Lnanaa
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I found this letter on another forum and thought people here would be interested in knowing about this.
Dear Everyone:
I'm sure by now, everyone has had a chance in their lifetime to use a videoconference center, IP-relay video services, and/ or a Video Relay Service (VRS) (Sorensen). But, what I am about to reveal to you will be a nightmare for any deaf job seeker. It will make you think twice about using Video relay services or video conferences next time.
(Please note: The following information of the identification of two organizations have been protected. The only things that are not protected is : Kinkos, IP-Relay, and VRS / Sorensen.)
What do you do when you are out on a job assignment for the summer and a job opportunity comes up at your hearing home college? Naturally you are excited and can't wait to do the interview through something like a messenger. We all have MSN, Yahoo!, AOL AIM, and sidekicks. But, suppose your interviewer demands that you interview through a video conference? Naturally, you get surprised and shocked.
In my situation, I had to start hunting for a Sorensen VRS program to use. There was none locally until I had hooked on a web page like FedExKinkos (here in named Kinkos for short). They were advertising that they had a videoconferencing room. So, I make arrangement with my hearing home college and I get the number of thier video conferencing center and the appointment is set for the following friday afternoon.
Friday morning, I had e-mailed kinkos and asked them where I could find thier location and their video conferencing rooms. This place went far as to giving me the exact location from a transportation center. I took off for the place.
When I arrived, I inquired about using the room so I could have my job interview with my home college. This employee 'suddenly' (I use that term in quotes to say how convient it was for her) for got to tell me in e-mail that in order for me to use this video conferencing, I'd have to contact SPRINT (a telephone company). Sprint wanted the account number my college uses, the correct phone number to the room and would charge $235 dollars plus $40.00 an hour for the rental of the room. I was like, "what the hay"? They advertised it right on the web page as a video conferecing center. There was no mention of it being a business center. Again the employee explains that it was a business center and that Kinkos doesn't own the Video conferencing center, Sprint does and rents the space from KINKOS. In other words, where as a video conferencing center that is sitting out in view of the entire public view, sitting there and gathering dust and that is only used for business meetings. They had no webcams to use on any of their personal computers.
In a blind panic, I e-mailed the college to ask them to talk to Sprint and that I'd gladly reimbursed the college for the cost of the videoconferencing room for the duration of the interview. I wish I insisted on it. In a email reply from my home college, they said no need and that we could interview via netmeeting. The interview is post poned to the following friday.
In the week between, some one from my hearing home college suggests that I talk with a certain rehabilitation service in the area I'm doing my internship. I call them up and ask them certain questions. Chris E (as I'll refer to her as Chris) answers the phone for this place. Chris checks her calender and says the video conferencing center is available there and so is their IP-Relay center too. So I agree and I check with my home college. Everything is set for the following friday. With the confirmed phone number in hand, I set off again to have my job interview.
I arrive at the Rehabiliation place and Chris welcomes me. She leads me to the room where the video conference room is. After being prepared for my meeting, I dial in the numbers and press send. I hear the number dial and after a few mins, nothing happens. A sign comes up and says that the party is not ready on their end. I retry this a few more times. Same result. The interview hour is already started.
I go out to Chris and ask her where the IP-relay room was. She shows me the room, we try the IP-Relay. and the next thing we see, we get this message; "the number is not recognizd. The user is not registered.". I was shocked. I said "Are not Sorensen VRS and IP-relay the same"? (you could see the same set up on the TV that recognized the same way VRS is just like IP-relay.. only it was in differnt color.
A half hour was gone and I was running in worry. A quick tty call to the interviewer and ask them if his VRS system was working. He said yes it was working fine and had a call from another state earlier in the day. I told him I would get back in touch with him.
For the next half hour, Chris and I are trying both video conference rooms and the IP-Relay. We put the machines in dianostic modes to make sure they were working right. And they were. Chris suggests I call back the interviewer and ask to be interviewed over the phone. So I try calling him back.. he's not there.
