Want Full Access to Relay? Let FCC Know!

Background

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is asking for public comments to determine if any of the Relay Service providers should not be allowed to restrict deaf and hard of hearing customers to a single Relay provider via their software or hardware. 

The NAD has always taken a strong position in favor of open interoperability in communication systems—dating back to the issue of interoperability of text messaging systems.

See these examples:

http://www.nad.org/FCCIMltr

At the 2004 NAD Conference in Kansas City, MO, delegates passed a conference priority that the NAD advocate for Video Relay Services (VRS) to become a mandated (required) telecommunications services with quality assurances—including interoperability.

The NAD has already filed a petition asking the FCC to designate VRS as a mandatory service—and to ensure that there is interoperability across Relay providers.  The NAD has also asked the FCC to recognize and treat VRS as a functionally equivalent telecommunications service.

All VRS providers have their perspectives on interoperability issues and each treats this subject in various ways. There is, unfortunately, no single VRS provider that is 100% open to all the methods for accessing video relay services. Consumers should beware of VRS companies (and employees) who either claim that their services are fully interoperable or those other companies are not—because no VRS company is 100% compatible with all the existing technologies in the public domain.

The NAD appreciates the fact that competing technologies allows companies to develop faster, better and more user-friendly equipment that brings deaf and hard of hearing consumers closer to true functional equivalency. Still, the NAD recognizes that the lack of 100% interoperability requires consumers to juggle different products/devices—each involving their own software and connectivity protocols—to access Relay providers.

The FCC Needs to Hear from You! Act Now!

At the bottom of this page, there is a link that will take you to the FCC’s website.  This website will allow you to tell the FCC directly your opinions on Relay interoperability.

By using the FCC short form on its website, you will be asked to fill out your name, address, email contact information and a brief comment.

In the box for “Send a Brief Comment to the FCC” you can write your own comments—and/or copy and paste one of the following paragraphs.  Don’t forget to click the “Send Comment” button.

I want to be able to use Relay anytime with anyone, using any Relay provider, just as two hearing people can call each other regardless of who is their telephone product/service provider.   Please require interoperability and compatibility across Relay providers.

Video and IM Relay has become valuable tools for me. The traditional telephone (including TTY) is not practical for me. The use of Relay has made my work much more effective and I have become more productive.  However, the value of Relay is limited because not everyone has access to my Relay product/service.   Please end exclusion of deaf and hard of hearing people from full access to telecommunications by requiring open interoperability and compatibility across Relay providers.

I do accept free Relay equipment and software from providers—not necessarily because I like a particular provider the most—but because it is free—and allows me to make calls I couldn’t make before.  While I appreciate the free equipment and software, I want to be able to make and receive Relay calls from anybody without any restrictions from Relay providers.

Click here to access and fill out the FCC short comment form.