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Texas Signs on Video Relay Service for the DeafRelay Texas implements revolutionary new service using Sorenson Vision's EnVision video conferencing system |  |
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, September 25, 2000 -- Sorenson Vision Inc. announced its role in a Texas program that provides telephone relay services to the Deaf and hard of hearing. At the heart of the Texas Video Interpreting Service (TVIS) is Sorenson's award-winning desktop video conferencing product: Sorenson EnVision. The TVIS is a service of Sprint Relay, provided through its contractor, Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). CSD, the world's largest provider of Deafness-related communications services, broke ground in March with a similar service that provides off-site sign language interpreting via the Internet. For that program--as with the Texas VIS--the company chose Sorenson EnVision as its enabling technology. To use the service, a Deaf person places an Internet video call to an operator at the CSD call center. Because the caller and operator can see each other clearly, they can use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. The operator then telephones the Hearing party. Once both calls are established, the Deaf and Hearing parties communicate with each other through the operator-the Deaf person by signing and the Hearing person by speaking. This is a vast improvement over the current standard for Deaf telephone use, which involves using a text telephone (TTY, also known as a TDD) to type messages back and forth. A Deaf person who wants to communicate with someone without a TTY must first call a relay operator, who then calls the other party. The caller types messages, which the operator reads to the other person. Spoken replies are typed by the relay operator and read by the Deaf person. "Most people have no concept of how cumbersome TTY communication is," says Jon Hodson, Sorenson's manager of sales to Deaf markets. "The next time you call a friend, try typing everything as you say it." Hodson, who is Deaf, has for years been an outspoken advocate for video communication for the Deaf. "We use TTYs out of necessity" he says of the 36-year-old technology. "They're clumsy, they're slow--they're about as 'natural' as sending a telegram." Because of the diligence of Hodson and others, Texas is the first state to provide an alternative to TTY relays. As mandated by law, the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing helps Deaf and hard of hearing consumers purchase telephone equipment through its Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP). Once approved, applicants receive a voucher for equipment, which they can then redeem at approved distributors. Texas has now expanded the STAP to include video conferencing products, so voucher recipients can now choose to receive Sorenson EnVision to serve their communication needs. Ray Brooksby, Sorenson Vision's chief operating officer, sees the TVIS as a template for other states to emulate. "This service is a historic offering. For the first time ever, Deaf people can use their natural language to communicate over the phone," he says. He adds: "The State of Texas should be applauded for empowering its residents in this way." But Brooksby anticipates that EnVision use won't be limited just to relay calls. Once they have EnVision in their homes, he says, people can use it to communicate with anyone-Deaf or Hearing-over the Internet. The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) mandated that telecommunications companies, with the support of state and federal agencies, provide services to Deaf and hard of hearing citizens that are "functionally equivalent" to the services enjoyed by the Hearing majority. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) redefined its service definitions to include video relay services, which "allows people with hearing or speech disabilities who use sign language to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment." About Sorenson EnVisionSorenson EnVision is a full-featured desktop collaboration system which allows people to see and hear each other as they work together over any IP connection. EnVision packs integrated document sharing and file transfer capabilities, as well as a built-in white board and chat box. EnVision is compliant with international standards for IP (H.323) conferencing, interoperating with other compliant products. The product operates on Windows 95, 98, and NT, and can be installed on computers from Pentium 90 and faster. EnVision 2.0, to be released in November, will add USB connectivity, modem-to-modem (H.324) calling, and Windows 2000/ME compatibility. More information about EnVision is available at About Sorenson Vision Inc.Sorenson Vision Inc. is a privately held company based in Logan, Utah. The firm was founded by noted businessman James L. Sorenson, who holds dozens of patents in a variety of fields from medicine to multimedia. In the computer industry, Sorenson is best known as the name behind the Sorenson Video codec, generally accepted as the best QuickTime video compression technology for the Internet. Among Sorenson's other companies are Sorenson Media, Sorex Medical, and DataChem Laboratories. More information about Sorenson Vision can be found on the company's website at All products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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