Cochlear Impants THREATEN the Existence of Deaf Culture.
COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
Cochlear Implant: A small complex electronic device that is surgically placed (implanted) within the inner ear to help persons with certain types of deafness to hear.
The average cost of a cochlear implant is more than $40,000.
When hearing is functioning normally, complicated parts of the inner ear convert sound waves in the air into electrical impulses.  These impulses are then sent to the brain, where a hearing person recognizes them as sound.  A cochlear implant electronically finds useful sounds and then sends them to the brain.
Approximately 2-3 of every 1,000 infants are born Deaf or hard-of-hearing.
93 percent of Deaf children are born into hearing families. 
Many Deaf people believe that Deafness is not a handicap, but a culture.
A cochlear implant is usually one of the first options given to hearing parents of a Deaf child.  Many risks are not taken into consideration and children may be stuck with the implant even though the desired result was not met.
The Surgery
Risks MAY include:
During surgery any remaining hearing in the implanted ear will probably be perminately lost.

The patient may experience taste disturbances, such as a metallic taste, following implant surgery.

Because the surgery is done in the vicinity of the nerve that moves the face, there is a remote possibility that temporary or permanent facial paralysis may occur after surgery.

The surgical site may become infected, which might require removal of the device.
The essential link to Deaf Culture among the American Deaf community is American Sign Language.  This community shares a common sense of pride in their culture and language.
Many Deaf argue that children should not be "fixed" to be like hearing people.  Instead, they should be introduced to Deaf culture where he or she was born to belong.
Because a cochlear implant is electronic, the sounds are digital.  Therefore, the sounds are not completely normal.
More than 30,000 individuals worldwide have recieved cochlear implants.
Seventy-two percent of families with Deaf children who use sign language, DO NOT learn sign language in order to communicate with their children.
Many individuals of the Deaf community feel that their way of life is fully functional, and that using American Sign Language instead of oral English gives them no disadvantage in society.
It is estimated that 9 out of 10 members of the American Deaf community marry other members of their cultural group.  Many Deaf couples also wish for  Deaf child do that they may pass on their heritage and culture.
An estimated 28.8 million people comprise the American Deaf community.  Deaf culture has traditionally centered around residential schools for the Deaf, where language, primarily ASL, conveys culture.
Gallaudet University was established by an act of Congress in 1864 to serve the Deaf, but had always been lead by a hearing president.  The Deaf President Now (DPN) protest began on March 6, 1988 when the board of trustees announced its decision to appoint a hearing person as its seventh president.
The Deaf President Now protest ended on March 13 with the appointment of I. King Jordan, a Deaf man, as University President.
Deaf individuals are part of a strong culture that believes in fighting for their BELIEFS and RIGHTS.