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CURRENT NEWS
The
Public Service Commission Reports “Relay Utah” Calls For
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Increasing by 2,000 Calls Per Month
During the Holidays
Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Utahns Count Relay Utah 7-1-1 Service
as
Special Gift Especially During the Holidays
SALT
LAKE CITY--December XX, 2003--Synonymous with holiday
traditions like the pumpkin pie, fresh pine, and the sparkle
of New Year’s Eve, is calling friends and family on the
telephone—something that Utah’s deaf and hard of hearing
communities are doing at an increasing rate according to the
Public Service Commission.
The Public Service Commission has
estimated that Utah’s 100,000 deaf and hard of hearing
populations place on average 35,000 calls per month. In
comparison, between the Thanksgiving and New Year’s Holidays
this figure is estimated to climb to over 37,000 calls per
month. The Relay Utah 7-1-1 service connects deaf, hard of
hearing and speech-disabled Utahns using a text telephone
(TTY), hearing carry over (HCO) phone or other device to
communicate with hearing Utahns using standard voice
telephones.
Viola Schiefer, a Utah resident, hails
Relay as a “blessing” to the hard of hearing community,
their families and friends. “There are many times where
family and friends need to get in touch and can’t because of
the hearing problems,” says Schiefer.
Since she moved to Utah in 1996, Schiefer
has found the Relay to be “second nature, I can handle my
own needs and communicate with family and friends directly and
independently.”
Relay users use this free service by
dialing 7-1-1 to reach a Relay Communications Assistant (CA),
who will connect the two parties and “relay” communication
between the individual calling and the individual called.
Relay Utah is also offered in Spanish by calling 888-346-3162.
About
Relay Utah
Relay Service was established in
following the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1988. Relay Utah is housed under the umbrella of the Public
Service Commission and provides access to hearing assistant
equipment and telephone relay services to connect standard
telephones to text telephones used by Utah citizens who are
dear, hard of hearing, or speech disabled. www.utahrelay.gov.
Currently more than 35,000 Relay Utah calls are facilitated
each month in Utah.
Press
Contacts:
Stephanie Miller, Relay Utah Public
Relations, 801-487-4800 x 107, smiller@ppbh.com
****
Relay Utah Offers Spanish Relay Service for Utah’s
Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Speech Impaired
Service Provides Free “Relay” Telephone Translation Services for
Hard of Hearing and Speech-Impaired Spanish-speaking Utahans
SALT
LAKE CITY—June XX, 2003—Relay Utah introduces
toll-free telephone translation services, “Spanish Relay,”
for deaf, hard of hearing or speech-disabled Utahans who
desire to communicate in Spanish.
Spanish Relay, available at
1-888-346-3162, is a recent addition to Relay Utah’s line of
products and services designed especially for Utah’s
hearing- and speech-impaired populations. Like standard Relay
services, individuals who use text telephones (TTYs) wanting
to use Spanish Relay can type in Spanish and the conversation
will be relayed in either Spanish or English to the party
called by a Sprint Communications Assistant (CA).
“We are committed to promoting
communication independence and see this latest enhancement to
provide Utahans with a choice to communicate in the language
they prefer and feel most comfortable as a reinforcement of
this commitment,” said Kristylynne Brady, telecommunications
specialist for Relay Utah.
Future language translation services,
offered by Relay Utah, will be determined by The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
Relay Utah’s translation services are
available across the entire state. More than 35,000 Relay Utah
calls are made through Relay’s toll-free 7-1-1 and Spanish
language number each month by Utah’s estimated 100,000 deaf
and hard of hearing.
About Relay Utah
Utah was was one of the first states
to establish a relay service, Relay Utah was made available on
Jan. 4, 1998. Relay Utah is housed under the umbrella of the
Public Service Commission and provides access to hearing
assistive equipment and telephone relay services to connect
standard telephones to text telephones used by Utah citizens
who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled. www.connectutah.com.
