First published in BDN Column ”Between Two Cultures” by Marie Dimond and Adrian Bailey
Source: Catherine White
Some people believe that Coda activities have only really started in the last couple of years but this is not true. Did you know that the organisation now known as Coda International was formed 25 years ago?
Catherine White attended the first international WFD Coda get together in Finland 1987 as well as Coda Maryland in 1989, shortly after the Deaf Way Conference in Washington DC. (CODA International Conferences now coincide with WFD conferences). Millie Brother (CODA/HMFD) set up the organisation CODA International in 1983 in the USA. CODA International now has members all over the world, including Britain.
In 1989 an article was written in the RNID magazine about the Coda World, and in 1991, an article was written by the Social Workers with Deaf People who had a day’s presentation on whether or not Coda’s were a “special need or special breed”.
As part of the 1990 BDA (British Deaf Association) 100 year anniversary Conference in Brighton, Deaf parents Sally Paull, Agnes Dyab joined with Codas/HMFD Linda Linnett, Roger Beeson and Catherine White to discuss and set up a group for Deaf parents, to support Deaf families. A series of newsletters was produced as a result of this grouping called HMFD (Hearing Me, Mother Father Deaf). A small grouping of ‘Happy Hands’ consisting of Codas and Deaf parents that met on a regular basis in London to continue the discussion of how we could establish the Coda and Deaf parent identity in London for many years. The HMFD meetings were like a small Deaf Club for adult hearing children. They were fun, for example, someone said ‘Hearing parents? How odd!’ Experiences and ideas could be shared without needing to explain. There was a feeling of pride and affection as well as wanting things to be better for future generations of Deaf parents and their Hearing Children.
In 2004 Catherine White hosted the first Coda-Europe event at her home in Ireland. It was at this weekend that George and Catherine decided to set up the Coda UK-Eire email group, which still continues to this day. A year later, George Taylor hosted the second Coda-Europe event in Derby.
See Hear held a televised discussion on Coda issues including Martin Colville (UK), Gerdinand Wagenaar (Netherlands) and Jodee Mundy (Australia). They followed this up with a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary following three Deaf families and their hearing children.
Catherine White did a Coda Presentation at the Centre for Deaf Studies Conference. A DVD was produced in Northern Ireland that included Coda perspective in regard to the acquisition of language through the use of Sign Language.
Academic literature is starting to recognise the potential position of Codas in Deaf society, notably Ladd’s ‘Understanding Deaf Culture’ (2003), but more is needed to come from our, unique, Coda perspective to be able to have the discussions and ask the questions that need to be asked about our place in the world.
We could list more of the events that had Coda get together for example EUD, WFD, Deaf Mental Health, WASLI events to show the continued efforts of various individuals to get Coda on the Deaf agenda.
The HMFD meetings discontinued but a CODA UK-Eire Yahoo Egroup is in use today. This is a closed group for hearing-born adult children (18 years and older) of Deaf parents. So, if you are a CODA and want to join CODA UK-Eire e-group, please send a BLANK e-mail message to: coda_uk-subscribe@YahooGroups.com or if you prefer you can join CODA UK and Ireland on Facebook!
In 2007 annual conferences were organised by the next generation of CODA/HMFDs The conferences are just like a big Deaf club, but for adult hearing children (who call themselves Codas). Codas get together, have a lot of fun and learn a lot. There is entertainment and they communicate using speech (when they feel like it) and sign language (when they feel like it).
In 2008 Marie Dimond and Adrian Bailey continued with the BDA “Between Two Cultures” column first started by George Taylor and became involved in research into CODAs/HMFDs their language and culture.
This very brief history has been compiled through word of mouth and is by no means definitive – we welcome additions and changes to it! We do feel that it serves as an example that Coda is not just a new trend, but a vital part of Deaf society and an area that still has not been properly addressed by Codas ourselves, or by the Deaf community.
We genuinely believe that Codas and our Deaf families need each other. We get all of our core values, the way we think, our language all from you, our Deaf parents and the wonderful Deaf community.