There are many research articles that promote cochlear implants and its benefits for the deaf community. However, many individuals of the Deaf community believe that this fairly new 'medical miracle' is really a cultural threat to their community.
"Falling on deaf ears: to most people, cochlear implants sound like a medical miracle--a device the size of a candy corn that can correct the inability to hear. But many in the Deaf community see the technology as a cultural threat, yet another example of the hearing world's inability to really listen" written by Jenny Desai investigates this controversy between many hearing individuals and their pro-view on cochlear implants versus the differing view of the deaf community.
After the FDA's approval of implants in young children there has been a manifestation of different arguments on the topic. Here are a few:
1. Medical Concerns
a) Individuals being implanted are at increased risk for meningitis as a result of inner ear fluid leaks.
b) There is no gurantee that all individuals who undergo cochlear implantation will receive the same beneficial outcome because there is a 'variation in individual experience' (Desai, 2005).
c) The patient may be more profoundy deaf than before if the surgery fails because the surgery damages any residual hearing the individual has.
2. Economic Concerns
a) The cochlear implant and follow up care is approximately $40,000. Many individuals who do not have insurance may not have access to this service. Moreover, individuals with insurance may also have a difficulty paying this fee as some insurance companies will resfuse to cover the cost.
3. Humanitarian and Cutural Concerns
a) Cochlear implants are usually best done on young children to increase their chances of learning spoken langauge and speech; however, the cochlear implant is pushed unto these babies beacuse they cannot decide at that tender age if they would like a cochlear implant. These implanted children then grow up with the impression that they have a problem instead of embracing their deaf culture like many other individuals from the Deaf community.
King Jordan was once asked if he got the opportunity to hear if he would. This was his answer:
"That's almost like asking a black person if he would rather be white ... I don't think of myself as missing something or as incomplete ... It's a common fallacy if you don't know deaf people or deaf issues. You think it's a limitation." -King Jordan, the first deaf president of Gallaudet University
Although there are many Deaf advocates claiming that cochlear implants are "tantamount to cultural genocide" many individuals from the Deaf commmunity are becoming more open-minded about cochlear implants.
View the full artcicle here: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/apps/doc/A171535809/AONE?u=tamp44898&sid=AONE&xid=af3bf2c9
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