BLAME CANADA -- And yes, I'm a CANADIAN. (WebCapTel, Sorenson, Relay Fund, VRS, etc)

[Mark Rejhon]

I hereby open a new topic, since this merits a separate discussion.

Sorenson Communications made sure they took interpreters from deaf people in a Canadian locale and used them to benefit the U.S. I'm not at all interested in their loophole rationales.

Phone service lures away deaf interpreters

This is not a problem: It's a problem of the U.S. government subsidizing relay/interpretors, and Canada not subsidizing. The playing field is unbalanced.

Solution: Have Canada COMPETE! Let us all Canadian deafies DEMAND our government pay a subsidy to improve our relay services.
We don't have IP Relay.
We don't have Captioned Telephone.
We don't have BlackBerry relay.
We don't have AIM Relay.
We don't have Video Relay!!!

As a software developer, I am lucky to invent my own homebrew Bell Canada IP Relay system (MiniTTY) and I got my own workarounds to let me use WebCapTel in Canada (Hint: I own two U.S. phone lines by a U.S. phone company). I use Rogers SpinVox voice-to-text voice-recognition voicemail so I can read my voicemails. I use a BlackBerry maxed out with features such as JiveTalk and mobile IP-Relay with Bell Canada using my homebrew solution. Amongst other things. I'm one of the few deaf Canadian smart enough to develop workarounds that allow me to use a lot of the enhanced services in Canada. It's sad that as an educated Canadian, that I need high level of technical knowledge to take advantage of enhanced services in Canada where none exist.

It's not Sorenson's fault. My interpretation is that it is the disparity of subsidies that the U.S. government pays Sorenson which in turns pays Canadian interpretors to work for the U.S. Our Canadian government needs to do the same to balance this playing field!

Yes, you heard me right, your taxpayer dollar pays for Relay, VRS, IP-Relay, etc. It's called the Telecommunications Relay Fund.
www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs.html <-- Genuine U.S. government site, that shows Sorenson is PAID by taxpayers! The same dollars are coaxing our interpretors out of our country.
And yes, you heard me right, Canada isn't doing jack about subsidizing the improvement of deaf accessibility.

And yes, I'm a Canadian complaining. We're a great country, but I'll be blunt: Deaf accessibility is second fiddle. We may joke about a few shortcomings of the U.S. at times -- but I welcome "BLAME CANADA" when it comes to deaf accessibility. Bring on the insults to our Canadian government, I say!

Not convinced? See Sorenson's website, they implicitly admit they're subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer while they are not by Canada: www.sorensonvrs.com/canada/

Copy & Pasted from Sorenson's website:
Note: The video relay service program in the US is paid for by the US Government via the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and calls that do not begin or end within the US and its territories are not eligible for reimbursement. Therefore, Canada-to-Canada VRS demonstration calls are not submitted to the FCC for reimbursement.

And they're trying to petition Canada in doing the same:

Copy & Pasted from Sorenson's website:
For Sorenson VRS to become available in Canada, the Canadian government needs to implement a program to reimburse VRS providers. Sorenson VRS encourages you to contact the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Consumer Affairs division and help them to realize the advantages of Sorenson VRS for the Canadian deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

Thus, I'm a Canadian. And I don't blame Sorenson. It's our government's fault, not Sorenson!

We're not debating whether this is shady or not (Yes Sorenson might be unethical sometimes). Our loss of deaf interpretors, bottom line, the FAULT STILL LIES WITH CANADA. We're losing out BAD because we're not helping our deaf industry innovate.

P.S. I'm happy we have invented a little wonderful pocket machine called the BlackBerry, and it almost makes up for everything. Almost.

 

[Tousi]

I hereby open a new topic, since this merits a separate discussion.

This is not a problem: It's a problem of the U.S. government subsidizing relay/interpretors, and Canada not subsidizing. The playing field is unbalanced.

Solution: Have Canada COMPETE! Let us all Canadian deafies DEMAND our government pay a subsidy to improve our relay services.
We don't have IP Relay.
We don't have Captioned Telephone.
We don't have BlackBerry relay.
We don't have AIM Relay.
We don't have Video Relay!!!