###
Press Contacts:
Stephanie Miller, Relay Utah Public
Relations, 801-487-4800 x107, smiller@ppch.com
Kristylynne Brady, Relay Utah,
801-530-6638, klbrady@utah.gov
****
What
is Video Relay Service?
Video
Relay Service or VRS makes it possible for the deaf to
communicate in American Sign Language with a hearing
individual. Using a high speed Internet connection and a video
camera, an individual using ASL contacts a Communications
Assistant who can view the individual who is signing. The
communication assistant then interprets the sign language and
relays, by voice, the message being signed to the hearing
party.
Who
Provides Video Relay Service?
- MCI,
Hamilton Relay,
AT&T, and Sprint offer video relay service through a
computer and high speed Internet.
- Sorenson
Video Relay Service allows people to use their television
set allowing a larger, crisper image.
Sprint and Hamilton Relay have adopted the
Sorenson technology and added it to their video relay
service.
How
Do I Use Video Relay Service?
Any
deaf person can call the relay center using the VRS software and high-speed
Internet connection. A deaf caller connects to
the communications assistant and provides him/her with the
phone number of the person they’d like to contact. The deaf
caller then signs to the interpreter through a camera and the
interpreter translates, in real time, the message to the
hearing party. The interpreter then signs the response of the
hearing caller back to the deaf caller.
How
Is Video Relay Service Different From 7-1-1?
7-1-1
is a toll free number that connects a text telephone (TTY)
with a hearing caller using a standard voice telephone. The
“relay” part of the call happens just like the Video Relay
call but the operator does not see the person signing s/he
instead reads the text message to the hearing caller and then
types the hearing caller’s message back to the TTY user.
Is
There A Cost To Use The Video Relay Service?
Currently
there is no cost for VRS except for the cost of the high-speed
Internet. The
software that is required for the computer VRS is NetMeeting
that is included in Windows 95 and above, and the Sorenson
software in included in the video phone. The web cams and video phones are given out free to deaf
individuals who have high-speed Internet connections from the
VRS providers.
How
can people get more information on the Relay Services?
Call
Kristylynne Brady at (801) 530-6638 (v/tty)
or dial 7-1-1 from any phone to be connected directly to the
Relay Service.
Facts
About Utah’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Relay
Utah fields 30,000-35,000 calls per month
- The
Relay Service is available for both English and Spanish
languages
- American
Sign Language is the first language of the deaf. English
is the second.
- The
Relay Service can be used to make calls both within the
United States and internationally
About Relay
Utah
Relay Service was established
following the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act
in 1990. Relay Utah is housed under the umbrella of the Public
Service Commission and provides access to hearing assistive
equipment and telephone relay services to connect standard
telephones to text telephones used by Utah citizens who are
deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled. www.relayutah.gov.
* * *
At 84, Deaf Utahan Adds to List Of Firsts—
Deaf Center is First Utah Government Building to Be Named
Honoring Deaf Individual
New Moniker Honors Utah’s “Father of Adult Deaf Services,” Robert G.
Sanderson
SALT LAKE CITY – October 4, 2003
– With a long list of firsts to claim—first deaf
professional hired by the State Board of Education, first deaf
individual to earn a Ed.D. from BYU, first deaf coordinator of
services for the Adult Deaf in the Department of Public
Instruction—Dr. Robert G. Sanderson was honored with yet
another first today. Amid
500 white helium balloons, spotlights, and VIPs from around
the nation joining in a “we honor” sign language tribute,
Utah’s Deaf Center, housed in a government building,
received his name.
The center was renamed to recognize the
contributions 84-year-old Sanderson, also known as the Father
of Adult Deaf Services, has made for Utah’s deaf and hard of
hearing community—now numbering more than 220,000. The
center, located in Taylorsville, originally opened its doors
in 1992 as the Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing (UCCDHH).
