Approximately 90% of children born to Deaf parents are hearing, commonly known as Codas. While rooted in Deaf culture and fluent in sign language, Codas frequently exist as a “hidden minority”. Their unique struggles with stigma, indirect discrimination, and complex familial dynamics are largely ignored by social work, education, and healthcare professionals. In alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), this symposium places Codas at the centre of inquiry. It provides a vital platform to share lived experiences, explore dual identities, and highlight intrinsic agency, community resilience, and empowerment.

Themes

• Children of deaf adults: Stories and storytelling: The theme of stories and storytelling is built on research and evidence-based methodologies that demonstrate that the process of telling and sharing stories help us make sense of the Coda world in a way that connects and resonates with others.
• Indirect stigma from the Coda perspective: This theme explores case studies on how hearing children of Deaf adults (CODAs) navigate indirect stigma throughout childhood, youth, and adulthood. While Deaf parents face direct stigmatisation, CODAs experience indirect stigma—bias stemming from familial ties to a marginalised group. This session examines how CODAs negotiate these unique social challenges across their lifespans.
• Community resilience, agency and empowerment in deaf parented families: This theme explores the role of deaf parents in fostering community resilience for Codas through community connection, shared cultural values and a sense of identity and collective belonging in the Coda community and deaf community. Social networks with deaf adults and their children play a crucial role in developing resilience, agency and empowerment.

Full programme to follow. 

• Date & time: Friday, 27 November 2026. Start & end time to be confirmed.
• Host: University College Cork (UCC), Ireland
• Venue: Aula Maxima, UCC (and Online via Synchronous Hybrid Format)
• Funder: Research Ireland (under the SFI-IRC Pathway Programme)
• Organiser: Dr Noel O’Connell