This enlightening short documentary made by St John’s College, Oxford features Helen Willis who was one of the first people in the UK to receive a cochlear implant.
The documentary shows how cochlear implants work, gives examples of the difference between ‘normal’ hearing and what Helen hears, and shows her life as a student in Oxford. We also find out that Helen, who lost her hearing due to meningitis, uses BSL with her parents and friends.
Helen sees being able to live in a world of silence and a world of synthetic sound as “a gift.” This is well worth a look.
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barakta
October 18, 2012
Interesting video. I liked the idea of showing the biology and the 3D models and also the simulations (although slightly longer sections might have been more helpful).
However the piano accompanying music was AWFUL! I couldn’t hear the speech over it because it was so loud and penetrating and jarring. That is the sort of HOH-awareness fail which shouldn’t be on videos about deafness.
I wanted to be able to hear Helen’s voice and not have to 100% rely on subtitles to follow this.
Emma
October 18, 2012
Great film – I live in a world very similar to Helen’s and the film will help me to explain to others how it works.
Thank you for making the time to produce the film – with subtitles too!
Angela
October 18, 2012
Thanks Helen for sharing this with us – it’s brilliant! If it’s okay with you, I’d like to show this to my lecturer and fellow students who are studying Specialist Teaching (Deaf and Hearing impaired) at University of Canterbury in New Zealand. BTW, I am hard of hearing myself (have been since birth) and like you, I also sit in both worlds (the world of silence and signs, and the world of speech and amplified sounds with my BTE hearing aid). Good luck with your studies!
anotherboomerblog
October 19, 2012
Reblogged this on Another Boomer Blog and commented:
I don’t have a CI – never will as I’ve nerve deafness, but I appreciate the difference between what I can hear and what others hear. Hearing aids don’t help differentiate sound any better than a CI does.
Vicky G
October 19, 2012
My son (aged 5) has just had bilateral implants put in- to be switched on next week.
I think Helen is very brave and has done really well but I must say this film scared me.
Does CI’s really sound that bad??
Editor
October 19, 2012
Hi Vicky, I think one important thing to say is the brain trains itself to make use of sound. I’m pretty sure what I hear through my hearing aids wouldn’t sound great to a hearing person, but to me, it’s normal. That’s probably even more true of a CI (though I’m not a CI user). William Mager, who is about to have a CI, posted this blog earlier this week about what they sound like, it’s worth taking a look and reading the comments too – http://wlmager.com/what-does-a-cochlear-implant-sound-like/
William Mager
October 19, 2012
Hi Vicky – I must admit I was scared at first too when I read the comments on my own blog! But so many CI users have been in touch via facebook and email to say that the simulation is accurate but at the same time inaccurate. The brain very quickly adjusts, filling in the gaps and the sound becomes more natural over time.
For example, if you listen to the clip in my blog more than once, it becomes clearer each time… in any case, I am sure your son will do fine once the initial switch on is out of the way. Best of luck.
bettyhoven
October 20, 2012
Reblogged this on bettyhoven and commented:
Helen Willis is one of the coolest people I’ve ever seen in a YouTube video. Great insight into the life of a C.I user. I especially appreciated the accessibility of this video…that every sound and spoken word was subtitled. This is what every video on Youtube should be like!
Nico Chilton
November 7, 2012
Hello Helen,
This is a very insightful film into your life as a CI wearer. I am a Community Support Officer at the Meningitis Trust and I work with people who wear CI’s, until watching your film I had no idea that the sounds were still so distorted, requiring a lot of concentration to decipher what you are hearing.
I recently attended a University to talk about meningitis and I played your film to them. Everyone in the meeting was moved by the film and I think it gave them food for thought about how they may need to support students who wear CI and hearing aids in the future.
I thank you for making this film, it has been of great benefit to me.
Best wishes
Nico