For most people, being able to hear is something perfectly normal. And so it is hard to understand what not being able to hear means unless one’s own sense of hearing suddenly does not work properly any more. Not being able to hear quite often means having no contact with other humans. State-of-the-art hearing devices, above all the cochlear implant (CI), give us the chance of making our way (back) into the world of the hearing.  

The Deutsche Cochlea Implantat Gesellschaft, shortly DCIG, is a registered self-help association and has been recognised as a non-profit organisation for three decades. We – that is people who make use of modern hearing aid technology. Most of us communicate by spoken language, others also by sign language. In any case, we are all experts in terms of communication.

Self-help means: We help ourselves and each other. Joining us helps the one who does so. Becoming a member imparts knowledge and gives self-confidence. But it also helps others: those who are still searching because they themselves, their child or other members of the family cannot hear very well or not at all.

However important the right hearing aid may be – it does not turn us into hearing people. Despite all that, everyday life still holds quite a few challenges in store. We, the DCIG, are committed to creating good conditions that enable us to live with these challenges. In doing so, our independence is our greatest asset. Why? Because it’s us – the wearers of a CI or hearing aid – who are the best experts for life with a CI or hearing aid.