Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day)2026 · Date · History · Messages
CODA International designates the last Sunday in April as Deaf Parents Day, also known as Mother Father Deaf Day; CODA Korea independently describes the same last-Sunday-in-April recurrence.
About Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day)
Deaf Parents Day, formerly called Mother Father Deaf Day, takes place on the last Sunday in April. CODA International uses the occasion for adult children of Deaf parents and their families to celebrate heritage and relationships.
The 2026 date is April 26, and in 2027 the last Sunday of April is April 25. The day is community-led, not a statutory public holiday.
Why Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day) matters
The event recognizes family experiences, Deaf cultural heritage and the voices of children of Deaf adults (Codas).
Personal family stories or photographs should be shared by choice, not as an expectation. Deaf parents and their children have different identities and experiences; no one person speaks for all families.
History of Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day)
CODA International says the observance has been celebrated since 1996 and credits Trudy Schafer with initiating it after inspiration from Paul Preston’s book.
The group reports that the event name changed from Mother Father Deaf Day to Deaf Parents Day in 2021; a CODA-affiliated community record confirms practical observance of the last-Sunday-in-April tradition.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Trudy Schafer (as credited by CODA International)
Organizer history explicitly credits the initiator.
First documented observance
CODA International says it has celebrated the day since 1996; no exact first-day event asserted.
CODA International and locally participating Deaf/Coda groups
CODA International organiser page and CODA Korea community corroboration.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Mother Father Deaf Day
How to Observe Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day)
Join a locally organized, accessible celebration if invited, or learn directly from Deaf-led and Coda-led sources.
Ask before reposting someone’s family photo, personal story or language preference.
Support community spaces that offer accessible communication across different sign and spoken languages.
Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day) Facts
Recurrence: the last Sunday in April.
The date is April 26 in 2026 and April 25 in 2027.
CODA International records 1996 as the beginning of the observance and 2021 as its name change.
Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day) Messages
Celebrate Deaf family heritage with care and consent.
Honor parents without turning their experience into a stereotype.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Health Information Not Medical Advice.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
CODA Korea — Mother Father Deaf Day campaign (opens in a new tab)
National Coda Organization Corroboration
CODA International independent year event announcement (opens in a new tab)
CODA International — Deaf Parents Day / Mother Father Deaf Day (opens in a new tab)
International Community Organization
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day)?
Last Sunday in April The documented recurrence rule is: Last Sunday in April each year..
Does Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day) fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day) an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: International CODA community / Deaf-parent and family heritage observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day)?
The documented basis is: CODA International designates the last Sunday in April as Deaf Parents Day, also known as Mother Father Deaf Day; CODA Korea independently describes the same last-Sunday-in-April recurrence.. Supporting evidence includes CODA International — Deaf Parents Day / Mother Father Deaf Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Deaf Parents Day (Mother Father Deaf Day) international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: International CODA community / Deaf-parent and family heritage observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-09.
When is Deaf Parents Day in 2026?
Sunday, April 26, 2026.
When is it in 2027?
Sunday, April 25, 2027.
Is Mother Father Deaf Day a different observance?
No. It is the earlier name of the CODA International observance, now called Deaf Parents Day.
Do families need to share stories or photos?
No. Participation and personal disclosures are voluntary and should respect consent.
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International Delegate's Day
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National Holiday of the Turkmen Horse
Turkmenistan government sources state that the National Holiday of the Turkmen Horse is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of April.