National Association of the Deaf

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) along with numerous organizations and coalitions asked Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael K. Powell for a meeting to discuss the quality and availability of Video Relay Services (VRS). The group expressed concerns about the deteriorating quality of VRS since the FCC lowered the rate paid for such services last June.

"For many deaf and hard of hearing individuals, VRS today is the closest thing meeting the functional equivalency requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the FCC must act quickly to ensure high quality Video Relay Services in the United States," commented Kelby Brick, NAD Associate Executive Director.

The group asked the FCC to identify VRS as a mandatory Telecommunication Relay services that must be available 24 hours 7 days a week. The group also asked the FCC to ensure adequate working conditions of VRS interpreters while improving the response rate of VRS calls. "The fact that so many representative groups feel so strongly about this issue is indicative of the importance of VRS to so many deaf and hard of hearing individuals," added Brick.

Clicking on this link will download a PDF version of the letter.

More information about VRS issues can also be found at:
http://www.nad.org/openhouse/action/alerts/vrsrates/index.html