A Center for receiving and transmitting information from persons with hearing impairments to emergency services has opened in Vitebsk
The establishment of such a center significantly simplifies the lives of people with disabilities.
– Previously, a person with a hearing impairment, in order, for example, to call an ambulance, get a queue ticket at a clinic, or call a plumber, had to contact us or their neighbors – says Lidiya Sokolovskaya, Chairperson of the Vitebsk Regional Organization of the Public Association "BelOG". – Moreover, if health problems occurred at night, one could only wait for medical assistance in the morning. Now, a person with a hearing impairment can contact an employee of the Emergency Services Center via Skype at any time. Our sign language interpreter will promptly relay the request to the relevant services for the fastest possible resolution of the issue. The main condition for emergency assistance is that the applicant has a good mobile phone, tablet, or computer, allowing for a dialogue via video communication.
According to the interlocutor, the center employs 4 experienced sign language interpreters (3 women and 1 man) on a 12-hour shift schedule.
Also, when resolving simple everyday issues where the presence of a sign language interpreter is not mandatory, the center's employees are ready to assist a person with a hearing impairment (for example, at a clinic or in a store) if they cannot communicate with others. For this, again, it is necessary to have a smartphone or tablet with video communication capabilities.
You can contact the specialists of the Center for Receiving and Transmitting Information from Persons with Hearing Impairments to Emergency Services via Skype: 9191-vitebsk, as well as by phone: +375212235729 (landline) and +375259191010 (Life).