#cochlear implant

[crybaby-writings]

if you want to learn sign language of any kind your one and only reason for it should be proper person to person communication. not because it's "so beautiful", not so you can talk shit and nothing else, not so you can say swear words without other people knowing.

if you're learning sign language your one and only reason should be to communicate with people who use sign language. learning sign language means learning about an entire complicated, extremely important culture and the people who are a part of that culture.

you can not learn sign language without learning about d/Deaf culture in depth. it also means learning to stay in your lane on d/Deaf issues. learning sign language and learning about d/Deaf culture does not mean you get to speak on d/Deaf issues, and a lot of hearing people don't realize that.

this has been a notice from a d/Deaf person

[cripplecharacters]

Is it fine to write a Deaf character who received a cochlear implant in early childhood if I use it as a plot device for their eventual integration into Deaf culture? I would make it so that the implant fails and they reject any and all further attempts to integrate them into mainstream society with audism.

Hi!

It is fine to make a character who uses hearing aids or CI, full stop. And it is fine for those devices to work in some capacity. That is the lived experience of many d/Deaf individuals. You don't need to justify the character's aids or "offset" it somehow by having them not work.

Hearing assistive devices are not cures and do not make people magically hearing. But just the same, hearing assistive devices not working (or someone not using them) doesn't extra-validate their Deaf identity.

The Deaf pushback against CI (and hearing assistive devices in general) is that hearing parents often treat them as "cures" for their child's deafness and provide no other aids, or only provide support for their child to pass as hearing rather than giving the best access to information. Additionally, CI is an invasive surgery and can be dangerous, though it usually isn't.

There are plenty of Deaf people who use and like their CI or hearing aids. There are plenty who don't. It's such a broad community with so many different lived experiences. You don't need to feel like you must write a d/Deaf character one specific way. The guidelines we give here are to avoid inaccuracies, and things we'd like to see more of.

One thing I would love to see is someone who has CI or hearing aids and uses them when they want but has also had access to Deaf community and sign language from a young age. I know many people like that in real life and yet that's not representation I've ever seen in a story.

Your character's CI doesn't have to be a plot device. It can just be an aspect of their character. Have them involved in the Deaf community, absolutely! But you don't need to "make up for" a Deaf character who uses CI in any way, because hearing assistive devices and Deaf community are not antithetical.

Mod Rock

[rhymeswithfart]

Some full size versions of drawings I posted before. Since you're here, look at this:

This is a vetted fundraiser! Vouched for by ibtisams and other trustworthy sources! Mohammed Ayesh has worked with other blogs such El Shab Hussein, Gaza-evacuation-funds, and Nabulsi to verify other campaigns on the ground in Gaza. Here is his PayPal also.

@ ayeshjourney is his current blog where you can read his story! He's raising money for his brother Yasser, who is hard of hearing and needs to repair his hearing aid and continue his speech therapy in order to keep communicating. Currently their gfm has £12,430/60,000

Please share and donate if can (I hope this post helps)

[jerbaloot]

Rewatching FMA and this line struck like a bolt out of the blue.

"So, without anyone ever asking my opinion..."

I was born deaf and I was implanted with cochlear implants when I was turning 4. I've thought a lot about it and I guess it's only one among many decisions that your parents make on your behalf. It's just more visible than most decisions, choosing whether you hear or not.

Shortly after I was born (a few years), it grew to be widely recognized and eventually enacted as a standard in most US hospitals for newly born infants to undergo newborn hearing screening to see if they might have hearing issues. My parents and I didn't have that program though and it took a few years to really figure out what was up.

Anyway, I'm thankful for the choice but it's also not for everyone. I think if you're ever faced with the choice, it's important to consider what kind of world your kid is in.

[beanutputterandjelly]

Punk Hearing Aid deco !

Bit of a different post. I use hearing aids but need to decorate them to fit more of my general style, wanted to compile an inspo post for myself and other alternative people who ALSO use hearing aids and want it to match their personality and vibe. I think one of these is a cochlear implant though i MAY be wrong. Assistive aids are VERY punk rock (NONE of these are my images)

I couldn't find any others that fit my general aesthetic !! If you're looking to decorate your hearing aids I suggest looking on Etsy, they have a ton of things to decorate them with.

