Abstract
Most deaf children (90%) are born to hearing parents and yet hearing parents are largely missing from the literature on both sides of the cochlear implant debate. The scientific papers and books are written by professionals for other professionals, or by professionals to share expert advice and opinions on how to parent a deaf child with parents of deaf children. The arguments presented by the Deaf community and disability theorists are open to a wider audience but again tend to focus on explaining a particular position in which the hearing parent is ‘othered’ as a potential threat to the Deaf community. There are some studies which explore the ways in which parents make decisions about cochlear implantation for their children but these tend to address practical issues rather than the theoretical arguments for and against implantation. This paper seeks to redress the balance and provide a critique of the cochlear implant debate from the viewpoint of hearing parents of a deaf child.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | N/A |
| Pages (from-to) | 34-42 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | British Sociological Association Medsoc Online |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2013 |