Fluient in ASL and Hearing Imparement: Sorenson VP

[GraysonPeddie]

Hi I know I can do a search but I wanted to save a hassle since two, three, or more keywords can widen the search result in AllDeaf.com.

If I am hearing impaired and have fluient on ASL, it's not possible to get Sorenson VP, am I correct?

The reason I ask is for speeding up conversation. I am blind on my left eye, but I do have good vision (can see clearly but can't see text far away) on my right eye, plus with VP it helps to speed up conversation for like when making business calls, even though I'm a typist--I typed like about 50 words per minute, but it will take some time for a hearing person to wait until I finish typing and that I type "GA" but I have no problems with "GA" and "SK" as I don't feel irritated by that but that doesn't mean I'm stuck on stone age since I have my TTY for home.

I could use VCO with VP, but my speech (for pronounciating sounds with "r" and "a") is less than good--it's not that my speech is bad since I have little to no problems speaking on person but there're times when they'll ask me to repeat what I'm saying, so I use TTY which I have available. When I speak my name "Grayson," I had trouble making a very hard-"a" sound but I have no problems saying "gray" than "Grayson." Another problem I have is pronouncing an "r" sound. Even with speech therapist it made little to no effort on improving my sound (urgh...tongue movement makes me slow down when I speak).

Well before I get a VP I'd have to learn ASL first, so I really wanted to let you know. I'm hoping to take ASL on Tallahassee Community College since I don't think it's worth the hassle to travel a long way to Galludet.

 

[Taric25]

Low-Vision VP

If I am hearing impaired and have fluient on ASL, it's not possible to get Sorenson VP, am I correct?

There are three requirements for receiving a Soreson VP.

1) You must be Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Oral Deaf, Latened Deafened, DeafBlind or have a speech disability.
2) You must sign ASL.
3) You must have high-speed internet.

If you are not totally fluent in ASL, that's fine. As long as you know ASL, that' s ok. When I first got my VP, my ASL was lousy, but after using VRS for a while, it really improved. On the form, when it asks "Is ASL your primary language?", mark "Yes".

The reason I ask is for speeding up conversation. I am blind on my left eye, but I do have good vision.

If you are Low-Vision, you can still use a VP. You can ask the interpreter to use an appropriate covering, such as black (for light-skinned interpreters) or off-white (for dark-skinned interpreters). Do you read well on your computer (or use a dynamic braille display)? If so, when you get your Sorenson VP, after the installer leaves, you can use hovrsIM with your VP. (The FCC requires that you are able to use any VRS with your VP, but Sorenson wants to think they will make money from you using their service, so wait until after you have the VP and the installer leaves.) With hovrsIM with your VP, you type the number of the Hearing person you want to call in AIM, and the VI calls you on your VP. If cannot understand the ASL, you can ask the VI to type to you.

I could use VCO with VP, but my speech (for pronounciating sounds with "r" and "a") is less than good

You can use still use VCO with VP. Tell your installer to help setup you setup VCO, by programming your home phone number (or other phone line) for VCO, into your VP. To use VCO, you have three options.

1) VP with VCO
If you want to use your voice, choose VRS with VCO on your VP, and input the number of the Hearing person you want to call. The interpter will call you back on your home phone (or other phone line) and then place a 3-way call to the Hearing person. If the Hearing person does not understand your speech, you can sign to the interpreter, and the interpreter will voice.

2) hovrsIM with VP with VCO
If you prefer, you can use hovrsIM with your VP with VCO, and if the Hearing person does not understand your speech, you can either sign or type to the interpreter, and the interpreter will voice.

3) VP with VCO with STS
If you prefer, you can use your VP with VCO with STS (Speech-to-Speech). Choose VRS with VCO on your VP, and input the number of the STS service you want to use. (If you do not know the number for the STS service, use your TTY to call 7-1-1 and ask the operator what the toll-free number is for Speech-to-Speech.) The interpreter will call you on your home phone (or other phone line) and then place a 3-way call to the STS operator. A specially trained operator for people with speech disabilities will answer. The STS operator will ask you for the number of the Hearing person you want to call. Tell the STS operator your name (if you want), the number of the person you want to call, the name of the person (if you want), and tell the STS operator you have a speech disability and if you want the STS operator to repeat everything or only what is not understood. You do not have to call a Hearing person with this service. For example, you can also call a TTY user, with STS. STS is available in English, Spanish or French, and translation is available on request.

Well before I get a VP I'd have to learn ASL first, so I really wanted to let you know.

Why not get a VP now? You can use hovrsIM to substitute typed English (or Spanish) for ASL you do not understand. If you do not understand the interpreter's ASL, you can ask the interpreter to type. If you do not know the sign for something, you can fingerspell it or type it to the interpreter.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

So hearing impairement doesn't fit one of the requirements, ok thanks. I already have hi-speed Internet so that's no problem.

 

[Boult]

There are three requirements for receiving a Soreson VP.

1) You must be Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Oral Deaf, Latened Deafened, DeafBlind or have a speech disability.
2) You must sign ASL.
3) You must have high-speed internet.

Actually it would be like this;

There are three requirements for receiving a Soreson VP.

1) You must be Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Oral Deaf, Latened Deafened, DeafBlind or have a speech disability.
2) You KNOW sign language. (since SVRS offer VCO feature)
3) You must have high-speed internet.

One does not have to be ASL exclusively since it can be SEE or PSE or ASL since I sign PSE fluently. I prefer signing in english order because it get message across than letting VRS make up word for me as I have seen and have heard other's experience with VRS using different vocabularies than the signer wanted and get wrong response from hearing caller.

by the way the 1) = any hearing loss.

Grayson, hearing impaired means hearing loss since the word "hearing impaired" is a generic term for any type of hearing loss. So you are either one of those in 1) .

Actually, I am more of ip relay users (via aim) than vrs user because I prefer typing english than signing to vrs who may get message jumbled. and the ability to log my conversation for future references and such.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

OK, that makes sense. Thanks!