Interesting bit of info from WRAD NEWS . . .
MYTHS AND LIES ABOUT COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
WRAD is SHOCKED that there are lies and myths and a lot of wrong
information being spread about cochlear implants and people who choose
to receive cochlear implants to improve their independence, their lives
and their careers.
Even much worse, a lot of these LIES are being spread by ASL
Interpreters, apparently for two reasons: (1) They are so fascinated
with "sign language" that they do not want any prelingually deaf person
(born deaf or early deafened) to have the ability to hear or to speak;
and (2) they want the MONEY that comes to them from keeping deaf people
dependent... ON THEM!
OK, it is time to STOP these rumors and lies and myths! It is time to
focus on the REAL NEEDS of deaf people, for more independence and more
access to the whole world. Here are the LIES we have been hearing about,
and here is the TRUTH!
LIE #1: THERE IS A "HOLE" IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD OF A COCHLEAR IMPLANT
RECIPIENT
This is absolute NONSENSE! THERE IS NO "HOLE"! The headpiece attaches
magnetically. There is a small metallic section of the implant under the
scalp skin. There is a magnet in the headpiece. Ask ANYONE you know who
has a cochlear implant to temporarily remove their headpiece and see for
yourself!
LIE #2: SOME HEARING PEOPLE "FORCE" DEAF PEOPLE TO GET COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
This is a LIE. No one can "force" anyone to get a cochlear implant (ci).
When a deaf individual wishes to receive INFORMATION about the ci
technology, they must go through a full ci EVALUATION to get INFORMATION
ONLY. These evaluations are done through a certified ci center, and
simply involve a more thorough audiological test; a test of the hearing
nerves (most deaf people have fully functional hearing nerves --
"deafness" is caused by damage to the cells in the cochlea); a CT scan
of the cochlea bones (about 5 minutes for each ear); a discussion and
education session with a ci audiologist; and a full medical evaluation
by an ci-trained ENT physician. These evaluations are for INFORMATION
ONLY, and do not involve "surgery" or any "pressure" by anyone.
[NOTE: If you wish to have a ci evaluation, go to
http://www.bionicear.com/clinics/clinics.html , contact the location
near where you live and ask for a ci evaluation. If you are under an HMO
medical insurance plan, tell your Primary Care Physician (PPO) to refer
you to an ENT specialist within your HMO network for a ci evaluation]
LIE #3: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ARE "DANGEROUS"
Absolutely WRONG! No one has ever died from ci surgery. In fact, ci
surgery is MICROSURGERY, so small that the surgeon needs to use
magnifying glasses. The entire "surgery" through the skull bone is no
bigger than this typed "O". There are very few side effects after
surgery and all of them are TEMPORARY. Proper care of the stitches after
surgery prevents skin infections. The "meningitis risk" you have been
hearing about is primarily in young children between birth to 6 years
old, and is preventable by a simple immunization (everyone should be
immunized against meningitis anyway).
LIE #4: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS MAKE PEOPLE INTO "ROBOTS" OR "ALIENS"
Absolutely, definitely NOT TRUE! The cochlear implant is simply an inner
ear radio transmitter. It just sits on top of the damaged cells on the
surface of the cochlea bone and sends radio signals of ALL sounds to the
hearing nerves. There is NOTHING "connected to" any nerves of the body
or to the brain.
LIE #5: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS "DESTROY DEAF CULTURE"
No they DON'T! "Deaf Culture" is primarily about the gestural languages
(such as ASL in the USA and Canada), unrelated to spoken phonetic
languages, that are used by BOTH deaf AND hearing people all over the
world. These gestural languages can be learned AT ANY TIME in any
person's life. In fact, many late-deafened people and many ASL
interpreters have proved that gestural languages can be learned at any
age. If an ASL interpreter can have the best of BOTH worlds (gestural
and phonetic), then why can't a deaf person have the same benefits? WE
CAN!
LIE #6: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS COST "A LOT OF MONEY"
Not true! All major health insurance plans pay IN FULL for the ci
surgery and TWO sound processors (body-worn and BTE) and all
attachments, and most of them also cover, or reimburse for, all of the
replacement batteries, cords, etc.
