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NOTABLE CODAs

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the deceased husband of England’s current Queen Elizabeth II, his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was deaf since birth.

Renee Hartman, Holocaust survivor and author of Signs of Survival: A Memoir of Two Sisters, (2021) a powerful true story about two sisters (one Deaf and one CODA) who lost their parents and stayed together and survived the Holocaust.

Myron Uhlberg, men's fashion designer by career turned award-wining and critically acclaimed author of several children's books, including Dad, Jackie, and Me (2005), The Sound of All Things and The Printer (2003). He wrote a moving memoir, The Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love in 2009. His latest publication is My Name is Helen Keller (2020).

Mickey Carolan, children’s book author & storyteller with a unique perspective. Growing up with two Deaf parents, he became fluent in one of the most beautiful languages in the world, American Sign Language. Fueled by a passion to honor his family's remarkable legacy, Mickey's words leap off the page, inviting readers into his world; Sky, The Deaf Homerun Hero (2023) and Mom Dad Not Hear (2024).

Jack Jason, the most visible ASL Interpreter and producing partner of Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin.

Paul Raci, Award-winning American Actor, best known as Joe in the movie, The Sound of Metal, (2020) for which he was nominated the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. You may find him in HBO’s Perry Mason and most recently in Netflix’s The Mother with Jennifer Lopez.

Grace Byers, Camayan-American author/activist/actress who stars in Amazon's Harlem (2021) as Quinn; Fox's smash hit series, Empire and Marvel's The Gifted series. She published two children's books, a New York Time Bestseller, I  Am Enough (2018) and I Believe I Can (2020).

Arlene Malinowski, American actor and playwright who wrote the critically acclaimed What Does the Sun Sound Like?, a one-woman show performed nationally and internationally. She has written many other plays and guest starred on numerous TV shows.

Millie Brother, in 1983 coined the acronym, CODA and is the founder of the CODA International organization, where they connect CODAs around the world.

Andrea M. Hall, a Fire Captain and the first Black female firefighter in South Fulton, Georgia. She famously recited the Pledge of Allegiance in ASL during President Joe Biden’s inauguration and was the first to do so.

Paul Hoover, bench coach for the Kansas City Royals, (formerly catcher for many MLB teams) was raised by deaf parents. Hoover has said that his upbringing helped him in the MLB, and that he and his family learned to communicate in other ways than talking, such as reading body language and feeling energy.

 

Alan Abarbanell, stand-up comedian has toured the U.S. with his acclaimed one-man show The Abababa Road Tour, chronicling his experiences growing up hearing in a deaf family.

 

Lon Chaney, Sr., American actor raised by deaf parents. His upbringing allowed him to communicate better in silent films.

Kambri Crews, American comedic storyteller and writer who incorporates sign language in performances and whose parents, maternal grandparents and several aunts and uncles are deaf.

Lou Fant, American actor; sign language coach for Children of a Lesser God.

Louise Fletcher, American Academy Award-winning actress for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Edward Miner Gallaudet, founder of Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for deaf and hard of hearing students. He is the son of Sophia Fowler Gallaudet and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, founder of the American School for the Deaf, the first school for the deaf in the U.S.

Craig Gass, American actor, comedian and impressionist best known for his roles in King of Queens, Family Guy, American Dad and Sex and the City and was a writer for Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.

Frank Stiefel is an American filmmaker and photographer. His film Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject. He created a documentary, Ingelore, about his Deaf mother in Germany when the war broke out.

Richard Griffiths, an English actor of stage, film and television. He is best known as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, and King George II in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Stefan LeFors, Canadian football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Homer Thornberry, a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963.

Jim Verraros, a finalist on the first season (2002) of American Idol, an American singing competition television series. He was named as one of "2002's Most Intriguing People" by Out, a LGBT-interest magazine.

Keith Wann, with two other Deaf actors, perform regularly in a troupe called Iceworm, to showcase the cultural and linguistic barrier faced between the deaf and hearing worlds in a comedic fashion.

Vera Patterson, Consistent volunteer at the Ontario camp of the Deaf. Lead staff in programming all activities for said camp. A notable deaf ally of her time. Has been voicing her concerns for the deaf community since her early youth.

Blair Patterson, Deaf advocate for the deaf community. At 18 years old, she became one of the youngest CODAs to fight for deaf rights.

Jerry Ferris, best known for appearing on season three of The Bachelorette, which featured Jen Schefft, went on to become a successful sign language interpreter, actor and producer.

Sherry Hicks & Michael Velez, dynamic duo of Half n Half, delight audiences with their original multimedia American Sign Language (ASL) performances combining Music and storytelling.

Andy & Ben Olson, the CODA Brothers YouTube sensations who bring to light hilarious situations growing up with Deaf parents, also run interpreter agencies in Minnesota.

Liysa Croll Callson, CODA Diva, inspirational speaker and comedienne.

Dennis Daugaard, elected as South Dakota’s 32nd Governor on November 2, 2010. Both of Dennis’ parents were born deaf, making sign language the principle means of communication for his family.

Ozzy Wiesblatt, a Canadian born professional ice hockey player for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Erik Witteborg, a famed YouTuber who goes by the name of ewitty, posts interesting videos and articles on everything from growing up in a Deaf home, also creates hilarious ASL related memes.

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