Assignment #2 Outline

Why are Cochlear Implants Such a Controversial Subject?

Introduction:

What if you were deaf, and were given a chance to gain some of your hearing abilities back? If you said yes, you would get cochlear implants: medical devices created to give partial hearing abilities to those who are hard of hearing or deaf. Many people would consider your decision to get the implantation to be an easy decision and objective undertaking with years of medicine and technological advances behind it. However, the use of cochlear implants has actually aroused heated debate between Deaf and hearing people. Members of the hearing community and often those who have become deaf later in life consider it illogical to refuse to have a deficit like deafness removed or lessened if at all possible. However, members of the Deaf community consider cochlear implants not only an invasive procedure, but unnecessary as they are proud of their Deafness and see no need for the implants to change something that does not need changing and is not “impaired.” These two extremely divergent opinions are why the topic of cochlear implants needs to be evaluated. This paper will look at each side of the controversy and what they believe are the benefits and issues for each in order to answer the question: why are cochlear implants such a controversial subject? Additionally, this paper will briefly evaluate the similarities of the two arguments as well as gaps in research that should be considered.

Main point I. For cochlear implants:

Sub point A: Benefits with implants

-Belong to the hearing community

[Use Martha’s Vinyard and others]

-Better speech understanding/mimic speech

[Use …And Success and Elective Disability and Will Sign Language Die]

-Ability to participate in society better

[Use “Doors” “academically, social, culturally, and vocationally with their hearing family and peers” and others]

Sub point B: the issues of refusing implants

-Isolation from the hearing culture because they are unable to communicate and are considered impaired by many

[Use Will Sign Language Die? And Reconsidering and Elective Disability]

-Lessened quality of life

[Use Cochlear implants and Martha’s Vineyard and …Success… “…feelings of hopelessness, despair, and even shame…degrades the multiplicity of neural circuits that are responsible for information processing, especially those involved in the acquisition of speech and language.”]

Main point II. Against cochlear implants:

Sub point A: Benefits without implants

-Belong to the deaf community (cultural view)

[Use Letting Deaf be Deaf and Martha’s Vinyard sources]

-Being able to fully communicate with d/Deaf peers with ASL

[Will Sign Language die? and?]

Sub point B: the issues with choosing implants

-Losing Deaf Culture

[Use Martha’s Vineyard and ?]

-Poor efficacy/Unpredictable/Doesn’t restore normal hearing

[Use Let the Deaf be Deaf and …Success…and Opportunity…]

-Child can not decide for themselves

[Use Opportunity and Elective Disability]

Conclusion:  

Similarities

Either choice can be expensive:

A: For those who are unable to hear, educational facilities just for the Deaf are few and expensive.

[Use Elective Disability and Letting the Deaf be Deaf]

-Cochlear implants costs thousands and thousands of dollars and they remain unpredictable still.

[Use Will Sign Language Die? And ]

B: gaps that need to be addressed

Firstly, more interviews with individuals who were old enough to experience life both unable to hear and then with cochlear implants should be conducted.

Additionally, discussions with those directly involved in both sides of the argument are lacking. Currently, there are mostly discussions generated by highly opinionated and privileged hearing individuals with no close connection to the issue.

C: Summary

Why this issue needs to be discussed.

End with a question to connect to the next project and research.