LIE #7: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS "DON'T WORK" FOR PRELINGUALLY DEAF ADULTS
WRONG AGAIN! We all have TWO different "auditory systems" in our brains!
The BASIC level of the human auditory system is for identification of
ENVIRONMENTAL sounds. This is called the "WHERE" auditory system, and
this part of the auditory system has ALWAYS BEEN activated and fully
functional, for ALL sounds, for prelingually deaf adults, from the time
the ci is first activated.
The other part of the human auditory system is at a higher level for
understanding of other people when they are speaking. This is called the
"WHAT" (speech identification) part of the auditory system. IN THE PAST,
this benefit was not available to prelingually deaf people because of
limitations of technology. BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE ANYMORE! The most recent
advances in ci technology, in just the past few years, NOW permit
prelingually deaf people to be able to learn listening skills for
understanding human speech.
Because of the most recent improvements in ci technology, it is now
possible, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY, for a prelingually deaf
person to activate BOTH their "WHERE" auditory system AND their "WHAT"
auditory system. If a deaf child is implanted during the period of
development of the "WHAT" auditory system (between birth and age 3,
preferably), and IF that child is properly educated in listening skills,
the deaf child functions as a MILDLY HARD OF HEARING person, with
outstanding and clear speech and without the need for continual
"communication assistants" (which is why ASL interpreters and others who
MAKE MONEY from keeping deaf people dependent are trying to PREVENT deaf
people and especially deaf children from becoming independent).
If you want to see the NEW GENERATION of deaf children, go to
http://www.oraldeafed.org , click on "Oral Deaf Education Schools" and
go visit these children at a school nearest to where you live!
Also, on the same webpage, click on "Free Materials" and order the 60
minute videotape called "Speaking for Myself" and WATCH IT (it's
captioned), and order any other materials you want -- THEY ARE ALL FREE!
LIE #8: COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ARE THE SAME AS "HEARING AIDS"
Absolutely WRONG! A hearing aid blasts sound into the outer, middle and
inner ears. For a deaf person, the cells in the inner ear that transmit
sounds are DEAD. If doesn't matter how much sound you blast into the ear
since those sounds won't ever be heard by the auditory nerves. All a
deaf person gets from a hearing aid is VIBRATIONS, not actual sounds,
and a lot of headaches.
A cochlear implant provides direct transmissions to the auditory nerves.
There are NO vibrations at all, and the sounds are very clear and
distinct, ALL SOUNDS, much more than anyone can hear with a hearing aid.
A person with a cochlear implant hears sounds the same way as a hearing
person. Ask ANY hearing person how they "hear sounds" -- they don't feel
ANYTHING AT ALL when they hear! In fact, hearing people don't even know
their ears are there -- they hear in their brain, NOT "in their ear"! So
do ci users, and there are no "earmolds" to bother them either.
LIE #9: COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS "DISAPPEAR" FROM THEIR OWN DEAF COMMUNITY
No they don't! Most ci users, especially prelingually deaf adults, were
implanted too late in life for their "WHAT" auditory system to be fully
functional, even though their "WHERE" auditory system IS fully
functional, which greatly improves and assists lipreading ability. MOST
ci users DO want to participate in the deaf community, but they are
BEING INSULTED, DEFAMED, EXCLUDED, ISOLATED AND ATTACKED by stupid
people who do not understand the truth about cochlear implants. THIS IS
WRONG! It is WRONG to attack and hurt innocent people in the deaf
community who want to be more independent!
ASL interpreters, who regularly participate within Deaf Culture and the
deaf community have FULL hearing and speech ability, PLUS the FULL
ability to communicate in gestural language, too. WHAT IS SO "WRONG" IF
DEAF PEOPLE WANT TO DO THE SAME?
If HEARING or even hard of hearing people within the deaf community are
"threatened" by this, then they should NOT BE IN the deaf community or
in OUR Deaf Culture organizations and groups! We who are PHYSICALLY DEAF
have the same rights as everyone else to have as much access as possible
to BOTH the world of sound AND the world of silence!
[end of part 1]
that Bush dude is brilliant!!!