[sillydeafwitch]

btw happy disability pride month.

Shout to all my fellow deaf Cochlear implant users whether your bilateral like me or use cochlear implant on one side. And also shoutout to people who use other hearing devices. And also also shout out to deaf people who don’t use any hearing devices.

And shoutout to all the other people with disabilities, it may not always be easy but we‘re still here.

[knackeredforever]

So my best friend is still telling me his signalis experience through discord messages and he’s now at rotfront and read the medical records there and told me one of the patients is registered to have cochlear implants, my best friend also has cochlear implants so that’s awesome so I made this:

[trip-the-cal-fantastic]

Edelweiss

Dad!Jake Kiszka x F!OC (Mariah Carella)

MDNI!

Warnings: Swearing, use of pet-names (significant other and kids), cochlear implant, description of a dancer’s body, mention of an absent father, mention of grandparents passing, mention of a mother passing of cancer

Word Count ~ 2.7k

The crackle of one of the baby monitors on the nightstand made Jake stir. He propped himself up on his elbow, one eye still squinted closed as he tried to decipher which one of the kids was awake. Another cry caught his ear, his attention pulled to his four month old daughter’s monitor. He sat up with a quiet grunt, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and scrubbing his hands over his face.

Behind him, Mariah had slowly started to wake up. “Jay?” She rubbed her eyes and sat up, holding the blanket to her chest. “What’s going on?” 

“Tommie’s awake.” Jake stood from the bed, adjusting the waistband of his sweatpants and stretching his back. “Go back to sleep. I got her.”

Jake padded down the hall and passed Henry's room to Tommie's nursery. It was 4:30 in the morning, and the baby girl was awake. He quietly pushed the door open and made his way to the crib, leaning over the side to pick her up. "Do you have any idea what time it is, my sweet girl? Daddy was supposed to be sleeping, and so were you." 

Jake scooped the crying infant up, cradling her to his bare chest and kissing her dark tufts of hair. "My goodness, Tommie. You must be so hungry, doing all that screaming. You're lucky bubbie’s deaf and Momma’s a heavy sleeper, or else we’d both be in trouble." He took the baby out to the kitchen, trying to make her a bottle as quickly as he could, which proved to be pretty difficult with only one hand. 

Jake carried Tommie to the couch, rearranging the pillows and blankets to make a spot from them to curl up together. He tucked a pillow under his arm and positioned the baby in the crook of his elbow. He guided the bottle to her mouth, letting out a content sigh as her tiny cries turned into the sounds of suckling.

Jake yawned as Tommie ate, his eyelids becoming heavy. He stayed awake long enough for her to finish eating and to be burped. Jake had laughed when she did, the sound being so big for someone so tiny. 

He shifted Tommie to lay with her head on his chest, one hand resting on her back, the other behind his head. She started to fuss again, but he had a plan. "No tears, darling. Shh, shh shh. Daddy’s right here."

Jake began to sing a familiar melody, the vibration of his chest soothing his daughter. “Edelweiss, edelweiss. Every morning you greet me. Small and white, clean and bright. You look happy to meet me.” Jake smiled down at Tommie, running his thumb back and forth on her little back as her little eyes that mirrored his own fluttered shut again. He continued singing, his voice smooth and low in his chest. “Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow. Bloom and grow forever. Edelweiss, edelweiss. Bless my homeland forever. Edelweiss, edelweiss. Every morning you greet me.”

Little did he know, Mariah had quietly gotten out of bed and was standing in the kitchen, listening to Jake's soft voice drift through the house, her hand over her heart, and a single tear rolling down her cheek. She rounded the corner, stopping at the arm of the couch to admire Jake, being the best dad she could have ever imagined. "Oh, cara mio."

Jake turned his head, only slightly startled by Mariah, and smiled. “G’morning, sweetheart.” He took a moment, admiring her half-asleep state. Her jet-black hair had some leftover curl from the previous day, her curtain bangs parted in the middle and long enough to be tucked behind her ears. She wore a loose pair of silk pajama shorts and one of Jake’s shirts from when they were in highschool, the bottom of the shirt tucked into the band of her sports bra. 

