TMCnet News
Sorenson Communications Announces St. Augustine Video Relay Service Interpreting CenterSALT LAKE CITY, March 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Sorenson Communications, LLC announced the opening of a new Sorenson Video Relay Service® (SVRS®) interpreting center in St. Augustine, Fla. As the leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS), Sorenson operates more than 100 SVRS interpreting centers in major cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. “Opening the St. Augustine center provides increased access to professional interpreters who relay conversations between Deaf and hearing people, each in their preferred language – either American Sign Language (ASL) or spoken English or spoken Spanish,” notes Laura Hartness, SVRS vice president of interpreting. “Opening this center is another way Sorenson shows its commitment to the Deaf community.” Lance Pickett, SVRS marketing vice president, adds, “Sorenson Communications is dedicated to providing the best-possible SVRS experience for Deaf and hearing callers. Each SVRS interpreting center is staffed with the highest-quality interpreters —professionals who are dedicated to providing excellent interpreting for every call.” SVRS empowers Deaf people who use ASL to place video relay calls with hearing people, 24/7, through a qualified ASL interpreter. To place a relay call, a Deaf caller uses a videophone, a mobile device or computer, a high-speed internet connection and a standard TV. When a Deaf caller calls a hearing person, an ASL interpreter, located in an interpreting center, 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 mssage back to the Deaf person, thus “relaying” the conversation between them. SVRS, a service paid for by the U.S. government’s Telecommunications Relay Service fund, 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 communication for Deaf people. About Sorenson Communications Disclaimer Press Contact |