Once the child of a deaf parent enrolls in a college where they live away from home, some challenges change, while new ones emerge. Below are two stories of CODA students at Franklin & Marshall College, who shared with us some of their unique experiences. 

Valerie Bigio is a multilingual international student from Cali, Colombia. Emily Peeks is a bilingual student from Queens, New York. Both have deaf parents, and both are the primary interpreters for their parents. 

Valerie’s Story:

• Staying connected: I talk to my siblings more than I talk to my parents—my brother lives in Boston and my sister in Colombia. I will call them while folding laundry or walking to class. But talking to my parents? That is a different story. Facetiming my deaf parents, who are abroad, requires much more coordination. We have to make sure we are both free, sitting down, have good Wi-Fi, and have our hands free so we can both sign comfortably. It is already hard for many college students to find time to call their parents. Now, imagine how much harder it is for a CODA to connect with their Deaf parents when even a simple check-in requires so much planning. This adds an extra layer of difficulty when it comes to staying in touch with them.

• Supporting my parents as a college student: Though I am in college and my parents are home, they often ask me to help assist with “errands.” Recently, my father asked me to interpret for him at a doctor’s appointment. We usually try to schedule these for when I visit home so that we can do them in person, but in this instance, I had to rearrange my schedule and hop on the call to serve as the bridge of communication for my father to understand what is going on with his own health. 

While I am happy to help, I recognize that many of my peers on campus don’t have to worry about assisting their parents like this. Faculty should recognize that even if a student doesn’t have a disability themselves, having a family member who does can add an extra layer of responsibility beyond academics and extracurriculars. 

• Paying it forward: One of my dream jobs on campus was to become a Peer Academic Coach (PAC)—a role that supports students with organization and studying strategies. Many of these students have dyslexia, other language-based disabilities, attention difficulties like ADHD, or are on the autism spectrum. I wanted to become a resource for students who struggle with academics or organization skills. I think this desire comes from understanding what my parents went through in school. They faced challenges because mainstream education lacked accessibility. 

Growing up, I heard stories of how my mom had to borrow classmates’ notes in high school because she didn’t have an interpreter. My dad faced doubt when he enrolled in mechanical school in Colombia. His professor didn’t believe a deaf student could succeed. But through lip-reading and determination, my father proved him wrong. Their experiences taught me that academic struggles don’t reflect intelligence but rather a lack of support. 

Emily’s Story: 

• Communication barriers: One of the biggest challenges I faced during my first year at Franklin & Marshall was when my parents, who are deaf, could not access an interpreter during an introductory parent orientation event. Despite their efforts to plan beforehand, they didn’t realize multiple interpreters were needed. As a result, they were unable to follow what was being said, but they still stayed and cheered me on. This moment reminded me that communication barriers persist even when people are proactive due to systemic failures and poor institutional planning. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a new experience for my parents, who have often encountered unexpected situations where they could not receive access. Watching them struggle that day only deepened my commitment to advocating for the deaf community.

• Paying It forward: This experience revealed the broader inequities deaf individuals and their families face in educational spaces. There’s an unspoken bias that deaf parents are less involved, or their children are less capable simply due to language differences. As a CODA, I am constantly trying to bridge both worlds and prove my belonging. Therefore, I have worked to challenge these assumptions by founding the first American Sign Language (ASL) Club on campus. I also serve as the Director of Inclusion for Alpha Delta Pi sorority and shared my story in the Narratives of Disabilities and Disabilities Across Borders class. These efforts have fueled my passion for creating more inclusive, accessible environments where deaf individuals and their families are seen, heard, respected, and supported.

Clearly, the challenges for CODA students are unique. They have different needs that institutions of higher education should recognize in order to address the barriers they may face to inclusivity and belonging.  

Their stories also point out that more institutional support is needed for deaf faculty and staff, families, visitors, and students, including:

• Expanding ASL academic programs above and beyond the introductory courses. ASL is a language and like other languages, there are levels of expertise embedded in learning the language. 
• Support for faculty and staff who want to learn ASL as part of their professional development. 
• Encouraging administrators to get to know their CODA students. 
• Understanding that CODAs may have responsibilities outside of academics, such as interpreting for appointments or assisting their parents with daily tasks.
• Creating purposeful campus spaces and programming where deaf students, CODAs, and supporters can share experiences, connect, and organize around accessibility and inclusion.
• Collaborating with local deaf organizations and community leaders to host cultural events, panels, and workshops that deepen awareness and build lasting partnerships.
• Conducting regular accessibility audits beyond physical infrastructure, including communication accessibility, such as captioning, interpreter availability, and digital inclusion.
• Providing mental health and wellness resources tailored for CODAs who may carry unique emotional responsibilities or face cultural identity challenges navigating both deaf and hearing spaces.