort, even if only half-way, to fix a disability that has been a long standing issue with some, but a grandiose culture to others. This is usually the part where it ends, where this closes on a note about the Implant and its significance with the deaf, but it isn’t. I personally would like to chip my opinion in about the conflict over the cochlear implant, even if I am an ignorant hearing person. I believe that the Cochlear Implant should be taken at the scientific level and further helped to move forward. It obviously cannot completely eradicate the deaf and Deaf Culture, but it will help those who are able to receive its benefits and want to be helped by it. Although it is a very, very touchy thing to the Deaf, and that I may never know the depths in which they feel about this problem, I will go on to say that the Cochlear Implant is an amazing device that should be embraced by those who don’t necessarily want to join the Deaf Community, namely those with hearing parents and lineage. I know that the conflict may never end on this issue, but I do at least hope there will be some peace found amidst this argument, and that the divisive device can at least be treated
This issue is important because if you try to force the Deaf to hear, they might not grow because they will have no form of communication to use with other people. Even though the doctors might say to not use ASL, this will greatly hinder your child's well-being in the long run. I learned a lot about Deaf people, ASL, and/or Deaf Culture after reading this book. Deaf people are normal, just like anybody else, and they should not be treated any differently. Some people treat deafness as a disease that needs to be cured, but it's not.
Cochlear implants are amazing feats of biomedical engineering, and have helped many people regain the ability to hear. While there are some ethical dilemmas that go along with them, there is no denying just how amazing these implants really are. By understanding how the ear works, what causes it to stop working, and using science and engineering to fix that problem, there is now a way to give someone a sense they might have never been able to experience. It can be costly, but it could drastically change someone’s life. Some people may say for worse, but there will always be someone else to say it was for better. Overall, cochlear implants are an incredible invention and will continue to grow and only get better with technology.
Lane, Harlan (1992). “Cochlear Implants are Wrong for Young Deaf Children.” Viewpoints on Deafness. Ed. Mervin D. Garretson. National Association of the Deaf, Silver Spring, MD. 89-92.
Many individuals have different views surrounding cochlear implants. Most of the Deaf community tends to be against them whereas most of the hearing community tends to be in favor of them. It is important to understand not only want a cochlear implant is, but how the different communities view the implants so that we can gain a better understanding of Deaf culture.
According to Deaf culture, getting a cochlear could be considered a rejection of the great society they love while at the same time it doesn’t making you a normal hearing person either. To get a cochlear is to say that you are “fixing” your deafness, something that Deaf consider make them unique, not broken. The Deaf culture spurns cochlear implants because not only is it incredibly expensive and fairly dangerous procedure, but it’s also giving in to the pressures from the hearing majority to give up their Deaf pride and adhere to the hearing society they exist inside of.
Metal alloys and precious metals are also used to make certain aspects of a cochlear implant. The electrode arrays that provide electrical stimulation in order to excite neurons are made out of platinum because they have very high corrosion resistance, good biocompatibility, easier to work with than iridium and have low chemical reactivity. On the other hand, metallic alloys like titanium are used to make the casing for the receiver/stimulator. Titanium is suitable for such an application because it is a light material with high corrosion resistance and rigidity and these properties are essential for the material that is going to be used to make the casing (Stöverl and Lenarz, 2009).
Cochlear implants can affect many children from the age after birth to twelve. This implant does affect children emotionally. Infants to toddlers don’t even know what is going on, they are to young to understand that they are deaf. Parents not accepting the fact their child is deaf and does not want to be part of the hearing world. Many parents whose child are born or become deaf do not want any contact with the deaf community; they just want to “fix” their child. Sad part is that the child has no idea is...
Tucker, Bonnie. “Deaf Culture, Cochlear Implants, and Elective Disability.” Hastings Center Report. 28.4 (1998): 1-12. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
What I found most interesting about Jarashow’s presentation were the two opposing views: Deaf culture versus medical professionals. Within the Deaf culture, they want to preserve their language and identity. The Deaf community wants to flourish and grow and do not view being deaf as a disability or being wrong. Jarashow stated that the medical field labels Deaf people as having a handicap or being disabled because they cannot hear. Those who are Deaf feel as though medical professionals are trying to eliminate them and relate it to eugenics. It is perceived that those in that field are trying to fix those who are Deaf and eliminate them by making them conform to a hearing world. Those within the Deaf community seem to be unhappy with devices such
From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap. While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it shouldn?t be considered a lack at all. As a h...
While Hammond views this type of genetic engineering as a duty, Davis (2008) argues that using genetic engineering on children is unconditional love by saying, “just as we should love existing children unconditionally, so we should unconditionally accept whatever child we get in the natural course of things”(p. 259). In addition, it could possibly put those disabled at a greater disadvantage than what they already are. People will focus on trying to prevent disabilities that they will eventually forget about the large portion of society constituted of disabled people. It will greatly affect the community of disabled people because it will demonstrate that society as a whole discriminates the disabled
The deaf community does not see their hearing impairment as a disability but as a culture which includes a history of discrimination, racial prejudice, and segregation. According to an online transcript,“Through Deaf Eyes” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007) there are thirty-five million Americans that are hard of hearing. Out of the thirty-five million an estimated 300,000 people are completely deaf. There are ninety percent of deaf people who have hearing parents (Halpern, C., 1996). Also, most deaf parents have hearing children. With this being the exemplification, deaf people communicate on a more intimate and significant level with hearing people all their lives. “Deaf people can be found in every ethnic group, every region, and every economic class” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007). The deaf culture and hard of hearing have plenty of arguments and divisions with living in a hearing world without sound however, that absence will be a starting point of an identity within their culture as well as the hearing culture (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007).
.... There are devices for the television and the telephone and one-on-one communication. There are remote microphones that can help improve speech understanding in noise, a major obstacle for older individuals. Remote microphones can facilitate tuning in to the conversation for the individual with cognitive issues. For some hearing-impaired individuals implantable hearing aids have become an option. They do not require batteries and they do not have to be removed when sleeping or bathing. There are also rechargeable hearing aids, which removes the necessity for changing batteries, especially for those with memory issues.
The ear is an extraordinary human organ that many people take for granted until it doesn’t function. It is the only device that allows the human to hear sounds in their environment. The ear is made up of many parts that distinguish various sounds through different means. The ear anatomy and physiology along with how sound waves are transmitted into meaningful sounds will help one understand how hearing loss occurs.
Then, when I was three years old, I had surgery to get a cochlear implant at the University of Minnesota. A cochlear implant is a small device which bypasses the damaged parts of the ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes t...