Cochlear Implants

While pondering on the subjects I have touched in this blog, I realized I never even mentioned cochlear implants (CI). The following information (except the photo) was taken from the NIDCD website:

What is a cochlear implant?

A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. An implant has the following parts:

* A microphone, which picks up sound from the environment.
* A speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone.
* A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses.
* An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve.

An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech.

How does a cochlear implant work?

A cochlear implant is very different from a hearing aid. Hearing aids amplify sounds so they may be detected by damaged ears. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound. Hearing through a cochlear implant is different from normal hearing and takes time to learn or relearn. However, it allows many people to recognize warning signals, understand other sounds in the environment, and enjoy a conversation in person or by telephone.

I think the reason this subject never came up yet in my blog is because it is an extremely "hot" topic in the Deaf community which I have learned to avoid with grace. The reason for this is that many people in the Deaf community are extremely proud to be Deaf. They would never even consider changing the fact that they are Deaf. Some of these people believe getting a cochlear implant is a way of disrespecting their deafness. On the other hand, there are some who feel if they were a candidate for getting the implant, they would jump on the idea. The whole idea of the cochlear implant has stirred many mixed feelings and has even destroyed close family relationships. If you are truly interested in this subject, I would recommend an entertaining yet informative movie called Sound and Fury. This movie accurately demonstrates the quarrels some families have gone through because of cochlear implants.

What VRS can look like for Deaf consumers

This video is good to give an idea of what VRS looks like. Yes, I realize it is quite sarcastic and in the end is an advertisement but I felt it was good for others to see just what Deaf people have to deal with at times. This is yet another example of a presentation of something that does, unfortunately, happen in real life - of course, not quite this dramatic. But one must realize in order for this commercial to make sense, it means it has some truth to the matter.



Kind of sad, don't you think?

Of course, had I been the interpreter in this situation a problem like this wouldn't exist.

I challenge you to consider this video the next time you go to pick up your phone to make a call. Though technology has brought on many wonderful and exciting new inventions to the Deaf community, it also brings with it many new problems. And it is still not as simple as picking up the phone, dialing a number, and hearing the person pick up on the other line.

Funny but True

Here is a Deaf comedian describing exactly what seems to be happening to Deaf culture. (Don't worry, it is interpreted.) It is quite similar to what appears to be happening to hearing cultures also.

When you think about the subject of comedy itself, you must realize that comedy tends to be funny because it is usually some critique of the world itself. If I were to analyze what segments of a comedy show really get me laughing, I would have to admit that most of the time it's the segments which are true to life in some way. Stemming from this idea, I find it interesting that Deaf comedians are now adding the "downside" of technology. I realize this comedian is looking for some laughs but I also realize it wouldn't be quite as funny if there weren't some sort of truth to what he's saying. (Of course, I remember being that ASL student at a Deaf event so that also helps me relate.)

The CODA Brothers

I can't continue with the subject of VLOGS without at least the mention of the CODA Brothers. First of all, the acronym CODA stands for Child of Deaf Adults which is basically what the acronym states. It is an organization consisting of children whose parents are deaf.

These particular brothers produce many humorous VLOGS for both hearing and Deaf communities and are well known in the Deaf community VLOG world. They voice over their VLOG so as to "interpret" what they are signing - even though their voice-over is never exactly what they are signing.

The following is one video I find particularly funny because they poke fun at interpreters.

The Idea/Invention of Video Phones

I have already discussed some of the concepts of the video phone but recently I came across this Youtube video which I felt was very fitting. See what you think...

Video Phones and Their Effects on Culture Norms

I came upon this wonderful insight given by a well-known Minnesota Deaf woman, Cara Barnett, about technology and how it has affected Deaf culture.

Now I want to talk a little about the relationship between Deaf culture and technology. In terms of communication, Deaf people have progressed from nothing like TTYs through TTYs to e-mails and pagers. Now videophones have come on the scene. These changes have really had a strong impact on Deaf culture and the Deaf community.

Prior to TTYs, Deaf people had to rely on their hearing neighbors to make phone calls which both required assertiveness and led to a sense of dependence. With the invention of TTYs, Deaf people were able to call for their own appointments, though when talking with friends, it was
preferred to talk face to face in ASL, rather than on the TTY.

Pagers were the next development that really allowed Deaf people to make contact in emergency situations, or set up times for meetings, just like hearing people do with their cell phones. This was a great development.

A few years ago, the video phone came to the Deaf community. At first, people weren’t sure about it. But once they experienced using it,they loved it. Using the Video Relay Service, Deaf people were able to make calls using ASL and working through an interpreter instead of having to struggle with figuring out how to convey things in written English. It was much easier to let the interpreters do the work of going between languages.

But you don’t only have to use a videophone to call the Video Relay Service. You can also call Deaf friends directly. I come from a Deaf family, and my parents and I have an agreed-upon time to talk to each other on the videophone. On Sundays at 11 am, we call, and the calls go for an hour or even an hour and a half. My mom makes a list of things she wants to tell me, which can be a lot to take in. Sometimes I have a list of things, too, but generally, it’s my mom who does that.

Because of this, I noticed an interesting change at Christmas time. In years past, when Deaf families got together at Christmas, they would talk into the night. This year, however, when I got together with my family, I ran out of things to say after just a short time. My mom kept urging me to tell her more, but I realized that with the videophone, I had given her the news every week, so that I didn’t have as much to say at Christmas this year. I shared that insight with her how having the videophone changed our Christmas interaction.

It makes me wonder what will happen to Deaf culture. In the past, culturally Deaf people have always stayed late talking at the Deaf club or at Deaf parties. With the advent of the videophone, I wonder if that will now change and people won’t feel like they need to catch up as much because they already know what is happening with people from videophone conversations. It’s too early to tell at this point, but it will be very interesting to see what the impact of the videophone will be on Deaf culture in the future.

VLOGS

Another great way for a Deaf person to get their "voice heard" is through VLOGs. These are similar to BLOGs but have a video of the person using signed language instead of text. Sometimes you will see a transcript or interpretation of what the signer is saying but many times it is up to the viewer to understand.

Many Deaf (capitalization on purpose) people use these for the same reason Hearing (again, capitalization on purpose) people use BLOGs. It is a way to communicate to a mass amount of people about a subject you feel deserves attention. And sometimes it is just a nice way to keep updated on other people's lives and happenings.

Thanks to WebCams and other great devices which allow you to upload videos on the internet, VLOGs are easily posted and watched by millions of both Hearing and Deaf people. There are many VLOGs on http://www.youtube.com/ (try search: deaf) as well as http://www.deafread.com/. Of course, you can always find VLOGs at other locations but I thought I would give you a couple to start with.

Check some out... see what you think! Maybe you will have to find one that is translated below the video but at least you can say you experienced it. :) The following is a VLOG which has the options of Closed Captions if you like.