On August 30 2022, by invitation of the Civil Development Organization, Dr. Lynn Rose, Director of Disability Studies at CGDS, and Ms. Shabang Sardar, CGDS Translator, attended the celebration of the announcement about sign language training. Several guests spoke at the celebration, including the Sulaimani Governor and the President of CDO, with sign language interpretation from Ms. Bahar Mahmood Mohammed. Four deaf children signed a song sung by a member of the Blind Union of Kurdistan. With support from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the German government, CDO will facilitate the training of 20 sign language interpreters so that they can accommodate some of the needs of deaf people in the region. We congratulate CDO on acquiring funding for this essential training.
Image description: There are two photos, both showing a leafy outdoor garden stage, behind which is a large banner in Kurdish writing. In one photo, a man with dark hair and wearing black clothes speaks before a podium while a woman with long white hair, wearing black Kurdish clothes, signs. In the other photo, a woman in hijab and sunglasses, standing on the grass to the left of the stage, holds a microphone to her mouth. Four children—three girls and a boy, all wearing colorful Kurdish clothes—stand on the stage and sign.