Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants raise many controversial issues in today’s society. After thinking over what I would do if I had a child that was born deaf, I decided that I would give my child the implant. Many people may not agree with this choice, but I believe it would be the best for the child in today’s world.                  One of the reasons I think that these would be more beneficial to a child than just a hearing aid or no help at all is because in the world today the deaf community is becoming less and less prominent. It would be hard to find quality education for children who need to be signed to. Heather’s parents had to move cities just to find a school that would accommodate her deafness. Not every family is able to relocate to find a deaf school. The implant gives the child the opportunity to live like every other child, but still embrace deafness.  I also feel like they would not fit in with the community. Not many people know how to sign, and the few that do, are scattered. I believe it would be hard to communicate with those who do not know sign language. I still believe, however, that a child who is born deaf should be taught sign language. This will help to keep the deaf community alive. Deaf people who chose not to get the implant don’t want their community of deaf people to go extinct. They want to know why hearing people have a problem with people being deaf. I don’t think that people necessarily have a problem with people who are deaf, I just think that the world is changing and today’s lifestyle doesn’t accommodate for deafness as well as it did in the past.

 I would also want to give my child every opportunity that he or she could ever want. It is sometimes not reasonable to have an interpreter by your side for every action done at your job. The economy is tight today, and employers are looking to hire the least amount of people possible. Hiring a deaf person would most likely mean hiring an interpreter for that person as well. However, then the company would have to pay two people instead of one. I am not saying that employers would always discriminate against the deaf. I just think that it would be more of a hassle, and people today want to go the easy route.

If I were to implant my child I would have a few criteria that I would follow. First, I would implant them at a young age so that they have the best chance of speaking. It is also easier to learn language at a younger age. The deaf community, however, is worried that kids with speech only focus on speaking, not signing. I can see where they are coming from. I personally find that to be true. It is hard to learn how to speak and sign at the same time. The brain will get confused. That is why I propose that you implant the child at a young age and let their speech develop nicely. Then, when they have mastered having the implant, teach them sign language to let them know what kind of community they are also a part of. Teach them about the condition that they were born with. That way the language of signing can be kept alive, and those who are against the implant can still feel like they can function normally.

I can fully understand where the people of the deaf culture are coming from. I, too, would be offended if my child was born deaf, like me, and wanted to get the implant. I would wonder if I wasn’t good enough for him or her. I would also be offended that hearing people would think that I couldn’t find work that was suitable for me. I understand all of their concerns. However, I feel like for a child to be born deaf in today’s world, he or she would struggle. He or she would struggle socially as well as academically. I would certainly consider leaving my child deaf in we lived in a different world. There are just too many people going to implants that sign language is becoming less known and harder to come by. With these reasons in mind, I would choose to have my child implanted.