What was that you said? Hearing disabilities?

We all have our own knowledge and understanding of people with hearing disabilities. But more than half of people don’t know what it’s actually like to have a hearing disability or live with someone who has a hearing disability. Some people don’t have the sense of hearing and do not know what things sound like or what sound even is. Most of the time their other four senses are stronger since one is missing.

People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have their own language, they communicate by signs they do with their hands. Also known here in the U.S. as American sign language. The exact time and place were American sign language originated is unclear, but what is known is that ASL has some aspects of French sign language. Nine out of ten deaf children come from hearing parents, they acquire sign language differently than children who have deaf parents. Children with deaf parents catch on to the language faster than children with hearing parents since their parents are already fluent in the language. It’s extremely important to help deaf children learn this language at an early age because the brain is developing and has the potential to learn and understand a language faster.

There is a way to grant someone the sense of hearing… a “cochlear implant.” A cochlear implant is an electronic device that is surgically implanted to provide hearing. A cochlear implant can cost as much as $100,000, but most insurance companies can cover the cost. Just because there’s a way to provide hearing to someone who is deaf, doesn’t mean they will all want it. Most deaf people who are offered the cochlear implant deny the offer because they want to keep themselves the way they are, they are proud, love the language, and the way communication is. But these are just some reasons, it’s different for every person. People can get the cochlear implant and still be as proud as they can be. Sometimes it is not even about being proud, it’s just about being you.