Since the end of 20th century, cochlear implants and genetic studies on sensorineural hearing loss have raised great interest, promising to “cure the problem” of deafness (Hintermair, Allbertini, 2005, p.184). Consequently, United States government funding shifted from social innovations and services towards biological and medical areas. Moreover, the media and some medical professionals and researchers have been shaping the public perception on deafness, marking it as an issue. The problematic framing of deafness has major social, political and ethical consequences on deaf culture, sign language and public debates on this topic (Hintermair, Allbertini, 2005, p.189). The main interest of this paper is to raise awareness of the consequences of the medical approach to deafness, which promotes the “normalization” of stigmatization on the deaf community. This paper will discuss the cultural definitions of deafness, the ethical and cultural implications of the medical approach, and its impact on deaf children. In addition, the current and future implications of cochlear implants and genetic pre screening will be examined. Current Research and Future Directions Cochlear Implants Cochlear implants are devices that stimulate sound in the damaged inner ear. They convert sound waves into electrical currents through electrode channels implanted inside the cochlea and stimulate the auditory nerve fibers into conveying information to the brain. (Ahtari, 2017). Since 1990, with the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, cochlear implant surgery has been preformed on children with profound sensorineural hearing loss (Lane & Bahan, 1998, p.299). Even though cochlear implants cannot provide “typical hearing” yet, technological advancements improve the quality of sound information a person can perceive by increasing the number of electrodes channels placed in the cochlea.
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