Mariah had a dancer's body, which was to be expected, considering she had been dancing since she was 4 years old, and spent the better part of her days teaching kids, ranging from ages 2 to 17 at the Millenium Dance Complex. Every part of her is slim and toned with muscles, especially her legs and midsection. Her skin held a year-round olive hue, inherited from her mother’s Italian genes, much like the rest of her features. Her voice even carried the same Jersey Shore-sounding accent, and it drove Jake wild. Sometimes, with certain words, like water or car, they could hear a slight accent in Henry’s little voice.

Mariah’s mother, Francesca Carella, or Franny, as everyone knew her, grew up in Staten Island, and moved to Frakenmuth when Mariah was 3. They lived four houses up from the Kiszkas, and five houses down from the Wagners. Mariah’s grandparents also moved to Michigan, sharing a home with her and her mother. It was her Grandpa Michaelangelo, who just went by Mike, who had the thought for them to leave Staten Island, wanting to get Mariah away from her biological father. That man couldn’t have cared less about the fact that he had a daughter.  The only thing Mariah knew about her father was that he had a deaf sister, which is where Henry’s deafness came from. Mariah carried the recessive allele from her father’s gene pool, and apparently Jake carried it from somewhere in his own bloodline.

Franny’s mother, Rosa-Lynn, had basically raised Mariah while Franny worked. Both of Mariah’s grandparents had passed away when she was in high school, a few months apart from each other. Shortly after she and Jake moved to Nashville, Mariah’s mother fell terribly ill with pancreatic cancer. They tried every treatment the doctors had to offer, but her condition only worsened. A couple of months before Henry was born, Franny passed away with Mariah by her side in her home in Michigan.

Jake and Mariah honored their memory with the names of their kids. Henry Michael, named for Jimi Hendrix (Henry was the closest Mariah would let Jake get to naming their son Hendrix), Josh, and Michaelangelo Carella. Tommie Frances-Lynn, named for Jake, Sam, Franny, and Rosa-Lynn Carella. They used to joke about it being fate that their family names were so similar, thinking it meant that they were supposed to be together so they could carry down the names.

Jake’s eyes raked over her form in the low light pooling in from the kitchen. “How is it that you are so beautiful all the damn time?” He held his arm out for her, motioning for her to join him. Mariah moved to sit on the couch, curling herself into Jake's side and resting her head on his shoulder. She placed her hand over his where it rested on Tommie's back as Jake pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead, enjoying the moment of rare silence in their home.

And, just as soon as it started, that moment of silence was over. 

Having a deaf toddler in their ‘Terrible Twos’ and a four month old was not for the faint of heart. Henry’s crying rang out from his bedroom down the hall. Mariah sighed and rose from the couch, pressing a quick kiss to Jake's lips. "I swear it's like the Bat Signal.”

Jake chuckled and spoke in a loving tone. "Go be BatMom."

Mariah made her way to Henry's room, pushing the door open and turning his light on. Henry was standing in his crib, his dark blond hair tousled by sleep and red lines and creases on his face from his blankets. He squinted at the light and rubbed his face before looking up to Mariah with sleepy eyes.

Mariah moved to the dresser, grabbing Henry’s cochlear processor and holding it up for him to see. She pointed to Henry, then to the processor, and signed ‘want’, her eyebrows raised to show that she was asking a question. When they were at the house, Jake and Mariah gave Henry the option of wearing his processor or not, to which he usually opted for the latter. However, if they were going out where people would want or need to talk to him, Henry had to wear the hearing aid. 

Normally, it was a fight to get the boy to wear his cochlear first thing in the morning, but today he nodded without protest. Mariah stepped closer to the crib, attaching the magnet of the processor to the implant site behind Henry’s right ear and draping the speech processor over his ear. She watched the little green indicator light start to blink, meaning that the device was connected and Henry was receiving sound. “All good, bubbie?”

Henry blinked slowly and nodded, holding his arms out for Mariah to pick him up. She lifted him out of the crib, hugging him to her chest and planting kisses all over his face, eliciting sleepy, crackley giggles from the boy. Mariah smiled down at Henry, resting her forehead against his. “Good morning, little bear.”

