SALT LAKE CITY, UT--(Marketwired - Sep 24, 2015) - Today, Sorenson Communications®, the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) for people who are deaf and use sign language to communicate, announced the opening of a new Sorenson Video Relay Service® (SVRS®) interpreting center in Dayton, Ohio. The new center will operate in conjunction with the 100-plus other Sorenson VRS interpreting centers in major cities throughout the U.S.
"Sorenson is committed to empowering the Deaf community to communicate in real time, in our native language -- American Sign Language (ASL)," notes Ron Burdett, Sorenson vice president of community relations. "Opening the Dayton SVRS interpreting center, which provides access to professional SVRS interpreters, is another way Sorenson shows its commitment to the Deaf community."
SVRS, a service paid for by the U.S. government's Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) fund, empowers deaf people who use ASL to conduct video relay calls with hearing people, 24/7, through a qualified ASL interpreter. Calls are placed using a videophone, a high-speed internet connection and a standard TV. Calls may also be placed through a mobile device, such as a smartphone with a front-facing camera or a computer. When a deaf caller places a VRS call to a hearing person, an ASL interpreter appears on the screen. The deaf caller signs to the interpreter, who is fluent in ASL and spoken English. The interpreter then speaks the message to the hearing recipient. The hearing caller responds and the interpreter signs the message back to the deaf person, thus "relaying" the conversation between them.
SVRS closely simulates a conversation between two hearing people, something the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) calls "functional equivalency." Title IV of the ADA mandates access to functionally-equivalent communications for deaf people.
"Sorenson Communications is dedicated to providing the best-possible SVRS experience for deaf and hearing callers," notes Chris Wakeland, vice president of interpreting for Sorenson. "That means the new Dayton center and each Sorenson VRS interpreting center in the U.S. is staffed with the highest-quality interpreters -- professionals who are dedicated to providing excellent interpreting for every call."
About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications® (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications products and services for the deaf. The company's offerings include Sorenson Video Relay Service® (SVRS®), the highest-quality video interpreting service; the Sorenson ntouch® VP videophone, designed especially for use by deaf individuals; ntouch® PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; ntouch® for Mac®, software that connects users to SVRS by using an Apple® computer; ntouch® Tablet, which turns the Apple iPad® with a front-facing camera into a larger-screen mobile VP; and ntouch® Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via mobile devices.
Disclaimer
If you choose Sorenson as your default provider, you can port your existing 10-digit number to Sorenson from another provider or Sorenson can provide you with one for the geographic area where you live or work. If you later change your default provider, you can port your number to that provider. When selecting Sorenson, you must provide to Sorenson the physical address (i.e., the Registered Location) from which you are placing the call, so that Sorenson can properly route any 911 calls you may make. If you move or change your location, you must notify Sorenson immediately. You can update your Registered Location from your Sorenson videophone by calling 800-659-4810 or by visiting www.svrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of your Registered Location information. Emergency calls made via internet-based TRS may not function the same as traditional E911 service. For example, you may not be able to dial 911 if there is an internet-service failure or if you lose electrical power, and your 911 call may not be routed correctly if you have not updated your Registered Location. For more information on the process of obtaining 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson's VRS to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson's website: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer. For information on toll-free numbering, please visit www.svrs.com/tollfree.