International Institute of Buffalo, ECDOH make solar eclipse prep information available in 11 languages

Total solar eclipse occurs Monday, April 8

The International Institute of Buffalo (IIB) has translated and made available important information about the total solar eclipse so people can safely enjoy this unique astrological phenomenon. The URL for the info is iibuffalo.org/news/eclipse. 

IIB translated eclipse safety and preparedness information flyers into many of the top languages spoken in Western New York: Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Dari, French, Pashto, Somali, Swahili and Ukrainian. The Institute translated the information provided by the Erie County Department of Health at no charge to the county. The ECDOH prepared the English and Spanish translation of the document.

A press release stated, “A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, obscuring the view of the sun from part of the Earth. However, health officials warn that looking directly at the eclipse may cause solar radiation to damage the eyes and might lead to permanent blind spots or distortions in a person’s vision.”

“We want to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event safely, regardless of their first language,“ said Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, executive director of the IIB. “This is why language access is vital for the community.”

Rizzo-Choi encourages everyone to download the PDFs or pass the URL to their relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and anyone else who might benefit from the information. The IIB is also encouraging local governments, libraries, schools, clubs, faith-based organizations and other institutions to print out the flyers on bulletin boards, put them on their websites, or include the iibuffalo.org/news/eclipse URL in their emails, newsletters and other digital platforms.