1. A foot in both camps A consumer perspective of UK & USA Telecommunication Relay Services David Rose, MA - Consultant: Deaf and Disability Matters Email address: davidroseuk@uwclub.netdavidroseuk@uwclub.net ITU Conference, Geneva, Switzerland Nov 25th, 2011 ©

2. A consumer perspective  10 years visiting USA from UK  Different pace of development of relay services in USA & UK  Standards  Funding

3. USA Telecommunication Relay Services Iphone relay Video relay services Captioned Telephone

4. Such sophistication! What a choice!

5. Make a CapTel Call via the Web or Mobile Device! 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, etc

7. Video relay services in USA Started in 2002 Due to competition, rapidly developed High performance standards Wide range of products to suit deaf customers

8. Relay Conference Captioning - USA  Allows deaf people to participate in conference calls  Captioned Telephone - similar to a voice carryover relay service in near real-time captions  Specialised Telecommunications Assistance Programs

9. Relay Services in USA & UK In USA, 25 Relay Service companies with multiple services such as web, traditional, and video ( 5 are deaf- led companies). All funded by FCC TRF In UK, there are 3 VRS providers: o Sign Video: deaf-led social enterprise o Sign On Screen – Deaf Connections, charity o Sign-Now, private company BUT …………………..

10. 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 4 years ago…..no funding available

11. 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

12. Numbers in UK?  100,000 BSL users  9 million are hard of hearing Are they getting a good relay telecommunication service now? The answer is NOT YET….

13. What we as consumers can do about it? Deaf Access to Alternative Relay Telecommunications (DAART) – a new consumer group set up in September 2010 - for equal access & to complement TAG

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. DAART Equal Access to the Telecoms Now You can learn more about DAART: o Facebook o Twitter o www.daartcampaign.co.uk www.daartcampaign.co.uk o Mission & Campaign Policy Statements, Response to Govt. Consultation Papers, & Consumer Views