Now I'm in blind panic.. I run to the VRS and trying to call the interviewer's number again. Same result. The system won't recognize the number. In Fustration, I call to the IP-Relay center itself. I quickly explain that" my boss has a VRS system and that I need to get in touch with him for a job interview. He's on a tty phone. Can you help me?" I quickly ask. The operator would get up and say she'd get her supervisor. But whatever she said.. her boss comes on and says "I'm sorry, the FCC rules prevent us from communicating with another system." and then coldly and cruel, she shuts off the system from HER END! I was like in total shock.
The next half hour, Chris and I pour over the situation. We suspected that IP-Relay and VRS do not work together. With the staff gone for the weekend, Chris invites me out for the Vocational Rehabiliation picnic where I could talk to them.
On that hot humid sunday, I was able to talk to several of the rehabiliation staff members about the IP-relay and VRS. They confirmed that IP-relay and VRS do not work together. They are like COKE and PEPSI that fight for the sales in stores and demand that a store would only carry one product line and not the other. But to me, it struck me how cold and cruel that IP-RELAY and VRS would force the deaf user to use one or the other system! In other words, we were being disciminated because of their anti-competitive pratices. We, the deaf, have to talk to all our friends and whatever what college or businesses use what video system they are using. Most popular is VRS. But WOE to you, like in my situation, that use a Video IP- Relay! You call will NOT go through.
To say it clearly, I lost my job interview. Why should it be that IP-Relay and VRS do not work together to make life easier for deaf consumers? They won't because they want MONEY and loyalty from the deaf just for using THEIR system. Their systems will ignore each other and as a result, a job seeker will end up losing the job opportunity based on their systems. It may take a huge court battle from several deaf clients to force IP-Relay to follow the ADA laws and work together. (just like in Europe, Europe forced Coke and Pepsi to SHARE the store! It will still not happen here in USA).
I hope you, as a job seeker or anyone else, will not go through the same results that I have. But, if you do, document it because the fault is not yours, but the makers of these systems that act like children who do not get along.
Any one else have a horror story?
Thanks,
signed.. a pounding job seeker still out there..
Dear Everyone:
I'm sure by now, everyone has had a chance in their lifetime to use a videoconference center, IP-relay video services, and/ or a Video Relay Service (VRS) (Sorensen). But, what I am about to reveal to you will be a nightmare for any deaf job seeker. It will make you think twice about using Video relay services or video conferences next time.
(Please note: The following information of the identification of two organizations have been protected. The only things that are not protected is : Kinkos, IP-Relay, and VRS / Sorensen.)
What do you do when you are out on a job assignment for the summer and a job opportunity comes up at your hearing home college? Naturally you are excited and can't wait to do the interview through something like a messenger. We all have MSN, Yahoo!, AOL AIM, and sidekicks. But, suppose your interviewer demands that you interview through a video conference? Naturally, you get surprised and shocked.
In my situation, I had to start hunting for a Sorensen VRS program to use. There was none locally until I had hooked on a web page like FedExKinkos (here in named Kinkos for short). They were advertising that they had a videoconferencing room. So, I make arrangement with my hearing home college and I get the number of thier video conferencing center and the appointment is set for the following friday afternoon.
Friday morning, I had e-mailed kinkos and asked them where I could find thier location and their video conferencing rooms. This place went far as to giving me the exact location from a transportation center. I took off for the place.
When I arrived, I inquired about using the room so I could have my job interview with my home college. This employee 'suddenly' (I use that term in quotes to say how convient it was for her) for got to tell me in e-mail that in order for me to use this video conferencing, I'd have to contact SPRINT (a telephone company). Sprint wanted the account number my college uses, the correct phone number to the room and would charge $235 dollars plus $40.00 an hour for the rental of the room. I was like, "what the hay"? They advertised it right on the web page as a video conferecing center. There was no mention of it being a business center. Again the employee explains that it was a business center and that Kinkos doesn't own the Video conferencing center, Sprint does and rents the space from KINKOS. In other words, where as a video conferencing center that is sitting out in view of the entire public view, sitting there and gathering dust and that is only used for business meetings. They had no webcams to use on any of their personal computers.
