David Rose's presentation at the UKCoD Conference on Nov 3rd. Conference theme was focused on looking at the need for modernising current telecom relay services for deaf people.
5. Make a CapTel Call
Via the Web or Mobile Device
• Coming Soon – Sprint Wireless
Captel!
• Free Sprint Wireless
Captel App provides
word-for-word captions
for your wireless device
6. Telephone Numbers for Relay Users - USA
All deaf and hard of hearing
users have a 10 digit
telephone number
Allows hearing people to call
directly to deaf people easily
Allows deaf job seekers to list an
actual phone number on their CVs
7. Relay Conference Captioning - USA
Allows deaf people to
participate in conference calls
Captioned Telephone
(Captel) is similar to a voice carryover relay
service in near-instant captions
Specialised Telecommunications
Assistance Programs
Equipment for deaf blind and others
8. Relay Services in USA & UK
In USA, at least 25 Relay Service companies providing
multiple services - web, traditional, and video
– 5 are deaf-led companies
In UK, there are 4 VRS providers:
o Sign Video: deaf-led social enterprise, UK
o Sign Translate: Charity, UK
o Sign On Screen – Deaf Connections, Charity, Scotland
o Sign-Now, Company, Scotland
BUT…………………..
9. What do we have now in UK
(or not……) ?
o We dial 16 digits number to call via Text
Relay
- Hearing people get confused….
o Relay Conferencing Captioning
- We don’t have it ….
o Captioned Telephone (CapTel)
- It stopped 3 years ago…..
10. And….
o VRS services are not available 24/7/356
o VRS is limited to those with Access to
Work budgets or those can afford to pay
o No healthy competition in the marketplace
to provide top-notch services
11. Numbers in UK?
• Approx 160,000 +
Deaf BSL users
• Approx 9 million are deaf &
hard of hearing
Are they getting a good relay
telecommunication service now?
The answer is NOT YET….
12. What we as consumers
can do about it?
Deaf Access to Alternative Relay
Telecommunications (DAART) – a
new consumer group set up in
September 2010 who firmly believes
that the TRF is the way forward & to
complement the work of
TAG
13. What do we want?
DAART is open to suggestions for
expansion of services providing they
meet the following conditions:
Sustainable long term funding
Fully functional equivalent TRS
Set up an independent Telephone Relay
Fund (TRF) for management &
development of a modern TRS
Contracts be a minimum of 3 – 5 years
14. Also…..
Services are available 24/7/365
Must keep up with technology developments
Ensure all deaf , deafened, deaf blind & hard
of hearing community members can benefit
No more than the cost of normal phone
call
15. And finally…..
0.5% funds be generated from telecom
industry or by any other means
Appropriate terminal equipment to
access different types of relay
services
Consumers as stakeholders must be
involved in the entire process
