Just in...

Congress busts Kevin Martin's chops, demands change at FCC
When the main VRS provider, Sorenson, was to be audited by the FCC, the company simply refused to allow the auditors access, and the audit was never done. The much smaller companies that were eventually audited turned out to have serious problems. Why did Martin do nothing despite warnings from his own staff? The report doesn't offer a reason, though it does demand an immediate audit of Sorenson and a Government Accountability Office audit of the entire TRS program.READ MORE

A Public Hanging of the FCC Chairman and the cyber media response to the Congressional Report findings ( GoogleNews) READ MORE

Sorensons’ explanation on the “roadblock” to the requested FCC audit and followup response to the audit denial in the report cannot be found on their website Instead it can be found here (EdsAlert)

Congressional report: FCC chair abused power
"Our investigation confirmed a number of troubling allegations raised by individuals in and outside the FCC,"... The neglect of that information led to a windfall of millions of dollars for the largest TRS provider, Sorenson, which covers about 80 percent of the video relay services market....The FCC earlier hired a contractor to audit Sorenson, but the company denied the contractor access to the staff and systems necessary to conduct the audit.
The report also recommends the Government Accountability Office audit the entire TRS program, including the FCC's efforts to protect the integrity of the fund.
READ MORE

What they're saying on the web...

RLM says...Deaf people have to be aware of more and more hearing people being resentful of the federal government’s subsidy of VRS calls with the American taxpayers source

Jamie Berke ...There is nothing wrong with a company making a profit. There IS something wrong with a company that receives federal funding, refusing to cooperate with an audit. source

Stephan A Mutti...“Normally, audit firms do not show up unannounce to start the audit unless some sort of criminal investigation is going on then it is a different story. I am sure in this case that FCC did notified Sorenson that they need to go through an annual audit with an outside CPA firm.” source

Amy Cohen Efron...My question remains, if Sorenson have nothing to hide, they can easily accommodate the auditors. source

Sherlock Steve...Let's hope sorenson be fair and open with Congress of what's happen. We stand to lose if Sorenson doesn't comply. This is going to be an on-going issue for some time now. source

OCDAC...Renewing the TRS trust with the funders may have to begin with the destruction of TRS providers that are abusing and taking advantage of the TRS system.source

jncutt... “BUSTED” Is the word I can say at this point. I am not surprised of this. source

Warren Hill...Damn..About time they let this information out.The question is; is it time for state to take over? force all vrs to bid for each state? source

Anonymous...Yeah its time they find out whether the installer's hours have been billed as relay service minutes. choice

Were gonna see what goes on in this complicated hive.

VRS Side-stepping live interpreters?

PATROL POST ADDS VIDEOPHONE PHOTO from article See TMC News Elyria OH article

Illegal or dangerous precedence?
On first read this would appear to be a GREAT idea.
Indeed it is, however, in reading the trooper's explanation of the video phone purpose, this arrangement may challenge FCC guidelines that distinguish VRS vs. VRI reimbursement.

FCC info click HERE

Part of this troopers good intention to provide a video phone at a police post is allowed under FCC VRS reimbursement while calling “the 800 number” for his “responses or questions" with Deaf/ HoH individuals through the VI would NOT be allowed.

The troopers proximity to the VP caller is where this could be viewed as a VRI communication, a PAID service from the police agency to the VRS provider.

VRS providers are WELL AWARE of the difference in these separate services. One is not to be confused with the other. The FCC requires that if a VRS interpreter determines callers are in the same location, they must advise both parties that they need to use VRI to communicate, and the interpreter must terminate the call.

The VRS provider who installed the VP should have alerted this trooper and his superiors to this IMPORTANT distinction. A state police agency should have been clearly advised of these video options. Apparently this was not done.

This practice could jeopardize a GOOD thing gone BAD should the FCC discover VRS funds may be misappropriated to the benefit of the VRS provider, ironically through a POLICE AGENCY.

