Video Relay Services for Deaf-Hearing Communication

March 31, 2005

In the past couple of days, two releases appeared on TMCnet about video relay services that facilitate communications between deaf and hearing people:

Innovative Video Relay Services Launched by CSD

I don't know why I was never familiar with this kind of service before, but it seems to me a fantastic use of video conferencing and Internet telephony technologies. These services make a live sign interpreter available remotely to interpret between a deaf person using a webcam and a hearing person using a telephone.

The two organizations that put out these releases each have fascinating and amusing videos on their Web sites showing their systems in use:

See the Hands On video here.�(Requires QuickTime.)

And the CSD video here.�(Click on "Watch Video Now.")

Here is a still shot showing a hearing�man on his cell phone�using the Hands On service to communicate with his deaf girlfriend (the woman you see�is an image of the remote sign interpreter, who is communicating with the deaf user via webcam):

This picture below�shows a deaf man using the CSD video relay service to call up and make a reservation at a restaurant. He's using a D-Link videophone system to make his call: