On November 4, 2020, CGDS visited the organizations for deaf people and for people of short stature. Dr. Lynn Rose, Deputy Director of CGDS and Ms. Tara Burhan, EU MENA Liaison, met with the management of both organizations; Mr. Shakir (Muhammad Usman), CGDS’s Jan Warner Visiting Scholar, was also present. Mr Faraidon Sherzad is the president of the organization that serves deaf people; Mr. Paywand Shakhawan, the secretary of the organization, served as our translator of Kurdish Sign Language. They pointed out the problems faced by deaf people in Kurdistan, such as the lack of educational services and the lack of people who are proficient in sign language. Mr. Omar Jabar, the president of the organization for people of short stature, explained some of the attitudinal and legal obstacles faced by short-statured people, as well as the ways in which they address the problems, such as participation in civic activities and sports. Mr. Dilshad Wahab, an administrator in the organization, was also present. Both organizations agreed to work with CGDS in an attempt to fashion a more accessible and respectful environment for everybody.
Photo description: Six people stand in a row in front of a bulletin board covered with 40 evenly arranged large photos featuring short-statured people. From left to right, we see three men with dark hair. The man to the farthest left and the third man wear masks pushed down below their mouths; the third man is of short stature. Next is a woman with light hair, a bald man standing next to her, and a man of short stature with light hair standing next to him.