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Monica Mata
Professor Batty

Accepting the happiness of others

English 113B
04/7/16
A cochlear implant is a medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner
ear letting the brain receive electronically sound signals. This technology has advanced
tremendously over the past 20 years, according to American Speech-Language-hearing
Association also known as ASHA. Cochlear implants had created a huge controversy. Deaf
hearing parents of deaf children,adults, and family members have strong feelings regarding
cochlear implants. There are some who say "My child should remain deaf and part of the deaf
community. However, some individuals 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 to 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.
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
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

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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 (pg.15). With
their own way to communicate, just as in an ethic culture with its own language, the Deaf
community has separated from the hearing world and into a world all their own. The sense of
comradery among the Deaf community has led to the establishments of customs, attitudes,
values that are unique to the Deaf world (pg.20). 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.
The ongoing debate over cochlear implants is an extremely sensitive subject. As is true
in any debate, there are two sides both need to be understood, and viewed with open eyes and
minds. The newspaper The Atlantic released an article called Understanding Deafness: Not
Everyone Wants to Be 'Fixed' by Allegra Ringo, where Ringo 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 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, another thing hearing use to describe someone who agrees to a cochlear implant
is Fixed them. I dont believe this term is appropriate to describe them because there is nothing
to fix they are human beings that just has a less disadvantage than everyone else but manages to

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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
genesmany couples come in and wantDeaf children(Poitras 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.
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 is no big deal 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 a recent article
on 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 drastically
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 taken in consideration is how a
Cochlear implant can be More expensive than a hearing aid, the total cost of a cochlear implant,
including evaluation, surgery, device, and rehabilitation can cost as much as $100,000.
Unfortunately, most insurance companies and Medicare provide benefits do not cover the cost as
explained on American Academy of Otolaryngology a website where information is given
regarding cochlear implants. Most of the times is not 100% assure it would restore full or almost

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full hearing. This implants dont always work on everyone and no test can be taken before the
implant to analyze who qualifies for the implants. Getting an implant is a long process it can take
years to be fully prepared for the surgery and after for the body to get used to it, it is a longer
process than learning ASL.
Cochlear implants have become a worldwide controversy that involves both the Deaf and the
hearing cultures. Although some benefits exist regarding cochlear implants, there has been some
success with restoring hearing the richness of the Deaf community and the risks involved cannot
beignored. By implanting Deaf adults, and children alike the culture is being destroyed. What is
even more alarming being the fact that the implants are both 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. It was amazing to me how many deaf people were against the
idea of having a cochlear implant. I never knew how proud deaf people are of their deaf
culture. It seemed to me like the deaf culture was segregating themselves from the rest of the
hearing world. I believe that both culture and community have a major impact on an
individuals life. If the parents of a child who is deaf believe that cochlear implants will change
or distort the childs sense of culture or community, the child should remain without the implant
until he/she is able to make their own decision. I had acknowledged more information regarding
the deaf community and things that create them I can understand why its so important to them
and why its such a controversy for people to tell them they need to be fixed. Not every deaf
person is unhappy for who they are a great amount of the deaf community are proud and being
deaf is what makes them special.

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Denworth Lydia. "What Cochlear Implants Did for My Son." WSJ. N.p., 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 07
Apr. 2016.
Ringo, Allegra. "Understanding Deafness: Not Everyone Wants to Be 'Fixed'" The Atlantic.
Atlantic Media Company, 9 Aug. 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. Snderborg: Department of Design and Communication, Iniversity of Southern
Denmark, 2014. Print.
Tucker, Poitras. "Allegheny College." Student Disability Services Students Who Are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

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Professors comments
Major sections of this essay are plagiarized. This is totally unacceptable. We have had whole
class discussions about avoiding plagiarism, so there is really no excuse at this point. You need to
re-write this essay for the portfolio, and I will be looking to make sure that you are not
plagiarizing.
The topic of your essay is great. Its very interesting, but you need to use your own words and
not copy from websites