Sirens sound, yet deaf people left standing

[Smithtr]

Geneva - Lydia Callis became an unlikely star of Superstorm Sandy as the sign-language interpreter during New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s televised press conferences on the storm.

Time magazine reported in October 2012: “During Bloomberg’s televised press conferences on the storm — delivered in his standard business-like fashion — Callis translated his words with enthusiasm and passion. In fact, her presence at press conferences has provided New Yorkers with what New York magazine described as 'a legitimate reason to smile'."

The magazine continued: "She not only was able to translate the important words of the mayor to anxious viewers across the country but also provided clear, coherent and animated explanations to millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans."

One of the reasons Ms Callis' wonderful – and probably lifesaving – service became such a hit was that it is so rare for public leaders and disaster managers to take account before, during and after crises of the specific challenges of people who are hearing impaired or deaf.

The 'normal' situation is captured beautifully in the above image by deaf artist Katja Tissi: imagine the situation of a deaf person when the sirens are sounding; everybody is running for his or her life, but deaf people are unaware of what is happening.

Mr Beat Kleeb, an accessibility expert at the World Federation of the Deaf, said that the largest group of persons with disabilities are the hearing impaired and deaf persons but as the disability is invisible it is often the most overlooked.

But there is encouraging evidence of hearing impaired and deaf people being more included in disaster management planning.

In Georgia, USA, two men, Mr John McDonald and Mr Aaron Shoemaker are training sign-language interpreters to be first responders and to be able to help hearing impaired and deaf people impacted by disasters.

Their Georgia Emergency Management Interpreting Initiative (GEMINI) was prompted after a tornado smashed through Adairsville, Georgia, on 30 January 2013, and emergency responders left behind a deaf woman and her two children.

GEMINI has been around for several years now, but has never been up front and personal until a deaf person was directly affected by the disaster in Adairsville," Mr McDonald told the local Calhoun Times newspaper.

"She was left behind. They went around knocking on doors; they didn't answer so they put a red 'X' on the door and they moved on; well, a lot of people don't realize when you spray paint a building like that, it is permission to bulldoze without double checking."

It was not until Mr McDonald and Mr Shoemaker arrived and briefed rescue workers that just knocking on doors searching for survivors was not enough that the crews went back through the impact zone and found the woman and her two children.

Mr McDonald and Mr Shoemaker, both certified interpreters for the deaf, were able to communicate with the woman to get her the help she needed.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and partners have launched the first-ever survey of people living with disabilities and disasters to mark the 2013 International Day for Disaster Reduction on 13 October.

Have Your Say! If you're living with a disability or you are a caregiver, take our survey and share your thoughts on living with disasters. The survey is available here in several languages.

Sirens sound, yet deaf people left standing - News - Professional Resources - PreventionWeb.net

 

[Reba]

Interesting.

 

[hoodoowytch]

OMGs! That is some scary shit. I live in Kentucky...I am TERRIFIED of tornadoes. I can't hear sirens or anything. Luckily my hubby is hearing so I at least have someone to help, but if one day I am a widow...ugh...I don't even want to think about it. I have NO idea if my town even has any contingencies for us Deafies.

 

[Frisky Feline]

OMGs! That is some scary shit. I live in Kentucky...I am TERRIFIED of tornadoes. I can't hear sirens or anything. Luckily my hubby is hearing so I at least have someone to help, but if one day I am a widow...ugh...I don't even want to think about it. I have NO idea if my town even has any contingencies for us Deafies.

Try not to worry too much.

 

[Bottesini]

OMGs! That is some scary shit. I live in Kentucky...I am TERRIFIED of tornadoes. I can't hear sirens or anything. Luckily my hubby is hearing so I at least have someone to help, but if one day I am a widow...ugh...I don't even want to think about it. I have NO idea if my town even has any contingencies for us Deafies.

I get text warnings on my phone for all weather alerts.

 

[Frisky Feline]

I get text warnings on my phone for all weather alerts.

oh thats one i forget about. lol I usually rely on my cats behaviors or so. i woul dknow. BUT if it were real one, then i would check weather on my smartphone or check with my local relatives here.

 

[hoodoowytch]

OH! I had forgot about the weather alerts on phone too. LOL I have a little dog and a cat...they both go running when it starts storming. I never know it is storming unless me mate Dougie tells me, or my dog Mojo and my cat Salem go running to hide. LOL

I loves me furry children.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

I get text warnings on my phone for all weather alerts.

I do not have a cell phone so I get reverse 911 calls warning of storms etc. I can't hear the sirens when they're being tested so I signed up the reverse 911 calls .


But what if you're sleeping a text will not wake you up , or will it?

 

[Bottesini]

I do not have a cell phone so I get reverse 911 calls warning of storms etc. I can't hear the sirens when they're being tested so I signed up the reverse 911 calls .


But what if you're sleeping a text will not wake you up , or will it?

It should , it vibrates and lights up.

I wonder if hearing people hear sirens when they are asleep anyway? In this instance I think I am better informed than any of them.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

It should , it vibrates and lights up.

I wonder if hearing people hear sirens when they are asleep anyway? In this instance I think I am better informed than any of them.

OK , that is good , I am just making sure you will know something is going on.
When I was a boarding school there a fire drill in the middle of the night and I did not wake up when the alarm when off. My roommate was trying to wake me up and I kept getting pissed off at her ! I had no idea what was going on and it got some time my roommate to wake me up. She was shaking me and everything . We where the last two girls to get out of the dorm. It was a good thing it was not fire .

 

[LoveBlue]

I get text warnings on my phone for all weather alerts.

Same here. I have text msgs set up with our local TV station, but I also get extreme weather warnings from my cellphone carrier, which may be something my state requires. Got at least two tornado warnings this summer.

 

[Angel1989]

It should , it vibrates and lights up.

I wonder if hearing people hear sirens when they are asleep anyway? In this instance I think I am better informed than any of them.

Botti, is there a particular app that you suggest?

 

[Reba]

We don't have warning sirens here.

 

[Bottesini]

Botti, is there a particular app that you suggest?

I am an Android user, and pretty sure you are iPhone?

Just putting in "weather alert" in the App store search , should find you a plethora of them.

Also your local television stations should have one you can sign up for.

I also get alerts from National Weather Service, although I don't remember how I got signed up for it.

 

[Bottesini]

We don't have warning sirens here.

I was just reading that they are being phased out in places because cell phone warning systems are so much more reliable.

 

[Reba]

I was just reading that they are being phased out in places because cell phone warning systems are so much more reliable.

I don't think they've ever had sirens in this area.

 

[LoveBlue]

I am an Android user, and pretty sure you are iPhone?

Just putting in "weather alert" in the App store search , should find you a plethora of them.

Also your local television stations should have one you can sign up for.

I also get alerts from National Weather Service, although I don't remember how I got signed up for it.

I wonder if the NWS is the same one I get for extreme weather warnings. I did not sign up for it. I think it's something that is being done in coordination with cellphone carriers like a reverse 911.