Henry craned his neck, pressing an awkward toddler kiss to the corner of Mariah’s mouth. She giggled and scrunched her nose up. “Oh, that’s very sweet. Thank you, Henry.” She laid Henry on his changing table, putting him in a clean pull-up before carrying him out to the living room, where Jake and Tommie were still cuddled together on the couch. “Look who’s awake and put his processor on without a fight.” She sat next to Jake, the little boy curling up in her lap and laying his head against her shoulder, facing Jake.

Jake reached over and ran his hand through Henry’s hair, being mindful of the cochlear processor. He spoke to the boy, keeping his voice quiet enough to not wake Tommie, but loud enough that Henry could hear him. “Good morning, Henry. Did you sleep good, bear?” 

Henry nodded and pointed to his pajama shirt. “Di-tars.” Jake and Mariah were very proud of the little boy’s speech. He had come a long way in only one year of having the cochlear implant; from having no words or hearing at all, to being able to speak clearly in almost full sentences, hear more than 65% of what people were saying, and starting to use and understand sign language, which Jake and Mariah had taken upon themselves to learn and teach to Henry. 

Jake smiled and nodded. “I see that, baby boy. Those are guitars just like Daddy’s, huh? Who got you those p.j.s, Henry?”

“Unca Day.” Henry’s little voice was still scratchy from sleep. ‘Unca Day’ was how he said Uncle Danny. He leaned forward, reaching out with a little hand to rest it on Tommie’s back. “Sissy.” Henry looked up at Mariah with tired, brown eyes that matched hers perfectly; a soft amber color. That boy was identical to his father, but his eyes were definitely passed down from his Momma. “Sissy seeping?”

Mariah nodded, keeping her hand on Henry’s arm, just in case. Again, ‘Terrible Twos’. “That’s right, bubbie. Tommie is sleeping. We have to be very quiet so she doesn’t wake up and cry. We don’t want her to cry, do we?” 

Henry shook his head and pulled his hand back, instead using it to sign as he spoke. “No, no, no, no.” He turned in Mariah’s lap, crawling off of her and standing between her and Jake on the couch. “Dada, me hold you?”

Jake put one hand on Henry’s leg, holding him steady. “Hang on, bear.” He shifted Tommie gently into the crook of his arm and then carefully pulled Henry onto his lap. “Be careful, okay? Remember, sissy is little, so you have to be very gentle. Dada will hold you if you promise to sit still. Can you sit still for me, Henry?”

Henry nodded and snuggled into Jake’s side, his head resting on his chest and his knees just barely pressing into his dad’s ribcage. “Pomise, Dada.” Jake smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Henry’s head.

Mariah stood from the couch, patting Jake’s knee as she did. “You want coffee, baby?” Seeing him nod, she gave him a small smile and disappeared into the kitchen. She could hear Tommie start to coo and whine, but Jake was quick with his soothing. His voice filled the house again, the lyrics to Edelweiss flitting through the air. 

On the second round of the song, Mariah carried two mugs of coffee back to the living room, finding both Henry and Tommie asleep in Jake’s arms. Henry had lifted his hand and rested it on Jake’s throat, feeling the way his Adam’s apple moved as he sang. He had also pushed the magnet of his cochlear off of his implant site, letting it hang down from the wire of the processing unit that sat over his ear and relying solely on the vibrations of Jake’s voice.

Mariah smiled at her little family and set Jake’s cup on the end table next to him. She set her own mug next to his, moving to gently lift Tommie into her arms, shushing the baby and swaying side to side. 

This was a common routine in the morning, taking turns holding the kids so the other could drink their coffee or eat. However, Henry always ended up in Jake’s arms, a subtle reminder to Mariah that her boys were best friends and she would probably always be second place in the kid’s eyes. But, for now, Tommie was still very dependent on Mariah, so that made up for it, and was honestly easier on her. 

 Mariah sat in the recliner with the baby and grabbed her cup of coffee, taking a small sip and letting out a small hum as she used her foot to rock the chair back and forth. Jake followed suit, adjusting his hold on Henry and taking a drink of his own coffee. 

