Deaf News: Newcastle’s Tessa Padden teaches sign language in Iran

The BBC has reported on how Tessa Padden, a BSL teacher from Newcastle spent three weeks as a volunteer teaching sign language in Iran.

With the help of an Iranian interpreter, Padden taught sign linguistics, took question-and-answer sessions and told them about the importance of sign language teaching.

Tessa at the opening of the Iranian Sign Language Interpreting Conference with the President of the Iranian Deaf Association (L) and the grandfather of Ardavan Guity, the Deaf organiser of Tessa’s trip (Centre)

Tessa being introduced to the first-ever Iranian Sign Language Interpreting Conference in Zanjan, along with religious and civic leaders.

Padden, who also has extensive media experience and is a well-known Deaf personality in the UK, told the BBC:  “I told them about my own journey from leaving school and when I thought deaf people were consigned to working in routine and menial jobs. But through improving opportunities for deaf people through TV, university research and better interpreter provision, deaf people in Iran could aim to achieve more.

“I wanted to encourage and motivate deaf people in their own communities to take possession of their own language and culture and take the lead in working for a better future for the deaf community.”

You can read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19318144