The Parents' Guide to Cochlear Implants

Appendix A: NAD Position Statement on Cochlear Implants

179 NAD POSITION STATEMENT NAD Position Statement on Cochlear Implants Appendix A The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is an education and advocacy organization committed to promotion, protection, and preservation of the rights and quality of life of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The targeted audience for this paper includes parents of deaf children, deaf individuals, medical professionals,and the media. The NAD recognizes that diversity within the deaf community itself , and within the deaf experience, has not been acknowledged or explained very clearly in the public forum. Deafness is diverse in its origin and history, in the adaptive responses made to it, and in the choices that deaf adults and parents of deaf children continue to make about the ever-increasing range of communication and assistive technology options. Diversity requires mutual respect for individual and/or group differences and choices. The NAD welcomes all individuals regardless of race,religion, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, cultural orientation, mode of communication, preferred language use, hearing status, educational background, and use of technologies. The NAD also welcomes deaf, hard of hearing and hearing family members, educators, and other professionals serving deaf and hard of hearing children and adults. The NAD subscribes to the wellness model upon which the physical and psychosocial integrity of deaf children and adults is based. The general public needs information about the lives of the vast majority of deaf and hard of hearing individuals who have achieved optimal adjustments in all phases of life, have well-integrated and healthy personalities , and have attained self-actualizing levels of functioning, all with or without the benefits of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices. The NAD recognizes all technological advancements with the potential to foster,enhance,and improve the quality of life of all deaf and hard of hearing persons. During the past three decades, technological 180 APPENDIX A developments such as closed captioning, e-mail and the Internet, twoway pagers, text telephones, telecommunications relay services, video interpreting services,visual alerting devices,vibro-tactile devices,hearing aids, amplification devices, audio loop and listening systems have had an important role in leveling the playing field. The role of the cochlear implant in this regard is evolving and will certainly change in the future. Cochlear implants are not appropriate for all deaf and hard of hearing children and adults. Cochlear implantation is a technology that represents a tool to be used in some forms of communication,and not a cure for deafness. Cochlear implants provide sensitive hearing, but do not, by themselves, impart the ability to understand spoken language through listening alone. In addition,they do not guarantee the development of cognition or reduce the benefit of emphasis on parallel visual language and literacy development. The NAD recognizes the rights of parents to make informed choices for their deaf and hard of hearing children, respects their choice to use cochlear implants and all other assistive devices, and strongly supports the development of the whole child and of language and literacy. Parents have the right to know about and understand the various options available, including all factors that might impact development. While there are some successes with implants, success stories should not be over-generalized to every individual. Rationale: The focus of the 2000 NAD position statement on cochlear implants is on preserving and promoting the psychosocial integrity of deaf and hard of hearing children and adults. The adverse effects of inflammatory statements about the deaf population of this country must be addressed. Many within the medical profession continue to view deafness essentially as a disability and an abnormality and believe that deaf and hard of hearing individuals need to be “fixed” by cochlear implants. This pathological view must be challenged and corrected by greater exposure to and interaction with well-adjusted and successful deaf and hard of hearing individuals. The media often describe deafness in a negative light, portraying deaf and hard of hearing children and adults as handicapped and secondclass citizens in need of being “fixed” with cochlear implants. There is little or no portrayal of successful, well adjusted deaf and hard of hearing children and adults without implants. A major reason implantation and oral language training have been pursued so aggressively by the media, the medical profession, and parents is not simply because of the hoped- 181 NAD POSITION STATEMENT for benefits that come with being able to hear in...