Are Cochlear Implants Threatening The Deaf Community

Are Cochlear Implants Threatening the Deaf Community? According to the Deaf Culture Centre, Deaf Culture is defined as the â€Å"heart of the Deaf community everywhere in the world. Language and culture are inseparable. They are intertwined and passed down through generations of Deaf people.† It is estimated that nearly 20 percent of Americans live with some form of hearing loss, yet deaf and hard of hearing society members remain oppressed by the mainstream culture (Callis). These people that identify with the deaf culture, use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. ASL is a combination of hand signs and facial expressions that are unique to the Deaf community. Deaf people view deafness as a blessing and a unique way to live life. They are very proud and prideful. In the Deaf culture, the decision of getting a cochlear implant has been controversial for many years. The National Institute on Deafness defines the cochlear implant as, â€Å"†¦ a small, complex elect ronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.† The cochlear implant was first introduced in 1979 and it is estimated that 324,000 implants have been implanted worldwide. The surgery is proven to work better when the child being implanted is young, preferably younger than five. It is ideal to implant a child before their language or speech has developed. The FDA has approved children as young as 12-months old to receive the cochlear implant. ToShow MoreRelatedEssay on Are Cochlear Implants a Threat to the Deaf Community? 1683 Words   |  7 Pagesdeafness, the invention of cochlear implants (CIs) now allows people who are severely hard of hearing or profoundly deaf to experience sound in a completely new way. This surgically implanted electronic device can provide a prosthetic substitute for hearing in deaf individuals. While everyone can agree this device has changed the way the world views deafness, o pinions differ on whether this change is for the better or for the worse. The argument over cochlear implants raises the question should