Growing Up Coda: A Year Of Change

 

[Chatter] 

 

[ Show opens]

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: Alright, ok we’re all ready? 

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: Hello Brother Ronnie, Brother Rowell, it's been a while since we've seen you last. 

 

VO: Believe it or not, it's been a year since we published the very first episode of the CODA series, where we first met Brother Rowel and Brother Ronnie David both CODAs or children of Deaf Adults and ministers of the gospel in the Church Of Christ.

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: Ka Ronnie, do you want to sit up a little bit? 

 

[laughter] 

 

VO: So much has happened with the David family since we last talked. So we thought it would be worthwhile to catch up. And because September is Deaf Awareness Month, what better time than now.  

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: Hello, Brother Ronnie, Brother Rowel, it’s been a while since we’ve seen you last. 

 

Brother Rowel David: Hello, Sister Aliw.

 

Brother Ronnie David: Hello, Sister Aliw.  How are you?

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: We’re good. How are you doing? How are you both?

 

Brother Rowel David: Well, doing well, doing well.

 

Brother Ronnie David: Doing great

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: We just wanted to check in with you both and see how things are and just the impact and the feedback you've gotten from the CODA series, 

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: Would you say that there are people that you may have known for a long time, and after seeing your stories and hearing your stories, were  there things that they were surprised to learn?

 

Brother Ronnie David: I've had a lot of brethren who from my past local assignments, they texted me, they called me and they said, “I didn't even know. I had no idea.” Because the thing is, we don’t put this out there. It's not something that, “hey, hello, my name is Ronnie and my parents are deaf.” For them, one thing that got me was they said, “I see why you did the things The way you did. I see why.

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: Your story, you know, the CODA series was—is really a family story. And I am so curious to know have parents come up to you? Have kids come up to you? As far as helping bridge that cultural divide, generational gap, whatever gap happens as we grow older?

 

Brother Rowel David: You know, some are coming up and asking, you know, “what, do you think we shouldn't do if, you know, this is the situation. You know, my child is going through this, do you think you can help them with this and that?” And so, I feel like because of that video, because of that series, it's opened up a lot of doors. It's actually opened, like, in the sense of parents, now seeing things in a different way as well. Because now they're seeing things that you know, hey, this could be affecting my child, or me not doing this could be hindering them in this way.

 

Sister Aliw Pablo: One thing too, as far as opening up conversations, I'm curious as far as faith sharing, how has the feedback been from brethren who do have friends who are hearing-impaired and and how have they shared the content with them?

 

Brother Ronnie David: You know, it's funny, because I feel like some brethren never thought about inviting a deaf person to a Bible study. They never thought about inviting a deaf person to listen to the words of God. But that's an option.