Video Relay Service - a Comprehensive Overview

Video Relay Service has turned out to be of immense help to the hearing disabled people. VRS, as the video relay service is termed in abbreviated form, is a type of service that aids in communication through telephone for the hearing disabled. Here is a comprehensive look on the various features of the video relay service.

The video relay service is actually a type of telecommunications relay service (TRS) which helps a hearing disabled individual using American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate on the telephone with the help of video equipment instead of using typed words.

The video relay service user is connected to a telecommunications relay service worker who is termed as a communication assistant (CA). Both the CA and VRS user can use sign-conversation as a means of communication.

The mechanism behind the working of the system involves the linking of the VRS user to a VRS CA by means of a computer equipped with video camera and broadband internet connection. The VRS CA specializes in interpreting sign language and both of them converse through the video. The phone call that the VRS user wants to make is then placed by the VRS CA and he acts as a link between the two people. There is no typed text format present in this system.

The VRS call can also be placed by a voice telephone customer, by calling the toll free number available for the VRS centre. The VRS provider's Internet area or a video attached television is sufficient to contact the VRS CA.

VRS is now available with many servers and similar to the TRS calls, all calls made by a VRS user, are free. The costs accrued by this expenditure, is accounted by the Interstate TRS fund which is a part of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

The growing popularity of the VRS is due to the absence of typing during communication. This way the users are more comfortable in expressing their thoughts with body language and facial expression, which is not possible if typing is needed. Moreover the callers can stop each other in the middle of a conversation. This enables a trouble free call similar to a conversation conducted by two persons with normal hearing capacity.

Further the conversation does not take much time, as there is a smooth flow of talk which is faster than the typed format. Hence you can get a short timed and faster conversation with a VRS than a text dependent TRS type.

The system that is in use at present, in the United States enables VRS conversation between English or Spanish speaking individuals and ASL users. There are many rules put forth by the FCC, regulating the present VRS system. The speed-of-answer needs were started in the year 2006 and made effective on January 1, in the year 2007. The VRS suppliers should compulsorily attend 80% of the calls in VRS system, in a time span of2 minutes. They should also function round the clock without any interruptions.