Henry stirred and shifted in his sleep, his little hand on Jake’s throat flexing, his grip subconsciously tightening on his windpipe. Jake’s breath hitched and he let out a choked cough followed by a watery-eyed laugh. “Jesus Christ.” He coughed and chuckled again, taking another drink of his coffee to soothe his throat. 

Mariah raised her eyebrows at Jake, giggling along with him. “You alright over there?”

Jake nodded and swallowed hard, rubbing his hand over Henry’s hair. “Yeah. Felt like bubbie grabbed my esophagus.”

Mariah laughed harder as Tommie cooed and grunted in her sleep, an unfortunate, familiar rumble coming from her lower half. Mariah looked down at the baby and let out a light-hearted groan that turned into a giggle. “Tommie Frances-Lynn. Good lord, darling. You feel better?”

Jake set his mug down, a look of pure shock and entertainment playing on his features as he glanced over to Mariah and the baby. “What was that?” He spoke through a fit of quiet laughter, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. 

“Your daughter just pooped.” Mariah looked down at Tommie again, seeing the tiny grin on her lips. “And, she’s smiling about it. You really are a Kiszka, huh baby girl?”

“Holy hell. That was her?” The shaking of Jake’s shoulders and chest woke Henry, who sat up with a small whine, his eyes still half closed. Jake ran his free hand over Henry’s head and reconnected his processor. “Sorry to wake you, bubbie. Tommie shit her pants. Bad.”

Mariah stifled her laughter behind her hand. “Jacob. Do not say that to him. He’s in that stage where he repeats everything.” She set her coffee cup down and stood with Tommie. “Shoo! You stink, Tommie. We should make Daddy change your butt, sissy bear.”

Jake’s brow furrowed in feigned offense as he laughed again. “Hey, woah. Why do I have to do it? I haven’t clocked in for diaper duty this morning.”

“Come on, Jay.” Mariah held Tommie out in front of her and smiled widely. “I already changed Henry this morning. This one’s all yours.”

Jake groaned and patted Henry’s leg. “Hop up, bear. Daddy has to…” He gestured to Tommie and scrunched his nose. “…Take care of that.” Henry climbed off of Jake, who stood and sighed, taking the baby from Mariah. “Come on, stinker. Let’s get you all fresh and clean.”

~

Taglist:

@tripthedharmadivine

[keepbreathingky]

Hey bestie! Tell me everything, cause I can comprehend more of what you say now.

[tilin-forever]

Hi everyone, hope you all are doing well <3

I just wrote my first fic ever for @mcytphysicaldisabilityweek Day 2: Deafness/Hard of Hearing (please don’t mind that I handed this in literally at the last minute my time zone like a school assignment haha)

Summary: “Tallulah loves how the red poppy stickers on her hearing aids match her red toque. She loves how she can take them off if things get too noisy for her sensitive ears. She doesn't mind being hard of hearing...most days.”

As someone who is profoundly deaf in both ears (I wear a cochlear implant), I was inspired to write this, a lot of which is based on my personal experiences! While I am pretty positive about being deaf (hey, its a fun fact I get to share at icebreakers haha), I wanted to write more about what it's like being deaf without having grown up with ASL (which happens more often than you think, about 90% of deaf kids are born to Hearing families) and that comes with some communication downsides.

I am not a 100% about the characterization, but I wanted to submit this before the day is over. I was also inspired by this wonderful fandom, you guys are all so sweet <3

I am hoping to write a followup/parallel fic for FitMC about being deaf as an adult, anyways, hope you enjoy <3

[crybaby-writings]

by the way, if you're a hearing person you don't get to tell d/Deaf people (or their families/friends if the d/Deaf person in question has expressed they're comfortable with it) that they're not allowed/shouldn't refer to their hearing aids/cochlear implant as their 'ears'.

"but you shouldn't because-" shut the fuck up. you don't get to speak. you don't get an opinion. you don't get to flap your gums and tell d/Deaf people what they should or shouldn't do based on your HEARING opinion.

just shut the fuck up. and NO having a d/Deaf family member, friend, or even child does not mean you get to speak on this.

[deafaq]

Hello!

