Sorenson Press Release on New VRS Interpreting
Centers
For those who don't know, VRS stands for Video Relay Service. That's
the Deaf relay service that uses an interpreter as the communications
assistant, so that a Deaf person can sign into a camera rather than type
on a TTY, and view the interpreter signing on her monitor, rather than
having to read English on the TTY display. The claim that Deaf and hard
of hearing people use VRS perpetuates the ideas that hard of hearing
people sign, and that a sign language interpreter is an appropriate
accommodation. Here's the press release to which we object.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August
29, 2005
Sorenson Communications Opens 11 Additional Video Relay Service
Interpreting Centers
New Facilities Built in Response to Growing Demand for Sorenson
Video Relay Service
SALT LAKE CITY (August 29, 2005) - Sorenson Communications(tm)
today announced it has opened 11 additional Sorenson Video Relay
Service(r) (VRS) interpreting centers in major U.S. cities:
Albuquerque, Baton Rouge, Boise, Colorado Springs, Hartford,
Houston, Kansas City, Knoxville, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, and
St Louis. Sorenson Communications added these facilities to
its existing 19 interpreting centers to accommodate growing
demand for its popular Sorenson VRS, which connects deaf and
hard-of-hearing individuals to the hearing world through American
Sign Language (ASL) interpreters.
Sorenson VRS enables deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to
conduct free video relay calls with family, friends, and business
associates through a qualified sign language interpreter, Sorenson
videophone, TV, and a high-speed Internet connection. The deaf user
sees an interpreter on his or her TV and signs to the interpreter,
who then contacts the hearing user via a standard phone line and
relays the conversation between the two parties.
"It is simple and convenient for deaf and hard-of-hearing
individuals to call hearing people using a free Sorenson VP-100
videophone, so we're experiencing a tremendous increase in demand
for our video relay service," said Chris Wakeland, vice president
of interpreting at Sorenson Communications.
"The 11 cities with the new Sorenson VRS interpreting centers were
selected because each have large populations of certified American
Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and many of these locations have
excellent interpreter training programs," added Wakeland. "Our new
Sorenson VRS interpreting centers will add employment opportunities
to these local economies and help us avoid hold-times for our
customers."
The following email was sent to Sorenson.
September 19, 2005
Dear
Mr. Wakeland:
I read
with some dismay your recent press release entitled "Sorenson
Communications Opens 11 Additional Video Relay Service
Interpreting Centers." While I think it's wonderful that you are
providing such great service to the signing community, your press
release perpetuates misinformation that prevents the vast majority of
hard of hearing people from obtaining appropriate telecommunications
services.
I'm
referring to your use of the phrase "Deaf and hard of
hearing" when you really mean "Deaf".
The
truth of the matter is that over 95% of "Deaf and hard of
hearing" people are hard of hearing, and the overwhelming
majority of them cannot use VRS services because they don't sign. Your
repeated claims that "Deaf and hard of hearing" people
benefit from your VRS services is disingenuous at best, and misinforms
the general public that hard of hearing people benefit from services
that are really applicable only to Deaf folks.
Oral
Hearing Loss (OHL) Advocacy (OHLA) represents people with hearing
loss whose primary means of communication is spoken language. This
includes people who are hard of hearing, late deafened, oral deaf, and
CI users. We are working to reclaim ownership of terms that refer to
our community. This includes the term "hard of hearing",
which is most often misappropriated, as in "Deaf and hard of
hearing".
People
are so used to seeing the term "Deaf and hard of hearing"
that they assume members of the two groups comprise a single group.
Hard of hearing people are not "Deaf lite" or "less
deaf"; hard of hearing people have a different disability,
require different accommodations, and comprise a separate group from
Deaf people. The term "Deaf and hard of hearing" is almost
never an accurate description of reality, and should generally be
avoided.
Referring
specifically to telecommunications services for hard of hearing
people, many members of our community are very successful using
amplified telephones. For those whose hearing loss is more severe, the
voice carryover service provided by some relay services is often the
accommodation of choice. Your IP Relay service would also be extremely
useful to our community members, if they only knew about it. Sadly,
the vast majority of the hard of hearing folks who could benefit from
IP Relay services have absolutely no idea that they can use a
computer in place of a TTY. And from what I've seen, your outreach
program is making no attempt to inform them.
It
appears that your intended market is the Deaf community. We think
that's fine, and we encourage you to continue providing what I'm sure
is outstanding service to the Deaf community. At the same time we
would very much appreciate it if you would quit claiming to serve the
"Deaf and hard of hearing" community, because that claim
perpetuates the misinformation that hard of hearing people have
access to adequate and appropriate services.
Thank
you,
Larry Sivertson
We have received an email from Sorenson acknowledging that they need
to look at all of their literature to ensure that it is appropriate and
sensitive to all members of the hearing loss community. They estimate
that the process will take two or three months. So look for more
enlightened literature from them around the end of 2005.
