Cochlear Implants are small devices that are surgically implanted into the brains of the Deaf or severely hard of hearing that provide electronic pulses to the brain. These pulses are interpreted as sound representatives that mimic speech and other noises (NICDC). The process of being implanted is as minimally invasive as possible. The procedure takes approximately three hours and the patient is usually able to return home on the same day (Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center). To begin, the surgeon cuts a small incision in the skin just behind the ear to expose the skull. Then, it is necessary to remove the “aerated bone,” also known as a mastoidectomy. This process does not harm the ear canal and ear drum. Once this is complete, the implant is …show more content…
Deaf individuals are usually very proud to call themselves deaf. In fact, they have a saying they often use to describe this: Deaf Strong. The deaf community is very tight knit, even though it is spread across the country. While hearing people view them as disabled, the Deaf do not view themselves that way. The idea that a Deaf person can be “fixed” baffles most of the community, because they do not see their deafness as them being broken. The problem with the implants is, it takes them from both the hearing and the Deaf world. Those who are implanted are a third category that can lean more towards the hearing or Deaf but do not really fit into both. While the children are more accepting of other children, many Deaf adults are likely to view individuals with a CI as second class deaf.
There is no definitive answer as to whether Cochlear Implants are ethical or not. There are many issues that factor into how the implant is viewed: While society pulls one way, the Deaf community pulls the other. Language learning abilities are crucial to the acceptance of the implant into the body, so it works better younger, but is regarded as an invasion of the child’s will. Of course, Cochlear Implants are not going away any time soon, but the more prominent they become, due to technology innovation, the more controversial they come to