When a Siren Can Never Be Loud Enough
When a Siren Can Never Be Loud Enough
August 12, 2015
The Times of Israel — Sirens blared continually during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge, warning Israel’s citizens when missiles were launched from Gaza. But Gal Roknian was at a disadvantage. Roknian, a mother of three, is deaf.
“I’m the adult in the responsible role, but I can’t always be responsible if I’m not capable of understanding,” Roknian says via a sign language translator.
Roknian, director of guidance at the Institute for the Advancement of Deaf Persons in Israel (DPII), says in a country with 700,000 deaf and hard of hearing citizens, emergency personnel must be able to use some basic sign language.
DPII has promoted the use of Signs in Crisis, a mobile app developed at BGU in partnership with emergency and advocacy organizations. Signs in Crisis is designed for emergency personnel and can be used by anyone assisting a deaf or hard-of-hearing person in a crisis.
A screenshot from the Signs in Crisis app. This shows how to say, “You are in the hospital.”
The visual glossary depicts Israel sign language phrases for words such as “doctor” and “police,” with translations in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and English. It also includes a screen for drawing and writing, offering an additional real-time communication channel.
“With just a little awareness and a little bit of guidance and use of this app,” says Roknian, “you can decrease that kind of tension and feeling of emergency.”
Read more on The Times of Israel website >>
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