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Monica Mata
Professor Batty
English 113B
30, April 2016
Accepting the happiness of others
A cochlear implant is a medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner
ear letting the brain receive electronically sound signals. Thanks to the advancement of
technology over the past years, according to American Speech-Language-hearing Association
also known as ASHA. Cochlears were able to be invented to help people with hard of hearing
but has also created a huge controversy within Deaf hearing parents of deaf children, adults, and
family members that disagree with cochlear implants. There are some who say "My child should
remain deaf and part of the deaf community. However, those who belong to the hearing world
a term used by the deaf community to describe the rest of the world that can hear, view cochlear
implants as a magnificent progress in technology to help the deaf be better and so they can hear.
The hearing world believes that everyone who belongs to the deaf community should be fixed in
order to prevent them from suffering throughout their lifes, but what we can do is not change
them but change things that surround them to help them feel more comfortable. Cochlear
implants are not for everyone and should not be forced to change their lives, however, what we
should do is not change them but change things that surround them to help them feel more
comfortable. Cochlear implants are not for everyone, and deaf people should not be forced to
change their lives.
The Deaf culture is like any other unique society with its own unique language and
customs, as explained on a book called Hearing Impairment and Cochlear Implants by Eleni

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Mourtou. The Deaf community has its own customs, attitudes, and values which unite Deaf
people just as any other culture would. Rather than feeling separated from the hearing world
because of their deafness the Deaf community feels united, they do not view being deaf as a
disability but as a privilege, a common bond that brings them all together. As in any other culture
the Deaf community has developed its own language, ASL, which is a full-fledged natural
language, unrelated to English, with a complex grammar and art forms all its own (Mourtou
15). With their own way to communicate, just as in any ethnic culture with its own language, the
Deaf community has separated from the hearing world and into a world all their own. These
traditions and opinions are different from those held by the hearing world, and may be difficult to
understand unless one has experienced being deaf. Therefor, we should not force deaf people to
proceed with a cochlear implant if it is not a decision they want to make.
The ongoing debate over cochlear implants is an extremely sensitive subject. As is true
in any debate, there are two sides and both need to be understood. The newspaper The Atlantic
released an article called Understanding Deafness: Not Everyone Wants to Be 'Fixed' by Ringo
Allegra, where she fights for the rights of the deaf people who are against cochlear implants or
any other hearing method for the deaf. Ringo says, Hearing people often assume that Deaf
people would naturally want to take advantage of any method that could lead them to the hearing
world especially cochlear implants, the most advanced hearing technology we have. In reality,
that assumption is far from true. In other words, not everyone who is deaf wants an implant
because, they know the advantages but choose to ignore it because they feel comfortable with
who they are. During her article she also mentions The debate stems from a fundamental
disagreement: one group sees deafness as a disability, and the other group sees it as a culture.
Hearing people see deafness as a disability instead of just another culture. A term used by the

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hearing to describe someone who agrees to a cochlear implant is this deaf person has been
Fixed. I dont believe this term is appropriate to describe them because there is nothing to fix
they are human beings that have more of a disadvantage than everyone else but manage to live a
normal life. While the hearing parent wishes for a child that will be hearing as well, the members
of the Deaf community welcome the birth of another deaf child, someone that will be like them
and grow up in the way that they had. According to a Gallaudet University genetic counselor, a
deaf school, many of our Deaf families are not interested in fixing or curing deaf genes
many couples come in and wantDeaf children (Tucker). This means that it is not that Deaf
parents want their children to experience the same frustrations that they had but instead Deaf
parents wish to be able to relate to their children. Parents of deaf children do not wish to change
their kids, instead they accept to love them and manage to find ways to help them corporate in to
the world.
The other side of the debate is those who are against believing that the deaf community is
happy and should be fixed with Cochlear implants. They believe getting the implant is no big
deal and that instead the deaf community should be grateful of the new technology and new
inventions created for them to have a regular life as everyone else. What Cochlear Implants Did
for My Son is a recent article in The Wall Street Journal written by Lydia Denworth, a novelist
who recently opened up about dealing with a son who is deaf. During this article Denworth
shares her story on how her son was able to have a normal life after he had the implant.
Denworth says there was no drastic changes in her life or her sons: The only obvious difference
is the piece of brown plastic he wears on his ear and the magnet that attaches it to his head.
Deaf people know that life can be a bit easier for them if they were like everyone else and that
there are ways for them to be able to hear again even if its electronically; however, what is not

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taken in consideration is how a Cochlear implants has a higher price range than a hearing aid.
Total cost of a cochlear implant that includes evaluation, device, surgery, and rehabilitation can
cost approximately $100,000. Unfortunately, some insurance or Medicare companies do not
cover the full cost as explained on American Academy of Otolaryngology a website where
information is given regarding cochlear implants. Most of the times it is not 100% assured that it
would restore full or almost full hearing. These implants dont always work on everyone and no
test can be taken before the implant to analyze who qualifies for the implants.
Cochlear implants have become a worldwide controversy that involves both the Deaf and
the hearing cultures. Although some benefits exist from cochlear implants like restoring hearing
to a couple of deaf people we still dont take in consideration that not everyone wants to be fixed.
What is even more alarming being the fact that the implants are risky and not always effective.
Rather than vanquishing Deaf people regarding cochlear implants, the hearing world and the
Deaf world should work together to preserve the Deaf community, and it should be recognized
for the unique culture that it is. By implanting Deaf adults, and children the culture is on danger
of being destroyed. Reading stories of how many deaf people are against having a cochlear
implant is extremely shocking. I wasnt aware of how proud the deaf community are of their
deaf culture. I believe that both culture and community have a major impact on an individuals
life. In my opinion if the family of a Deaf child does not want it to have a cochlear because it can
distort he or she from the culture or the community then they should make the decision for them
until the child is able to make their own decision. Not every deaf person is unhappy for who they
are, a great amount of the deaf community is proud of being deaf because its what makes them
special. Therefor, the hearing world should not pressure every deaf person to have a Cochlear

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implant because not everyone in the deaf community wish to be fixed or changed, we need to
accept the happiness of others.

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"Cochlear Implants." American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. N.p., 21

Apr. 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2016. http://www.entnet.org/content/cochlearimplants
Denworth Lydia. "What Cochlear Implants Did for My Son." WSJ. N.p., 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 07
Apr. 2016.
Mourtou, Eleni. Hearing Impairment and Cochlear Implants: A Conversation Analytic Study of
Teachers' Actions in Response to the Storytelling of Children with Cochlear Implants: Ph. D
Dissertation. Sonderborg: Department of Design and Communication, University of Southern
Denmark, 2014. Print.
Ringo, Allegra. "Understanding Deafness: Not Everyone Wants to Be 'Fixed'" The Atlantic.
Atlantic Media Company, 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Tucker, Poitras. "Allegheny College. Student Disability Services Students Who Are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.