NOKOMIS, Fla. (LEX 18) — When there's a threat of a natural disaster, oftentimes we are glued to our phones or the television for updates.
As Hurricane Ian spun toward Florida's coast, one man explains why a video he made might have been a lifeline.
William Coleman lives in Sarasota but was waiting out the storm at a hotel in Nokomis, which is halfway between Tampa and Ft. Myers. Coleman's primary language is American Sign Language. He says he is profoundly deaf.
"My primary language is American Sign Language," he signed through an interpreter. "And I prefer to get information in my primary language."
While an interpreter was provided during news conferences on television, Coleman posted videos on the internet.
"The deaf-blind community has even more barriers with getting information to them and communication," he signed through an interpreter. "So I'm trying to increase that awareness and give equal access to all different populations."
David Cowan is a deaf interpreter with All Hands On based in Georgia. The company provided interpretation in emergency situations. He took our questions and provided the sign language for Coleman.
"Getting that information to the deaf community is sometimes delayed, so we want to provide that access and for example, sometimes information for shelters and where to go and what to do we don't have access to that information," Coleman said.
It's Coleman's mission to make sure access to basic safety information isn't forgotten for anybody.