As reported in the TMC article;

“Trooper March said that if a deaf or hearing-impaired person were on Post they would sit at the videophone and call the 800 number. An interpreter would appear on the screen while a Trooper would be on the phone. The person would sign to the interpreter and they would relay to the Trooper and the responses or questions would be signed back to the person from the interpreter. If a person is under arrest and needs to speak to an Attorney they can do that through the interpreter and without a Trooper in the room. March said that any conversation with an Attorney is strictly confidential and remains that way even with the new system.”

An innocent videophone (VP) installation reveals what direction the Deaf are being taken-

“Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is distinct from Video Relay Service (VRS) in that it is intended for users who are in the same location. According to FCC regulations, deaf and hearing people in the same room are not permitted to use VRS to communicate, because this service is not designated as receiving funding from Telecommunication Relay Service taxes.”

And since the Police Post is considered an arm of the legal process,

“ ... connectivity is not always optimal, many interpreters feel that anytime communication is happening “on the record,” VRI should not be used due to misunderstandings that could arise from technical difficulties.”
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)
Views publication -June 2008

Win Win Situation
With Deaf education on the slide-
who on the executive board of this VRS provider could argue against this ?

Deaf Bilingual Coalition Rally
for the right to continue to sign...
in Milwaukee June 27-30
details and pictures of the event

Maybe we're...crazy

New York State Hospitals Embrace Video Interpreting
Language Line Services Helping Hospitals Comply with State Regulations with On-Demand Video Interpreters in American Sign Language
See story

ViableVRS debuts the VPAD
The VPAD takes the stage
at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) press release in Las Vegas the week of January 7-10

The VPAD is drawing attention from hearies to its purpose as well.

Check it out and here too!
Take a look at it's touted features here

This has rivaled Apple's I-Phone for the Deaf & hoh community in the age of techno marvels like HDTV, Blu-ray and GPS.

Here's more
This thing is COOOOOOOL!
-------------------------------------
HOVRS files “Rule” complaint
After months of campaigning to the FCC for a fair, predictable and stable rate and to VRS consumers to support their ADA mandated “functional equivalency” right to VRS, , the final word has arrived...and then some. The story

Rate Wait Saga VRS providers would like some decision -soon- on the pending rate methodology for VRS cost of service (per minute) rates. But past and recent events make the FCC look more like the DOJ (Department of Justice)

Take a look
On October 5
HOVRS legal counsel met separately with FCC officials about the VRS rate order and other VRS “open” matters such as the 10 digit number system for VRS and the pending declatory ruling to prohibit VRS providers from entering into non-compete agreements” with VI’s.

Then on October 12 - Snap, Sorenson and Sprint legal and corporate reps’ met with legal advisers of the FCC officials.

This meeting focused on an expeditious adoption of a rate order for the FCC to implement a decision on the VRS providers support for a 3 year, tiered price cap plan for VRS compensation rates.

Their “expeditious” wishes would have made January ‘08 a start up target date.

But wait...
On October 22 Sorenson reps had a phone conversation with some FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau officials.

This phone conversation addressed “priority access-speed of answer” for 911 calls regarding VRS-IP relay calls.
It seems the FCC would like the 911 calls thru IP relay prioritized much in the same way that Sorenson has the 911 calls prioritized through their VRS system.

Sorenson informed the FCC that it could take 6 months to develop a software system to meet that stipulation.
Will that mean the “expeditious adoption of a rate order” for Sorenson,Snap and Sprint have to wait until this software is developed for the prioritized 911 IP relay system before a rate order will be issued ?

and then...KABOOM
On October 19, a lawsuit was filed by Daryl Crouse and Charles Reeves against Snap and other individuals.
Some of you may know Daryl Crouse. He is a RID member and was chair of the Video Interpreting committee at RID.
This lawsuit alleges that Mr. Crouse was placed then removed from position(s) of authority and ultimately “fired” in a protracted “conspiracy” that involves business deals gone awry.

These recent events read like a murder mystery for VRS and a legal quagmire beyond imagination.
Stay tuned !

In the lake of big fish, the question might be who will swallow who?

