Growing up as a CODA—a Child of Deaf Adults—means being raised between the Deaf and hearing worlds. It offers a unique, rich perspective, but it can also come with real challenges that few people outside the community understand.
Hear to Sign (HTS) is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ensuring Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs) and Deaf-parented households have the understanding, validation, and mental health resources they deserve. We collect real data through the CODA Visibility Study to uncover the emotional, developmental, and linguistic experiences of Deaf-parented homes, giving community needs a clear voice.

We collect real data through the CODA visibility study to uncover the emotional, developmental, and linguistic experiences of Deaf-parented homes giving community needs a clear voice.
From specialized family toolkits to directories of mental health providers who understand Deaf culture, we build tools designed specifically for our community's reality.
We create spaces where CODAs and Deaf parents are understood without explanation, while educating healthcare, education, and social systems on the nuances of Deaf family dynamics.
Despite millions of Deaf-parented homes worldwide, CODAs remain one of the most overlooked linguistic and cultural demographics in modern developmental research.
90% of children born to Deaf parents are hearing.
Less than 1% of mainstream mental health research specifically addresses CODA identity or language brokering.
We can't fix what isn't measured. Without empirical data, therapists lack cultural training, educators misunderstand family dynamics, and CODAs are left to navigate two worlds in isolation. Hear to Sign is changing that from the ground up.

"Hear to Sign grew out of a simple, undeniable truth: Deaf-parented homes have unique, beautiful, and complex stories, yet mainstream support systems barely know we exist. We aren't just collecting data—we are building a foundation of research, mental health resources, and validation that our community has needed for generations."
—Heather Dover,
Founder & Executive Director

Real advocacy starts by listening. Whether you grew up interpreting at family appointments, navigating bicultural identity, or you're seeking mental health support that actually gets it, your story matters.
Take the CODA visibility survey and help us shape the future of CODA research, family toolkits, and provider education.
Join the Hear to Sign Community Get occasional updates on our latest research findings, upcoming family resources, and ways to get involved.
Turning lived experience into evidence.
Hear to Sign is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
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