Welcome to CodaRefugees.org
War is raging in Ukraine. We know that among those who fight, endure, and flee, there are those who are hurt and those who have died. We know our Coda siblings are also there. If you are hearing with Deaf parents then you are a Coda. We would like to reach out to you and offer our support.
Are you hearing and do you have Deaf parents?
Welcome to the Coda family!
About Coda
There are groups of Codas in many countries that meet regularly.
This website was created by a network of Codas around the world with support from CODA International Region 6 and CODA d.a.ch.
CODA International is an international organization based in the United States. CODA International Region 6 encompasses the Northern Hemisphere of the world, of which Europe is included. CODA International organizes Coda conferences once a year and has done this since the mid 1980ies. For the last 20 years the conferences have taken place in- and outside the US. Next conference will be in Incheon, South Korea in 2023. Regional meetings are also arranged at CODA Conference.
There are also groups of Codas in many countries that meet regularly. In Europe there are several very active organizations like: CODA d.a.ch. (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), CODA France, CODA Italy, CODA UK & Ireland and more.
CODA meetings give us strength and joie de vivre. Above all, CODA is a loving community and we support one another.
We found out that our Coda siblings in Ukraine are not yet organized in this way. The purpose of this website is to reach Codas in and from Ukraine. Please get in touch, we want to be there for you!
You can find a list with information about local CODA organizations here.
This website was created by a network of Codas around the world with support from CODA International Region 6 and CODA d.a.ch.
CODA International is an international organization based in the United States. CODA International Region 6 encompasses the Northern Hemisphere of the world, of which Europe is included. CODA International organizes Coda conferences once a year and has done this since the mid 1980ies. For the last 20 years the conferences have taken place in- and outside the US. Next conference will be in Incheon, South Korea in 2023. Regional meetings are also arranged at CODA Conference.
There are also groups of Codas in many countries that meet regularly. In Europe there are several very active organizations like: CODA d.a.ch. (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), CODA France, CODA Italy, CODA UK & Ireland and more.
CODA meetings give us strength and joie de vivre. Above all, CODA is a loving community and we support one another.
We found out that our Coda siblings in Ukraine are not yet organized in this way. The purpose of this website is to reach Codas in and from Ukraine. Please get in touch, we want to be there for you!
You can find a list with information about local CODA organizations here.
We Codas come from many different countries and cultures. What we have in common and what holds our community together, is our childhood as hearing people with deaf parents. Part of us belongs to the hearing world, that's the part that is visible to most of the people around us. Another part of us feels deaf as we grew up in deaf culture. This is understood by the CODA community. We know and experience that deafness and sign language are not understood and dismissed. When we come together, we know that our Coda brothers and sisters do not see each other as either hearing or deaf. Codas have a precious mixture of both cultures.
Some of us also experienced migration and life as a refugee. Selman Hoti survived the war in ex-Yugoslavia as Coda and has this message for you:
Selman Hoti shares his memories of war
Selman Hoti shares his memories of war
Support
Many of us work as interpreters or teachers at schools for the deaf. Others have jobs that have nothing to do with the deaf community. If you need someone who will listen to you and to whom you don't have to explain anything, someone who will perceive you as a whole personality with kindness and love, then get in touch. We will try to support you the best we can when you are fleeing or looking to settle down in a new city for good or until you can return home. We can also help you look for a job while you are here.
Here you can find a list of contact persons and organizations
Here you can find a list of contact persons and organizations
You can contact us or any of the Codas or their organizations and Deaf associations listed below.
There are also Codas among us who have trauma therapy expertise. We have put together techniques for you that can help you during ongoing extreme stress such as war and flight. They are based on mindfulness techniques and include exercises based on calming yourself down by closing your eyes and using a calm breathing technique. The exercises are simple and effective exercises that are body-based and can calm us down, even when our mind does not want to calm down on its own. NOTE: These mindfulness techniques do not work well in the case of acute traumatic stress.
The exercises we would like to share now are:
Tapping, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) For EMDR you need a specialized therapist. We are happy to find someone with you, wherever you are. You can do tapping and TRE yourself.
Here we have put together explanation and exercise videos:
Tapping excercise by Nick Ortner
There are also Codas among us who have trauma therapy expertise. We have put together techniques for you that can help you during ongoing extreme stress such as war and flight. They are based on mindfulness techniques and include exercises based on calming yourself down by closing your eyes and using a calm breathing technique. The exercises are simple and effective exercises that are body-based and can calm us down, even when our mind does not want to calm down on its own. NOTE: These mindfulness techniques do not work well in the case of acute traumatic stress.
The exercises we would like to share now are:
Tapping, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) For EMDR you need a specialized therapist. We are happy to find someone with you, wherever you are. You can do tapping and TRE yourself.
Here we have put together explanation and exercise videos:
Tapping excercise by Nick Ortner
We would like to open a Coda space in order to just be together, whether we are directly experiencing the war, helping or only witnessing.
We meet online every Sunday in a closed group. Only Codas are invited to attend. You are invited if you want to join – we will welcome you with open hearts.
Please sign up here.
We meet online every Sunday in a closed group. Only Codas are invited to attend. You are invited if you want to join – we will welcome you with open hearts.
Please sign up here.