My Letter...

June 11, 2007

Commission members,

Videointerpreter (VI) I am.

Time to implement the annual VRS rate methodology. NECA awaits instruction. Will it be the annual true up mechanism or the tier rate structure ?

This presents an opportune time to ask;
How important is a phone call ?
One can only imagine in todays world that ‘horrible’ experience of a dropped call on your cell. You know. The TV airwaves are polluted with ads of how ‘traumatic’ this can be.

The day has arrived for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to interact with the hearing world through VRS like never before.
Think for a moment.

Potentially thousands and thousands of calls being dropped by the FCC who determine whether those Deaf / Hard of Hearing who now (10%) have access to VRS to ‘stay connected’ to family, friends, work, and yes, to order a pizza.

It is imperative that the FCC abide by an act of congress, AKA the ADA, to continue the Deaf-Hard of Hearings’ right of functionally equivalent communication (ASL-real time) via VRS without FEAR that this service will be interrupted, curtailed, ‘put on hold’, denied access or discontinued, for ANY REASON in the future.

The solution is to INCREASE not decrease VRS funding to those that have and to those who do not yet have (90%) access to VRS.
Keep the rate methodology for VRS fair and predictable for the next 3 years...and beyond.

Deaf community member I am.

“Can you hear me now?"

Michael Doyle