“One hundred years ago, deaf people
were not even allowed to marry or get a drivers license,”
said Marilyn Call, director, Division of Services to the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing. “Tonight’s renaming of this community
center after a deaf individual is monumental. It is only
because of the perseverance of deaf leaders like Dr. Sanderson
lobbying for this center for 46 years, lobbying for the relay
system, and interpreters that these services are available
today. We need this Center, we need this name and event to
inspire gratitude for generations to come.”
The Sanderson Center of the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing provides activities, communication assistive
equipment for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth and adults, and
is a venue for gathering, networking and socializing. The
center also provides training to counselors, transition
specialists, educators, disability resource offices and
employers along the Wasatch Front.
An advocate and crusader for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing, Sanderson was instrumental in the creation of
the UCCDHH through lobbing in the 1980s and served as the
Center’s first director when it was housed in a donated
church building in Bountiful.
Many additional services that are now available for the
deaf and hard of hearing stem from Sanderson’s contributions
including:
·
First coordinator of services to the Adult Deaf
in the Department of Public Instruction, 1965. It was in this
capacity he earned the title of Father of Adult Deaf Services;
·
First hard of hearing professional hired by the
State Board of Education, paving the way for future deaf
individuals; and
·
Successfully lobbied for Relay Utah 7-1-1
voice/text translation service, one of the nation’s first,
established in 1988 and now managed by the Public Service
Commission (PSC).
Sanderson’s educational accomplishments
include:
·
Graduated from Gallaudet University, the
nation’s only higher education deaf institution, with a
bachelor’s degree, 1941;
·
Earned a master’s degree in educational
administration from California State University Northridge,
1965; and
·
Was the first deaf individual to receive a
doctorate in education from Brigham Young University, 1974.
* * *
About The Robert G. Sanderson Community
Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The
Center opened its doors 1992 as the Utah Community Center for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The center also provides
training to counselors, transition specialists, educators,
disability resource offices and employers along the Wasatch
Front. It is also a core resource for Utah’s 20,000 deaf and
200,000 hard of hearing and their families and friends.
Services it provides include networking and socializing
opportunities and access to hearing assistive equipment to
help individuals with hearing loss communicate independently.
5709 S. 1500 W. Taylorsville, Utah 84123. www.deafservices.utah.gov.
About Relay Utah
After
the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1988,
Utah was one of the first states to establish a relay service
with its creation of Relay Utah on January 4, 1988. Relay
Utah, www.relayutah.gov,
works under the Public Service Commission to provide access to
hearing assisted equipment and telephone relay services. Relay
Utah’s 7-1-1
is a toll free number that connects a caller to a Relay
operator who will connect you to someone using a TTY or Voice
Carry Over (VCO) phone or help a hard or hearing or
speech-impaired caller connect to a hearing person who has a
standard telephone.
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Media
Contacts: Marilyn Call, Robert G. Sanderson Community Center of Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
cell: 801.971.3047, marilyncall@utah.gov
Lynnette Johnson, Robert G. Sorensen Community Center, cell:
801.263.4860 or lynnettejohnson@utah.gov
Kristylynne Brady, Relay Utah, cell: 801.230.7085
or klbrady@utah.gov
Relay Utah
Fact
Sheet
Organization
History:
The Relay
Utah service was initiated in 1988 as one of the first Relay
services established in the United States. Housed under the
umbrella of the Public Service Commission, Relay Utah provides
access to hearing assistive equipment and telephone relay
services through Sprint to allow Utah citizens who are deaf,
hard of hearing or speech disabled more efficient
communication.
Purpose:
More
than 100,000 Utahns are either deaf or hard of hearing. Relay
Utah strives to make it possible for these individuals and
those who have difficulty with speech to independently
communicate with each other and with the hearing community.
Over 35,000 calls are made through Relay Utah every month.
7-1-1:
7-1-1
is Utah’s toll-free telephone number that connects voice
telephone users with deaf, hard of hearing or speech-disabled
individuals who use text telephones, or TTYs. Relay users can
use this free service by dialing 7-1-1 to reach a Relay
Communications Assistant (CA), who will connect the two
parties and “relay” communication between the individual
calling and the individual called.
