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The Cochlear Implant-Struggles and Facts

The cochlear implant is a device that does not restore hearing, but helps the deaf and hard-of-hearing hear and understand sounds and speech. There is an internal part under the skin, placed surgically, and an outer part, the processor. There are pros and cons to having a cochlear implant, including risks, cost, and social struggle, as well as better quality of life and more success. Recipients of cochlear implants often struggle socially, however. They feel as if they are stuck between two worlds - the hearing world and the deaf world. While the cochlear implant can help deaf or hard-of-hearing recipients hear successfully, it has its downsides. Background noise has consistently been an issue for CI users, as they cannot tune other sounds out like hearing people can. This leads to problems socially because the users can miss out on or avoid social situations. The users can also face discrimination from the Deaf community. Deaf people believe that the cochlear implant is an attempt by hearies (Deaf word for hearing people) to fix them or try and cure them. Deaf people don’t see themselves as having a disability - rather, they view themselves as a minority. They believe that a deaf or hard-of-hearing child that receives cochlear implants is being denied their natural, original culture and language, and that the parents don’t think their child is good enough. Cochlear implants users are not only cut off from some aspects of the the hearing world, but they are shunned in the deaf world too. The cochlear implant offers a chance to have a better life, filled with sounds and opportunities, but it is not for everyone. It is a big decision to make and an impactful one at that.