D/deaf Activism

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, multiple teams of scientists and engineers were tackling the 'problem' of D/deafness; by the 1970s, clinical trials with early implantable devices were underweigh. Their efforts would lay the foundations for the cochlear implants of today, devices which are acclaimed as solutions -- even miraculous ones -- to both congenital and acquired deafness. But these were not the first 'miracles' intended to aid those born without hearing, those who experience total hearing loss, and the broader group who become hard-of-hearing. This is unsurprising, given that Aristotle drew attention to the socially disabling effects of congenital deafness before 300 BCE, while even today, over half of all people who live past the age of 55 will experience hearing loss.