Spanish
Relay:
Individuals who use
text telephones and desire to communicate in Spanish can dial
Relay Utah and inform the CA of their preferred message
translation. The CA will relay the conversation in the
preferred translation, including Spanish-to-Spanish,
Spanish-to-English or English-to-Spanish.
Products
for the Hearing
Impaired:
Hearing Carry-Over (HCO)/
VCO
The
Hearing Carry-Over (HCO), Voice Carry-Over (VCO) is a specific
combination of telephone for households that have people who
are both hard of hearing and those who experience no hearing
loss. With VCO, someone who is hard of hearing can speak
directly to the other person and read their responses on the
text display.
For individuals who can hear but
who are speech disabled, they can use HCO and type their
messages into the text device, which are relayed by a CA to
the other party. The HCO user can then hear the other
person’s responses. If the other person is also using HCO,
the caller can dial Relay Utah and have a CA voice his or her
responses.
CapTel
The CapTel is a telecommunications device that
will be introduced in the fall of 2003 and is ideal for
individuals who experience some degree of hearing loss but
still prefer to have a standard telephone conversation.
The
CapTel includes a text display where the user has the option
to read a captioned version of the conversation. With
CapTel’s voice-recognition capability, captions appear in
real-time as words are spoken. The CapTel includes an
amplified handset and tone control to maximize clarity.
Products
for the Deaf and
Those
with Speech Difficulty:
Text
Telephones
Text telephones, or TTYs as they are commonly
referred to, are one of the more popular telecommunications
devices on the market.
If a hearing person desires
to communicate with someone who does not hear, the person who
hears can dial 7-1-1 and reach a CA, who then relays the
information given back and forth between each party.
Video
Relay Service (VRS)
Video Relay Service, or VRS, is one of the
newest tools available to enhance communication between
American Sign Language (ASL) and voice telephone users.
Utahans have a choice between two companies that provide VRS
services, Sprint and Sorenson Media. Both companies use a
high-speed Internet connection, an Internet camera, and a sign
language interpreter to translate the message. The interpreter
voices what the individual is signing to the other party.
Information on Sprint’s VRS can be found at www.utvrs.com,
and information on Sorenson Media’s VRS at www.sorensonvrs.com.
With VRS, visual
communication accompanies the voice communication, so both
parties enjoy full interaction as emotions and facial
expressions are conveyed.
Equipment
Eligibility:
Individuals who
qualify for Public Assistance and who meet specified
guidelines are eligible for Relay equipment. For guidelines,
visit www.connectutah.com
or www.relayutah.gov.
Others looking to purchase Relay equipment can contact the
Utah Deaf Center. All workers at the UAD bookstore are deaf.
Callers can dial 7-1-1 and then the number 801-288-2159.
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How Does Relay Utah Work?
1.
Dial, toll free, either 7-1-1 or the Spanish Relay number
1-888-346-3162 to be connected to a Relay operator
who will connect the hearing caller to someone using
a text telephone (TTY) or Voice Carry Over (VCO) phone
or help a hard or hearing or speech-impaired caller connect
to a hearing person using a standard telephone.
2.
The operator will "relay" the conversation back
and forth between the party with hearing or speech difficulty
and the hearing party to facilitate the call. A
TTY user will type a message that will be read by the
Relay operator to the hearing person who will in
turn voice a response that the Relay operator
will translate into a typed message to the person
using a TTY. There is no time limit on the calls.
About Relay Utah
Utah was one of the first states to establish a relay
service, Relay Utah was made available on Jan. 4, 1998. Relay
Utah is housed under the umbrella of the Public Service Commission
and provides access to hearing assistive equipment and telephone
relay services to connect standard telephones to text telephones
used by Utah citizens who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech
disabled. www.relayutah.gov.
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