Cochlear Implants

A cochlear implant is a
surgically implanted electronic
device that provides a sense of
sound to a person who is
profoundly deaf or severely hard
of hearing. They can provide
some hearing to deaf patients.
The quality of the sound is not as
great as regular hearing, but in
many cases it is sufficient.
Facts about Cochlear Implants-
The younger a child born deaf is implanted the greater the
benefit achieved in the areas of speech perception and
speech and language development
Research has shown cochlear implants to be one of the
most cost-effective medical treatments of our day, far
greater than coronary bypass surgery or kidney dialysis
The implants do not completely restore hearing. In many
cases the sound quality is not as great as a hearing
persons sound quality. However, the quality is good
enough for patients to hear and understand language.
Personal Opinions-
When deciding on cochlear implants
for a child, I believe it truly depends
on the family the child is born to. If
it is a completely deaf family, then it
would make since to not get the
implant. If they were born to a
hearing family, then they should get
the implant. However I also believe
that all deaf people should learn sign
language in order to respect their
deaf culture because there isnt
really a way of completely restoring
hearing. Also, having an implant
could open up more opportunities in
a hearing world. This could further
their education and communication
with others.
The Debate-
When discussing cochlear implants, some people
believe that it is opposing deaf culture. They
believe that they are turning deaf folk into
hearing people only. In contrast, others believe
that cochlear implants really expand on the
learning ability and communication of the deaf.