FCC Public Notice on Deaf Blind Relay Service
12 12 2007All..
The FCC has released a public notice seeking comments on Hawk Relay’s petition to have Deaf Blind Relay Service be subsidized by Interstate TRS Fund.
Deaf Blind Relay Service is where a "DBRS would use an interpreter (a Communications Facilitator" (CF)) to sit with the deaf/blind user, place or receive conventional voice-to-voice telephone calls on his or her behalf, and interpret the ensuing [relayed] conversation(s). The CF would travel to the DBRS consumer’s location to assist in placing the call".
The FCC is also seeking comments on whether DBRS falls under TRS guidelines or not; and also seeking the jurisdictional separation of costs.
eyes open & thumbs up,
Ed B.
RT Admin
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Since I have a relative who is deaf/blind, I think it is worth to make an access for the deaf/blind people to have communication via phone or vp.. To my understanding is that vp is very helpful to deaf/blind individual who has “special device” to be able to see interpreter but I have to stop and think for others who can’t see at all…..
There must have some technology thing for the deaf/blind individual who needs to be indepent by making calls… Ed, can you think of something like that??????? Although I know it is “tough” issue to think about or do something about it…..
May:
The Deaf-Blind can make relay calls on their computer using braille-assisted keyboards. They don’t have to do VRS calls when they can do just the same thing with text relay.
If this is the case, then the FCC should be able to pay for me to have an interpreter travel to my home to help me make calls from my phone too! I live in the middle of the boonies with no high speed internet — does that mean that rural interpreter relay service will have to become a reality, because it’ll be the only way I can get interpreted relay services without broadband!
What kind of “speed of answer” can I expect from this kind of service? Until the interpreter is present, I have no “dial tone.”
May,
DBRS may be the solution for deaf blind person whose vision is completly blind?
Bill,
I assume u know that DBRS is for deaf blind person only.
However, you raised an interesting quesiton. What about deaf blind persons who may live out in the boonies? Will they still get the service?
Your other questions, I don’t know the answer to. Presumably, comments will follow this and I will try to share whatever the comments might be.
Their (deaf blind) resources are vastly limited so Hawk Eye thought up a service to help deaf blind. The question that the FCC will have to answer is whether this falls under TRS guidelines or not.
eyes open & thumbs up,
Ed
Washington state currently has a CF services program through a contract with the Deaf-Blind Service Center (DBSC) in Seattle, WA. The CF program which is in its 2nd year has been very successful. The current contract only allows the CF services to be conducted at DBSC at this point. The service is available to both completely deaf & blind and deaf-blind individuals with some or limited vision. DBSC is in the process of expanding the CF program to other WA regional service centers to make the services more accessible to other deaf-blind clients outside of Seattle. Currently DBSC is working with Hawk relay to gather data for the DBRS services which if recognized by the FCC could become a national program serving deaf-blind individuals in states other than Washington.
In my opinion deaf-blind individuals have the same rights to process VRS and P2P video calls like anyone else with the assisstance of the CF services and theoretically it should fall under the TRS guidelines as a service to deaf-blind individuals.
Regards,
Steve
Steve,
Thank you for this remark. Do u have a link where we can check it out?
Ed
Thanks you. I would support service relay for Deaf/Blind. It will big help for Deaf/Blind needs to call and etc. Please support them.
Here’s the link to the CF service program at the DB service center in seattle: http://seattledbsc.org/