Video Relay Service (VRS)
Video Relay Service is a method of providing relay
between a deaf person and a hearing person that allows the deaf person
to sign and the hearing person to speak. An interpreter at a remote
location does the interpreting between the two languages. Both the deaf
person and the interpreter must be in front of a camera, which transmits
the image. Both sites require "high speed" connectivity to
ensure that sufficient bandwidth is available to transmit what is
essentially a movie. This service is just getting off the ground in
2000, and seems destined to become the service of choice for deaf people
who sign.
October 2000 - Texas becomes the first state to offer VRS
as a standard part of their relay service