I am a hearing author but my dad is D/deaf and has a cochlear implant, I am currently writing a deaf character and wanted to give them a CI to pay tribute to him because he is what inspired me to write a deaf character in the first place. But after doing some research on how to write the character I learned that CIs are disliked by the Deaf community for a number of reasons. Should I change the characters aid to something else to avoid any faux pas?

Hello,

this is generally not a writing advice blog, I recommend reaching out to @cripplecharacters .

Overall, CIs are controversial in Deaf community. That's not to say you should always avoid writing them, its just that its important to do research and think if its suitable for the character in question.

I know Deaf people who absolutely hate CIs and would never get them and shun people who have them. I know Deaf people who don't want them for themselves, but are okay with others who have them. I know Deaf people who don't want them but made a decision to give them to their Deaf kids. And I know Deaf people who decided to get them in adulthood.

Also, there is a big number of people who got their CI when they were kids (usually bcs their parents were hearing) and lived with them their whole life.

I would say hatred of CIs was more prevalent in the past. Nowadays, most Deaf people I know are ambivalent or positive about them.

The issue really isn't the medical devices themselves, its more the attitude of hearing and medical community surrounding them. Cochlear implants are often seen as magical cure to deafness - which they are not. Another issue is that lot of medical professional and experts discourage usage of sign language for cochlear implant users, which sucks. (And based on linguistic research, its actually wrong - research show that kids being bilingual in spoken and sign language is beneficial for them).

If your dad has a CI and you are basing your character on him, I see no issue in your character having CI. I would say its actually better option in this case. Why not chat with your dad about how he feels about the device and how would he like to see deafness portrayed in writing?

Good luck and sorry for later response,

Mod T

[friendly-neighborhood-slp]

Friendly PSA if you can hear and your child is profoundly deaf or hard of hearing, and if regular hearing aids will not allow the child to hear spoken language...

The ABSOLUTE BEST thing you can do is find a friend/teacher who signs and learn to sign alongside your child!! This gives your child a valid and full language that is built for them and their needs, and may even help them learn other languages later if desired. It also helps you communicate with your child effectively!

If you can't/don't want to learn to sign, still make sure your child can learn to sign if possible!! Sign languages are literally made so people like your child can communicate and interact with other people, and your child will thank you later. Any other sort of language will likely be very difficult for them.

Getting them cochlear implants is an option that's controversial in the Deaf community, but definitely an avenue you can explore (the younger the better! The best age to get them for language is 12-24 months!) This option helps people hear sounds in an unconventional way, but may let your child learn to understand and/or use spoken words.

The ABSOLUTE WORST thing you can do is ignore the problem and hope they learn to talk like other children!!!! If the child can't hear conversational speech, they WILL NOT learn to understand or speak a language. This will GUARANTEE lifelong language and learning difficulties if the child has learned a first language by about 7 or 8 years old (depending on the child).

Brought to you by: being forced to place a child in a school situation that will surely result in a cognitive impairment because the child can't hear, child and family can't sign, and the school setting has no adequate way to teach the child sign before age 8. Can't make decisions for the parents, and the parents are culturally against sign. :(

[neon-emojiz]

I got the random urge to make these so please enjoy :]

[fl3tchl1ng]

rare post actually by me but I absolutely adore disability rep in children's toys. i bought a random lego set today and then spent half an hour crying because i realized one of the minifigures has a cochlear implant. im a grown-ass adult who's been hearing impaired half their life and im not ashamed to say i full-on sobbed. little deaf dude will forever have a featured place on my shelf fr.

[sillydeafwitch]

I saw you post something about your tinnitus spiking if you take off your cochlear. I didn't know that people with cochlear implants got tinnitus. Can you expand on this a little bit? That's so interesting!

Oh sure! I don’t know if this applies to most ci users and/or deaf people or not, but it has happened to others I think. Since the gap for the loss of the ability to hear whatever pitch you struggle hearing comes from the brain, and not necessarily the ears, it makes sense that it also applies for deaf people. Im not sure why mine spikes when i take of my ci, but since i cant hear ANYTHING without my ci, it could be that its intense because im lacking so much noise stimuli.

Im in no way a professional on this sorta stuff, i just experience it, so apologies if what im saying doesnt make sense 😅