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Oscar wins for 'CODA' bring tears and elation to Deaf community

"CODA" is a tender, coming-of-age tale about the only hearing member in a deaf family that became a crowd-pleaser and earned widespread critical acclaim to become the first film with a largely deaf cast to win the best picture. It stars a trio of actors who are deaf, while offering an authentic depiction of Deaf life. For many in that community, the Oscar win provides an unprecedented feeling of affirmation, while offering a measure of Hollywood's recent progress.

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Like the film's acronymic title, Barish was raised by a deaf parent, her mother, now 85. She said she saw her own life in the story about a Massachusetts family "that wants to be heard" and to be seen as no different from anyone else. "The deaf world is finally unmuted," said Barish, a 61-year-old personal assistant who lives in Long Beach, New York. "I wish this happened when I was younger, for my mom. It was a wonderful gift. It was for the world to see that we're all the same. We're all the same."