Mother Father Deaf Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Hearing Loss

Mother Father Deaf Day is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of April to honour deaf parents and codas (hearing offspring of deaf parents). This year’s date is April 30. It is much more common than you might imagine for deaf parents to have hearing children. In fact, 90% of deaf parents have offspring with normal hearing. This indicates that the community of offspring of deaf adults (codas) is much larger than previously believed. The purpose of this holiday is to recognise both the parents and children who live in such circumstances.

The background of Mother Father Deaf Day

We prefer to view deafness as a disability or, in some cases, a disease; however, deaf people do not view themselves in this way. The majority of deaf community members view deafness as a distinct way of life, which we believe is a more accurate description of the condition. If you concur, consider how different the lives of hearing children born to deaf parents may be.

You may be surprised to learn that this phenomenon (deaf parents with hearing children) exists, and it’s fair to assume that you’re not alone. The fact that approximately 90 percent of deaf parents have hearing children suggests that it is not necessarily a hereditary trait, given the numerous exceptions.

Conversations between Socrates and his students around the fifth century B.C. are the earliest evidence of sign language. In the 17th century, manual alphabets were devised and deaf education was established. Since then, numerous colleges and universities for the deaf have been established.

Millie Brother devised the term children of deaf adults (coda) or kids of deaf adults (koda) to refer to children under the age of 18 born to one or more deaf parents. Additionally, he founded the CODA organisation, which aimed to create a community for people with similar conditions.

The parent-child relationship is distinctive because these children are frequently caught between the hearing and deaf worlds. Numerous support groups and organisations are devoted to codas. Mother Father Deaf Day was established for codas to honour their deaf parents and bring awareness to the community.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HEARING LOSS

Over 300 distinct sign languages, systems, and dialects exist throughout the globe.

Over 5% of the global population is afflicted by hearing loss, per the WHO.

One in three individuals over 65 suffers from hearing loss.

Studies indicate that untreated hearing loss can lead to dementia in old age.

The cost of treating all individuals with hearing impairments is estimated at $750 billion.

MOTHER FATHER DEAF DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2022	April 29	Friday
2023	April 30	Sunday
2024	April 28	Sunday
2025	April 27	Sunday
2026	April 26	Sunday