Connecting and Sharing: Celebrating Cochlear Implant Day and the Power of Community

Our first Connect and Share group of the year was a wonderful success! Held on International Cochlear Implant Day, we embraced the theme of connection—exploring how to maintain meaningful relationships when individuals have different language and communication needs. Hosted by our whānau support counsellor, Hazel, and our audiologist, Nick, the session fostered meaningful discussions, as participants shared their experiences and explored ways to maintain connections despite different language and communication needs. 

We were fortunate to have our adult habilitationist, Bronwyn, join us, along with Natasha, the child and youth lead from Deaf Aotearoa. Two of our group members use NZSL to communicate, and together, Hazel, Nick, Bronwyn, and Natasha facilitated a discussion with a diverse group of hard-of-hearing and Deaf clients who also use cochlear implants. 

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many appreciated seeing the different ways a cochlear implant can be used as a tool to access sound. One client in his 80s shared that he had tears in his eyes as he related to other members of the community. He spoke about the deep sense of empathy in the room as participants shared their experiences and stories. 

Another client mentioned feeling more confident after attending the group. Seeing the challenges others were overcoming on their journey helped them recognize their own resilience and bravery in navigating the hearing world. Additionally, a couple of guests expressed interest in learning more about NZSL, and Natasha shared useful resources and links with them. 

It was truly inspiring to see the power of shared experiences in strengthening connections within our community. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and welcoming even more participants in future sessions.