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Denver, CO – December 3, 2004 -On November 19, the U.S. Congress
overwhelmingly reauthorized the Individuals With Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), providing for access to services and education for families
and children with special needs. For the first time, lawmakers gave
specific policy direction to the U.S. Department of Education on the need
to provide information on the full range of options, including cochlear
implants, for families with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. The bill is
expected to be signed by President Bush in early December.
“This is a significant milestone in educating families about cochlear
implants and encouraging early intervention,” said Donna L. Sorkin, Vice
President, Consumer Affairs for Cochlear Americas, an active advocate in
the policy review process on this bill over the past two years. “Cochlear
is proud to have facilitated the discussions that led to this important
policy directive. By specifically addressing the need to discuss the
various communication options as well as the benefits of cochlear implants
for appropriate children, the report language of the bill is intended to
improve the information provided to parents and help them make important
decisions about their child’s hearing health. It will also aid advocates
in improving the early intervention advisement process.”
This marks the first time the US Department of Education will publish
guidance on cochlear implants. The Department will soon release a new
brochure for parents outlining options for deaf and hard-of-hearing
children, which will be distributed by state early intervention programs.
Cochlear representatives worked closely with a number of people who were
instrumental in this policy directive, including Congressman John
Boehner (R-OH), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee.
Angie King, the mother of two daughters with Nucleus® cochlear implants,
was also an articulate and an important opinion leader in this effort.
“Cochlear implants have dramatically improved the lives of my daughters
and tens of thousands of others like them,” said King. “Now more parents
will become aware of this option so that their children can benefit from
this remarkable technology. This guidance is a huge accomplishment, but
only one milestone on the path to greater awareness and early
intervention, universal infant screenings, and broader insurance coverage
of cochlear implants.”
The IDEA Conference Report, describing the bill’s implementation, states:
“Conferees commend the office of Special Education & Rehabilitative
Services for developing updated early intervention materials that set out
the full range of options for families with deaf and hard-of-hearing
children who now have the potential to develop age-appropriate language in
whatever modality their parents choose. Dramatic improvements in hearing
technology, both hearing aids and cochlear implants, provide new
opportunities for families who wish to pursue spoken language for their
child with hearing loss. These new materials and efforts further the goals
of the IDEA that early intervention personnel actively provide
comprehensive and bias-free information on the range of language options
available to a child with hearing loss, including the benefits of early
amplification and/or early implantation of a cochlear implant.”
About Cochlear™ Americas
For more than 20 years, Cochlear™ Americas has been focused on bringing
the miracle of sound to those individuals who live in silence. To date,
more than 60,000 profoundly deaf individuals have benefited from
Cochlear's Nucleus line of cochlear implants. The Company's promise of
Hear now. And always. exemplifies its commitment to advancing hearing technology and
customer support, which has resulted in numerous awards including the 2001
Medical Design Excellence Award for its design of the Nucleus® 24 Contour
cochlear implant and the FDA Commissioner's Special Citation for the development and commercialization of the Nucleus® 24 Multichannel Auditory
Brainstem implant. For more information about Cochlear™'s products, call
the Cochlear hotline at 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or
visit the Web site at
http://www.cochlear.com.
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