Do we really mean to say “congratulations” to someone who has just qualified for a cochlear implant? I don’t mean any offense to the people that say this, because I know the spirit it which the “congratulations” are given, but I do want to talk about this for a bit.
I remember when I qualified and the first person that congratulated me. She was someone I worked with and she new this was something I was hoping for – but it did not feel right to be congratulated. I arrived to the point of qualifying for a cochlear implant with very mixed emotions and a large part was sadness. My hearing was so far gone this was my only hope and the last resort.
Whenever I see someone congratulating another for qualifying, I cringe a little bit. I will wish them well and I will pray for them and send them positive thoughts as they pursue better hearing and sound, but I can’t bring myself to say “congratulations.” After all, getting to this point was a loss of the hearing they may have had or never had at all.
Maybe I’m being too sensitive and maybe it is okay when someone who has a cochlear implant congratulates someone that qualifies. It is like saying, “Welcome to the community.” For myself, that is what I will say, “Welcome to the community. I wish you well as you pursue better hearing.”
My journey from hearing loss to hearing with bilateral cochlear implants.
Very much it seems many CI Implantees DO see themselves as a 'community' seperate from the rest. So welcome new 'members' like anyone else would. It's only a very personal view, but the rows early on rather forced them them to do it, one hopes a real coming together of everyone with a loss or implant becomes the norm at some point. Deaf Village is here as part proof, they didn't want to continue that way, and as per 'Deaf' have formed their own circle. I ask only one thing the rows now stop as a result. We don't all want to back to the stance of them and us.... I am thinking deaf Village is 'time out', and deaf world may come to a reality in my lifetime.
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