Local Interpreter stands with NYC mayor

NEW YORK (WIVB) - For those with most or all of their hearing, it's very difficult to imagine a world without sound.

During a disastrous weather event like Superstorm Sandy, the importance of being able to communicate becomes even more relevant. Enter Lydia Callis.

Callis was providing essential interpreting for the hearing impaired when Mayor Michael Bloomberg did media briefings and said, "At the battery, we have seen record surge levels, we're seeing an extraordinary amount of water throughout Manhattan. There are trees down throughout the city."

Callis stood to the left of the mayor. The American Sign Language graduate from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT almost seemed take over the conference, but she wasn't just doing her job, she was doing it very well.

According to Dr. Jane Schlau, Principal at St. Mary's School for the Deaf, "She did a wonderful job. Watching those broadcasts with the interpreter right next to the leader of the state or the leader of the city were the only messages that I as a deaf person here in Buffalo got the full message."

"She is awesome. She is the best interpreter. She is wonderful. I think it is great to have an interpreter there in an emergency situation," added Pamela Rohring, a Sign Language Educator at St. Mary's.

To a deaf person, the correct sign can be the difference between saying a storm is on the way, or a STORM is on the way.

"That's correct, that's very critical. The use of facial expressions and the reason behind that is because we use a lot of facial expressions and body movement in order to show grammar," added Kim Kurz, Chair of the Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Studies at RIT at Rochester.

"So when a person is happy, you will show it on your face than in a different way than a hearing person. You'll smile, your eyebrows will go up and you look really happy. When warning a person about lightning or a storm, I'm going to look serious and tell them you need to leave your home now," said Dr. Schlau.

The staff at St. Mary's indicated that far too often the deaf are overlooked and are not provided interpreters, even during major news and weather events.