Exciting FCC developments today (7/14/2005)

Dennis S.

Dennis S.

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Today, the FCC voted to approve:

1) ASL to Spanish VRS services, effective in 30 days
2) VRS ASA requirements, 80% of all calls must be answered within 3 minutes by Jan 2006 and the time will continue to go down until January 2007 where 80% of all calls must be answered in 2 minutes or less. ALSO, they required VRS to start being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week starting Jan 2006.
3) 2 line CapTel is a FCC recognized service.
4) VRS Mail is an FCC recognized service. VRS mail is like voicemail for deaf people -- deaf people can leave voicemail or answering machine messages for hearing people, but hearing people couldn't leave deaf signing messages. So, the FCC said that they will allow VRS to leave a message by taping a video clip of the interpreter signing what the hearing caller's message to the deaf person is. That's "VRS Mail"


THERE WAS NOTHING COVERED ABOUT THE VRS INTEROPERABILITY ISSUE. That is still up in the air. If you want to talk/complain about that, make a new thread.
 
Last edited:
RickL66 said:
FCC will not reimburse VRS providers for VRS Mail. So, it's basically up to them to provide it for "free" to look good. Sorenson will continue providing Signmail.

See http://www.sorensonvrs.com/fcc/index.php
Click to expand...

The ruling today will permit VRS Mail to be recognized by the FCC as a relay service. Signmail was included in that ruling. Signmail was costing Sorenson thousands of dollars because the FCC didn't believe it was a relay service until today.
 
Dennis said:
Today, the FCC voted to approve:

1) ASL to Spanish VRS services, effective in 30 days
2) VRS ASA requirements, 80% of all calls must be answered within 3 minutes by Jan 2006 and the time will continue to go down until January 2007 where 80% of all calls must be answered in 2 minutes or less. ALSO, they required VRS to start being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week starting Jan 2006.
3) 2 line CapTel is a FCC recognized service.
4) VRS Mail is an FCC recognized service. VRS mail is like voicemail for deaf people -- deaf people can leave voicemail or answering machine messages for hearing people, but hearing people couldn't leave deaf signing messages. So, the FCC said that they will allow VRS to leave a message by taping a video clip of the interpreter signing what the hearing caller's message to the deaf person is. That's "VRS Mail"


THERE WAS NOTHING COVERED ABOUT THE VRS INTEROPERABILITY ISSUE. That is still up in the air. If you want to talk/complain about that, make a new thread.
Click to expand...

ABOUT TIME for voicemail. VRS mail is what I'll be looking forward to especially in job hunting. :cheers: :applause:
 
Yes, VRS Mail is a tremendous boon for job hunters. I use SprintVRS Mail because they give me a free 800 number and 5 digit extension, so interview call backs are none the wiser. They think the interpreters are just really well trained secretaries.

Plus, SprintVRS Mail pages me when I get a VRS mail -- so I instantly know when I'm given a message, JUST LIKE HEARING PEOPLE CAN BE PAGED WHEN SOMEONE LEAVES THEM A VOICEMAIL. I LOVE it!
 
Response from the fairgrounds

This will mean that VRS companies will have to hire more interpreters to be able to meet the time requirements. I juet hope there would be sufficient training to produce interpreter replacements for those who are hired to do VRS work.

VRS breaking down the language barrier is long overdue and should not be limited to Spanish.

VRS mail is very interesting yet too bad you cant access it using your sidekicks with the technology already available. You will have to go to a cybercafe, library, school, or home to receive the vrs mail message. Maybe a laptop if youre willing to carry it around with you and I heard that pants sold in the east coast have pockets big enough to carry textbooks in them. Maybe that'll help you carry your laptop around (grin).

The biggest firecracker, the interoperability issue, hasnt gone off yet.

Now we can watch a little fanfare from the VRS companies.

Has anyone stuck an M-80 in a beehive and lit it?

Richard Roehm
 
Nad Proclaims Success, Applauds Fcc Action

A News Release from the National Association of the Deaf Release Date: July 15, 2005 For Immediate Release

Contact:
Anita B. Farb
Director, Outreach and Communications
National Association of the Deaf
Email: nadinfo@nad.org
Voice: 301-587-1788
TTY: 301-587-1789
FAX: 301-587-1791

NAD PROCLAIMS SUCCESS, APPLAUDS FCC ACTION :fruit:

Silver Spring, MD - The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) applauds the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for taking action on a number of issues that the NAD has been working on.

The NAD, with other advocacy groups, petitioned the FCC to improve the closed captioning rules. The FCC accepted the petition and will start the rulemaking process for better quality and enforcement of closed captioning.

The FCC also announced, for the first time, mandatory speed of answer requirements for Video Relay Services (VRS); that VRS is to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7); that ASL- Spanish Translation VRS is eligible for compensation; and VRS providers can be compensated for providing VRS Mail. In addition, the NAD commends the FCC clarification that two-line captioned telephone service is eligible for compensation from the interstate Telecommunications Relay Services fund.

"The NAD is thrilled to see this positive outcome on issues are important to deaf and hard of hearing Americans," said Kelby Brick, Director of the NAD Law and Advocacy Center. "This success would not have been possible if not for the hard work of NAD members and the collaboration of NAD with other key organizations and leaders."

Continued Brick, "The NAD applauds FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and the other Commissioners for their leadership and commitment to making the nations' communication network accessible to all Americans."

NAD has been working to make VRS a functional equivalent service by asking the FCC to making VRS a mandated service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and be immediately available to callers, ensuring funds for research and development for VRS, and ensuring qualified interpreters for VRS.

The NAD posted its goals on the Advocacy Issues section of the NAD website at: http://www.nad.org/vrs. For information on NAD action to improve the quality of relay services, please go to http://www.nad.org/relay. Interested individuals can also see the NAD's goals and FCC petitions on Captioning at http://www.nad.org/captioning.

Despite these groundbreaking rules, Brick said, "The NAD will continue to work with the FCC to take steps to enforce existing rules against blocking so everyone can use any VRS provider without interference. In addition, the NAD will encourage the FCC to consider faster speed of answer in future rules."

The NAD urges consumers to take a moment to thank the FCC for adopting VRS rules that will significantly improve VRS service at:
http://www.nad.org/thankfccjuly05


###

About the NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has been safeguarding the
civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans since 1880. As a
national federation of state association, organizational and
corporate affiliates, the advocacy work of the NAD encompasses a
broad spectrum of areas including, but not limited to,
accessibility, education, employment, healthcare, mental health,
rehabilitation, technology, telecommunications, and transportation.

The NAD website (http://www.nad.org) has a wealth of advocacy
information and resources.
 
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