Appreciating the cochlear implant

Sat Dec 6 22:10:43 UTC 2008

Hoi,
Valerie, thank you for your reply. I do realise that in many ways the
subject is off topic. As you know, my fascination with everything to do with
the Deaf culture started with SignWriting. This makes me probably one of a
kind. I do blog about my experiences, and I did ask the "other" mailinglist,
the one for linguists interested in sign languages, to help me understand
the cochlear implant because as I wrote, I do not appreciate it fully. I
understand that this is shared by many people, it is certainly reflected in
the status of the Wikipedia article. I would love to see better information
on this subject, a more neutral view on this subject there.

I am really grateful for the responses from the people sharing their
experience of their cochlear implant. I even got an off list replies.. As I
understand it  now, the appreciation of the cochlear implant is not
universally shared nor understood. My understanding is just that, it does
not matter materially in any way, while people who have to deal with
cochlear implants for themselves, or for their kids need the best
information. I really apreciate the first person testimonies that I have
read, I consider them a priviledge.

So thank you all. I am priviledged by getting the response that I did. For
your information, on November 29th the request for American Sign Language
was given the staus of eligible... :)
Thanks,
       Gerard

2008/12/6 Valerie Sutton <signwriting at mac.com>

> SignWriting ListDecember 6, 2008
>
> Hello Gerard!
> Thank you for this message.
>
> Although the cochlear implant is an important subject to understand, it is
> technically not related to SignWriting at all...Two very different subjects.
> I am not an expert on the physical side of deafness and the issues that
> surround it, so I have to leave the discussion of cochlear implants to
> others...I hope others can answer you here on the List...
>
> The cochlear implant does come up sometimes, when discussing writing sign
> languages with SignWriting, but that may be a misunderstanding by the people
> who are asking the questions...Sign languages are used by both deaf and
> hearing people around the world, and are real languages that would exist,
> whether there are good hearing aids or not...
>
> One day, a hearing parent who had just given an operation of a cochlear
> implant to her deaf child, wrote to tell me that sign language would fade
> and die away, because now the cochlear implant was "curing deafness"...those
> were her exact words...and the implication of the email was that SignWriting
> would therefore not be used, because sign language itself would die out...
>
> But I explained to her that sign languages are real languages, that would
> exist whether there are deaf people in the world or not...of course it is
> true that a lot of Deaf cultures use sign languages because they are
> necessary and natural, but even if deafness itself were cured, there will
> still be people using sign languages in the world...because they are
> naturally evolved languages that are used by many different kinds of
> people...and therefore, writing those languages will always be useful.
>
> And last, I don't believe, that every deaf child in the world can afford
> such operations, and it is my understanding that in many cases, even after
> the cochlear implant is implanted, that the child is still a deaf child and
> needs an education like other deaf children...but that is what I heard from
> teachers of the deaf...I do not know more than that ;-))
>
> Thanks again for your question -
>
> Val ;-)
>
> ----------
>
>
>
> On Dec 6, 2008, at 6:04 AM, Gerard Meijssen wrote:
>
> Hoi,
> In several discussions about sign languages and SignWriting, the subject of
> the cochlear implant was mentioned. I have been doing some reading on the
> subject. I find it hard to learn what a cochlear implant does for someone
> who gets an operation and has one implanted. I learned that the operation is
> not without risks and the soundfiles that I listened to on the Internet do
> not give 22 channel quality.
>
> The Wikipedia article is deemed to be not good enough. So I am really
> looking for an improved article and also in a better appreciation of such
> devices.
> Thanks,
>      Gerard
>
> http://ultimategerardm.blogspot.com/2008/12/cochlear-implant.html
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant
>
>
>
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