In a blind panic, I e-mailed the college to ask them to talk to Sprint and that I'd gladly reimbursed the college for the cost of the videoconferencing room for the duration of the interview. I wish I insisted on it. In a email reply from my home college, they said no need and that we could interview via netmeeting. The interview is post poned to the following friday.
In the week between, some one from my hearing home college suggests that I talk with a certain rehabilitation service in the area I'm doing my internship. I call them up and ask them certain questions. Chris E (as I'll refer to her as Chris) answers the phone for this place. Chris checks her calender and says the video conferencing center is available there and so is their IP-Relay center too. So I agree and I check with my home college. Everything is set for the following friday. With the confirmed phone number in hand, I set off again to have my job interview.
I arrive at the Rehabiliation place and Chris welcomes me. She leads me to the room where the video conference room is. After being prepared for my meeting, I dial in the numbers and press send. I hear the number dial and after a few mins, nothing happens. A sign comes up and says that the party is not ready on their end. I retry this a few more times. Same result. The interview hour is already started.
I go out to Chris and ask her where the IP-relay room was. She shows me the room, we try the IP-Relay. and the next thing we see, we get this message; "the number is not recognizd. The user is not registered.". I was shocked. I said "Are not Sorensen VRS and IP-relay the same"? (you could see the same set up on the TV that recognized the same way VRS is just like IP-relay.. only it was in differnt color.
A half hour was gone and I was running in worry. A quick tty call to the interviewer and ask them if his VRS system was working. He said yes it was working fine and had a call from another state earlier in the day. I told him I would get back in touch with him.
For the next half hour, Chris and I are trying both video conference rooms and the IP-Relay. We put the machines in dianostic modes to make sure they were working right. And they were. Chris suggests I call back the interviewer and ask to be interviewed over the phone. So I try calling him back.. he's not there.
Now I'm in blind panic.. I run to the VRS and trying to call the interviewer's number again. Same result. The system won't recognize the number. In Fustration, I call to the IP-Relay center itself. I quickly explain that" my boss has a VRS system and that I need to get in touch with him for a job interview. He's on a tty phone. Can you help me?" I quickly ask. The operator would get up and say she'd get her supervisor. But whatever she said.. her boss comes on and says "I'm sorry, the FCC rules prevent us from communicating with another system." and then coldly and cruel, she shuts off the system from HER END! I was like in total shock.
The next half hour, Chris and I pour over the situation. We suspected that IP-Relay and VRS do not work together. With the staff gone for the weekend, Chris invites me out for the Vocational Rehabiliation picnic where I could talk to them.
On that hot humid sunday, I was able to talk to several of the rehabiliation staff members about the IP-relay and VRS. They confirmed that IP-relay and VRS do not work together. They are like COKE and PEPSI that fight for the sales in stores and demand that a store would only carry one product line and not the other. But to me, it struck me how cold and cruel that IP-RELAY and VRS would force the deaf user to use one or the other system! In other words, we were being disciminated because of their anti-competitive pratices. We, the deaf, have to talk to all our friends and whatever what college or businesses use what video system they are using. Most popular is VRS. But WOE to you, like in my situation, that use a Video IP- Relay! You call will NOT go through.
To say it clearly, I lost my job interview. Why should it be that IP-Relay and VRS do not work together to make life easier for deaf consumers? They won't because they want MONEY and loyalty from the deaf just for using THEIR system. Their systems will ignore each other and as a result, a job seeker will end up losing the job opportunity based on their systems. It may take a huge court battle from several deaf clients to force IP-Relay to follow the ADA laws and work together. (just like in Europe, Europe forced Coke and Pepsi to SHARE the store! It will still not happen here in USA).
I hope you, as a job seeker or anyone else, will not go through the same results that I have. But, if you do, document it because the fault is not yours, but the makers of these systems that act like children who do not get along.
Any one else have a horror story?
Thanks,
signed.. a pounding job seeker still out there..