As a software developer, I am lucky to invent my own homebrew Bell Canada IP Relay system (MiniTTY) and I got my own workarounds to let me use WebCapTel in Canada (Hint: I own two U.S. phone lines by a U.S. phone company). I use Rogers SpinVox voice-to-text voice-recognition voicemail so I can read my voicemails. I use a BlackBerry maxed out with features such as JiveTalk and mobile IP-Relay with Bell Canada using my homebrew solution. Amongst other things. I'm one of the few deaf Canadian smart enough to develop workarounds that allow me to use a lot of the enhanced services in Canada. It's sad that as an educated Canadian, that I need high level of technical knowledge to take advantage of enhanced services in Canada where none exist.

It's not Sorenson's fault. My interpretation is that it is the disparity of subsidies that the U.S. government pays Sorenson which in turns pays Canadian interpretors to work for the U.S. Our Canadian government needs to do the same to balance this playing field!

Yes, you heard me right, your taxpayer dollar pays for Relay, VRS, IP-Relay, etc. It's called the Telecommunications Relay Fund.
www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs.html <-- Genuine U.S. government site, that shows Sorenson is PAID by taxpayers! The same dollars are coaxing our interpretors out of our country.
And yes, you heard me right, Canada isn't doing jack about subsidizing the improvement of deaf accessibility.

And yes, I'm a Canadian complaining. We're a great country, but I'll be blunt: Deaf accessibility is second fiddle. We may joke about a few shortcomings of the U.S. at times -- but I welcome "BLAME CANADA" when it comes to deaf accessibility. Bring on the insults to our Canadian government, I say!

Not convinced? See Sorenson's website, they implicitly admit they're subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer while they are not by Canada: www.sorensonvrs.com/canada/


And they're trying to petition Canada in doing the same:

Thus, I'm a Canadian. And I don't blame Sorenson. It's our government's fault, not Sorenson!

We're not debating whether this is shady or not (Yes Sorenson might be unethical sometimes). Our loss of deaf interpretors, bottom line, the FAULT STILL LIES WITH CANADA. We're losing out BAD because we're not helping our deaf industry innovate.

P.S. I'm happy we have invented a little wonderful pocket machine called the BlackBerry, and it almost makes up for everything. Almost.

Yeah, yeah, we hear you, Mark Rehjon. Banjo has already said as much.....just in subtler tones....

 

[PowerON]

Didn't US get lot of gas from Canada? If so, both government should make agree on exhchange. *shurg* Just suggest.

 

[diehardbiker]

Gas and Telecommunication have NOTHING in common, so gas should never be brought up in this thread at the first place; and yes I support him all the way. What I see Canadian government is trying to do? Surpress Deaf Canadian from open up communication with anyone! Shame on Canadian government, they are closed minded!

Didn't US get lot of gas from Canada? If so, both government should make agree on exhchange. *shurg* Just suggest.

 

[IloveVP]

Yes, you heard me right, your taxpayer dollar pays for Relay, VRS, IP-Relay, etc. It's called the Telecommunications Relay Fund.
www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs.html <-- Genuine U.S. government site, that shows Sorenson is PAID by taxpayers! The same dollars are coaxing our interpretors out of our country.
And yes, you heard me right, Canada isn't doing jack about subsidizing the improvement of deaf accessibility.

May I correct you...

We, USA taxpayers pay no penny at all for this Telecommunications Relay Fund. This fund is contributed by all landline phones, not sure about cell phones. Nothing else... Something like 7 cent per phone line per month. So I have two phones at home and pay 14 cents per month. Empire State Building in NYC has a least thousand phones in this building alone, maybe in tens or hundreds so you can imagine how much altogether in USA.

 

[qwerty123]

May I correct you...

We, USA taxpayers pay no penny at all for this Telecommunications Relay Fund. This fund is contributed by all landline phones, not sure about cell phones. Nothing else... Something like 7 cent per phone line per month. So I have two phones at home and pay 14 cents per month. Empire State Building in NYC has a least thousand phones in this building alone, maybe in tens or hundreds so you can imagine how much altogether in USA.

both landline and cell phones are include

 

[Byrdie714]

Oh Banjo.....we are waiting for you.....

 

[JClarke]

Are you looking at some debates from Banjo, Byrdie714?

 

[Banjo]

Yeah, yeah, we hear you, Mark Rehjon. Banjo has already said as much.....just in subtler tones....

Tousi is right. However, I still do not want Sorenson in Canada as long our government is not willing to subsidize their services for the Canadians.

 

[Byrdie714]

Are you looking at some debates from Banjo, Byrdie714?

Actually I wanted to see what his opinion is....