Will this merger benefit, in any significant way, the Deaf/HoH consumers of VRS ?
What happens to the VIs’ who feed this cash cow of the VRS industry? With all this corporate positioning and activity it might be a good idea for VI's to think about getting involved in their own position in this booming industry.
Read the press release from Hands On

Got a comment ? Send us an e-mail

Good Enough?

As a compromise...
Sorensons’ non-compete compromise...
modify 1 year non-compete to 6 months.
In their defense they charge that the VRS providers who filed the petition, “poach, cherry pick” VIs’ after training investments resulting in a “free ride”and state their proprietary, confidential info is likened to Apple Iphone.. They also state that VRS provider filers have not suffered economically
Additionally Sorenson contends that the FCC has no jurisdiction on the 'non compete" issue (preempting state laws) and... theres 11,000-12,000 terps not 6000 and...

Read and decide for yourself if you think the non-compete clause is appropriate.

READ MORE FINDINGS at the FCC site

Read FCC postings
(CG 03-123 Telecommunication Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities.)
1)http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi
2) enter Proceeding 03-123
3) leave remaining form blank
4) click bottom lower left “retrieve document list”

VRS pioneer honored
Ben Soukup, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University, included Ed Bosson to be awarded an honorary doctorate degree on May 16 at Gallaudet’s 139th Commencement exercises.
This is an excerpt of the announcement acknowledging him

"The Father of VRS"

---

Texas Children’s Hospital Provides Free Interpreting

Texas Children’s Hospital One of the Nation’s Largest Pediatric Hospital Offers Free Interpretation
Children’s Hospital, an affiliate of Baylor College of Medicine, located in Houston, Texas, has performed its first live video interpretation with MARTTI™(My Accessible Real Time Trusted Interpreter); LAN’s live two way video/audio interpretation system.
Aptly titled Vision 2010 - Excellence to Eminence, this is the largest short-term investment ever by a single children's hospital anywhere in the world.

Language Access Network provides pharmacies and medical facilities with professionally trained interpreters 24 hours a day, seven days a week through our centralized video language center, interpreting more than 150 different languages including American Sign Language (ASL) via real-time, interactive video technology.

---

Expect to see more of these PAVs' around
(Public Accessable Videophones)



The Chicago airports (Midway-O'Hare) are planning to install these PAVs' by early '08. Other public places are sure to follow.
The exposure generated about VRS and communication benefits for the Deaf in public places are priceless.
These PAVS open a new market for the VRS industry.

First come,first served for CSDVRS. Now the door swings open...


Sprint Relay promotional ad for public video phone

---

GoAmerica, Inc announced that it has agreement to acquire Hands On Video Relay Services Inc for $69 million in cash and stock.
The Hackensack-based communications service provider for people with special needs said that it would pay $35 million in cash and 6.7 million common shares to the shareholders of closely-held Hands On Video Relay Services. The acquisition is dependant on GoAmerica’s successful acquisition of Verizon's Telecommunications Relay Services Division, the company mentioned. On a pro-forma basis, for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2007, total revenues of the three parties was approximately $105 million.


TTY on Board
Beginning in September, OnStar and GM Mobility will partner to offer enhanced TTY services to deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired subscribers at little or no additional cost.
OnStar website

---

A growing trend?...

Deaf complain: Lake Hospital System lacks interpreters
...But Powers said that her written-language skills aren't as strong as her knowledge of American Sign Language and that she wanted an interpreter.

...For about five years, MetroHealth Medical Center has supplemented face-to-face interpreting for patients with a videoconferencing system known as Deaf-Talk.
Read the article
Cleveland.com
(July 31, 2007)

---

ADA turns 17...Signed on July 26, 1990, the law defined a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activity” and required accessibility for the disabled in employment, public services, transportation and telecommunications.

Unfortunately, there was no money attached to the Act and is hinged largely on the price of costly compensative technology coming down. It is, but very slowly, and still out of the reach of many communities.

Still it has truly been the one great pieces of legislation that is working for millions of disabled Americans.