 

[JClarke]

Actually I wanted to see what his opinion is....

Banjo just arrived at your door.

 

[diehardbiker]

STILL it is called TAXES!

If you subscribe to landline or cell phone like pager, viola! Your taxpayer!
Really they are "Hidden taxes" which makes it not so obviously, that way no tax payers will even bother complaining to Uncle Sam.

May I correct you...

We, USA taxpayers pay no penny at all for this Telecommunications Relay Fund. This fund is contributed by all landline phones, not sure about cell phones. Nothing else... Something like 7 cent per phone line per month. So I have two phones at home and pay 14 cents per month. Empire State Building in NYC has a least thousand phones in this building alone, maybe in tens or hundreds so you can imagine how much altogether in USA.

 

[diehardbiker]

This would be mistake.

Having Sorenson in your country is a good start. It can be a model to convience Canadian government. The more exposure the more they will realize the real need. Without them, then Canadian Government would continue to say, we don't see demand here so whats point of subsizing them?

Tousi is right. However, I still do not want Sorenson in Canada as long our government is not willing to subsidize their services for the Canadians.

 

[Banjo]

This would be mistake.

Having Sorenson in your country is a good start. It can be a model to convience Canadian government. The more exposure the more they will realize the real need. Without them, then Canadian Government would continue to say, we don't see demand here so whats point of subsizing them?

Why should we have them here if we can't use them?

If my government is not going to subside them, then I don't want them here because of how it will affect the local communities where the call centres are being set up at.

Canadians should come first in Canada, not Americans.

 

[Byrdie714]

Why should we have them here if we can't use them?

If my government is not going to subside them, then I don't want them here because of how it will affect the local communities where the call centres are being set up at.

Canadians should come first in Canada, not Americans.

Then maybe the deaf Canadians need to petition their government to subsidize Sorenson ?

 

[Banjo]

Then maybe the deaf Canadians need to petition their government to subsidize Sorenson ?

Several deaf organizations have been pushing for a VRS service. Actually, I have heard that Telus and Bell are planning on setting up their own VRS services later this year but will be quite limited.

Telus would be limited to BC and Alberta while Bell will be limited to Ontario and Quebec. At least that's what I heard. If I hear more, I'll say something.

 

[Tousi]

May I correct you...

We, USA taxpayers pay no penny at all for this Telecommunications Relay Fund. This fund is contributed by all landline phones, not sure about cell phones. Nothing else... Something like 7 cent per phone line per month. So I have two phones at home and pay 14 cents per month. Empire State Building in NYC has a least thousand phones in this building alone, maybe in tens or hundreds so you can imagine how much altogether in USA.

I don't see what your correction is to Mark R....he was spot on....

 

[diehardbiker]

Just think about this, if you are telling Canadian government to get rid of Sorenson, they will say, oh you don't want nor need VRS, ok then we will not support in future. That is whole point.

Why not you Canadian telling government.... Here we have Sorenson in our country, we would like to use them, and see? The Americans are using them right now and benefit them, why not us

this kind of message is far better than telling your government to get rid of Sorenson and sending them wrong message.

Why should we have them here if we can't use them?

If my government is not going to subside them, then I don't want them here because of how it will affect the local communities where the call centres are being set up at.

Canadians should come first in Canada, not Americans.

 

[diehardbiker]

Exactly, having Sorenson in your country will result having them paying % of taxes to your government resulting them seeing high number and can show them the real need. It does take time for them to go ahead. It same thing happened to here in the United states, took Sorenson about 10 years to finally make FCC pay for Sorenson Service. Any government decision always involves lengthy process.

Then maybe the deaf Canadians need to petition their government to subsidize Sorenson ?

 

[Banjo]

Just think about this, if you are telling Canadian government to get rid of Sorenson, they will say, oh you don't want nor need VRS, ok then we will not support in future. That is whole point.

Why not you Canadian telling government.... Here we have Sorenson in our country, we would like to use them, and see? The Americans are using them right now and benefit them, why not us

this kind of message is far better than telling your government to get rid of Sorenson and sending them wrong message.

You don't realize the seriousness of this situation. The shortage of interpreters will become more severe while the government is doing nothing about it. Why should we risk this?

Especially when it comes to emergencies at hospitals and other urgent situations. Canadians cannot use Sorenson services, yet we have to lose our resources to the American corporation so they can leech off you as a taxpayer.

It's too great of a risk to let Americans use our interpreters exclusively.