CHAT WITH BRYEN
Because we’ve all got something to say!

Something really cool is going on in Chicago! A group of Deaf-Blind people have formed a team to join VisionWalk. This team will help raise funds for Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) and help find a cure for Usher Syndrome.

Here’s why it is soooo cool! This group of ambitious and dedicated people set a goal to raise $1,000. But instead, they have raised OVER $4,000!!!! No kidding! I’m serious! This proves how much Deaf-Blind people can do and that they cannot be marginalized.

With so many individuals and teams walking this year, it is really awesome to show the shining light of our Deaf-Blind people who show that they can do above and beyond what everyone else expects of them.

So won’t you consider making a donation to this team? You’ll be making two important statements when you make a donation:

1. That you too want to see a cure for Usher Syndrome and other forms of Deaf-Blindness
2. Every donation made to this wonderful team shows even more powerful impact of the contribution we all make, as Deaf and Deaf-Blind people, to society.

So come on! Click here to donate today! They walk this coming Sunday on June 8th!

As is my daily morning routine, I get up in the morning and go to CNN.com to read the latest headlines of the day.  One headline catches my eye.  Deaf Couple Wants Only Deaf Embryo.  Cool, a Deaf story, let’s click on it.  Ahh, it’s a video story.  Great.  Video stories can be so much more pleasing from time to time.

But wait…  this is a Deaf-related story.  Obviously, Deaf people who read CNN.com will want to read this story.  IT ISN’T CAPTIONED!!!  What’s wrong with this story?!?

Does technology exist to caption videos on the Internet?  Yup.  Did CNN bother to caption this story online? Nope.  What a shame.  A story about my fellow Deaf brothers and sisters and I can’t follow the story.  Yup, CNN is getting really stupid these days.

It’s no wonder that Congressman Ed Markey has felt the need recently to propose new federal legislation to require captioning on the Internet.  And it is sad that Markey even has to propose this.  It should be common sense for the broadcasters to go ahead and caption their videos since they’re already captioning the same stories on television.  Yes, this is where CNN starts to get stupider.

The hypocrisy of CNN shows even more stupidity.  CNN is owned by Time-Warner.  Time-Warner is member of the Internet Captioning Consortium, working with groups like WGBH to get videos captioned on the internet.   So, in other words, CNN’s owner is playing lip-service by participating in such a consortium, but not bothering to do the actual work of meaning what they say.  This just gets stupider and stupider.

What can you do about it?

Let’s start a mass campaign.  Here’s how to do it simply:

1. On the above link, you will see “Feedback” in the upper right corner.  Click on it.
2. From the dropdown menu, choose “Complaint”
3. On the ratings list, choose “Disagree” for all options.  It certainly is not engaging or visually pleasing.
4. In the comment section, write something like “This sucks without captioning” or “Please reissue this video with full captioning” or something like that.  I leave it up to you to decide how to express yourself to CNN.
5. Click Submit

Remember, we can’t expect the world to change unless we speak up.  SPEAK UP now and write to CNN!

It is no wonder that

I was on another business trip for a couple of days last week and couldn’t help but feel a longing for my videophone.  Yes, I guess like the rest of us, I’ve become somewhat dependent on it.  And I wondered about those of us who take frequent business trips.  How do we deal with this situation and what obligations does a hotel have regarding ADA accessibility and videophnes?

I’d really like to hear your comments about how this is resolved.

True, I can use one of the downloadable software programs provided by some VRS services.  But that causes problems too.  For example, more and more hotels are using wireless instead of wired internet access in the rooms.   Some hotels use decent powerful wireless access points, and others use crappy access points and only so many people can get on at any one time.

I remember one trip, after a convention ended for the day and we all went to our rooms to check our email.  I couldn’t connect to the internet because too many people connected to the access point at the same time.   I had to wait 3 hours before I could finally get on.

If you bring your Sorenson VP, OjoPhone or whatever, you’ll need to also bring a wireless adapter that you can plug into your ethernet jack on the device.    We all know that while wireless ain’t too bad, hard-wire picture quality is far better.

Another problem.  I can make calls.  But I can’t receive calls.  A hearing guest can receive calls on the hotel’s telephone system.   Suppose a family member needs to call you about an emergency back home?  Oh sure, they can page me and then I’ll call back.   But is that the same as hearing accessibility, when we have to do a two-step process?

So, what is the obligation for the hotel?  They’re obligated to provide other accessible devices, such as door knocker, CC televisions, fire alarm flashers, etc.  Should videophones be the next requirement in their provided accessibility kit?

What’s your experience?  How do you resolve this?

I was just reading NAD’s article about participating in the FCC’s 10-Digit Numbering System and couldn’t help but wonder if we’re not looking at this issue in a more global way.  Videophones have not only enabled us to use a better form of relay interpreting service, but also to better connect with loved ones who are hearing and thus don’t qualify for a free videophone from those services that provide one to Deaf consumers.

I have recently installed several non-VRS-provided videophones (i.e., D-Link and such) for hearing members of families that have Deaf members.  It has been such a joy to see them connect and build their relationship with their beloved Deaf son, daughter, brother, etc. when in the past often such families had an estranged relationship between Deaf and Hearing members.

Now that these hearing people have a VP, they are taking the time to learn ASL more and connect better.  Barriers are fast dropping across the board.  With such technology, the dynamic where Deaf and Hearing family members sit down at holiday dinners while being complete strangers to each other may become a thing of the past.

So, I look at “10-Digit Numbering System” and I wonder… what does that mean?  Do we each get a toll-free number, or an area code?  If it is an area code, is it one area code for all users?  Or is it an area code related to where you live?  What if you move?

If it is a toll-free number, do I want to give that out to hearing people who might be confused with such an unusual number for personal usage?  What if it is a number I give out for prospective employers to contact me for job interviews?  I would be uncomfortable giving out a toll-free number or an area code that makes me look like I’m not local to the employer.

And then comes the question, why should such numbers be for the use of Video Relay Services?  Shouldn’t we think in broader terms?

Going back to my mention of installing videophones for hearing people, I noticed several interesting challenges for people with non-VRS provided devices, or different devices.  For example, I have both a Sorenson VP-200 phone and an OjoPhone provided by SnapVRS.  The phone numbers that are tied into each device are obviously not real phone numbers.   You can’t dial that number on a regular phone and be connected to a videophone.   In fact, both devices have the same phone number, but are connected to different databases.  Therefore, if you called me on my phone number from a Sorenson-based VP to my OjoPhone, it won’t connect.

The solution to this problem is obviously to use a Dynamic DNS service and tell people to use that DNS name.  But that causes another problem, because when I call them, my domain name does not appear in their Caller ID.  Instead, my actual IP address shows up on the screen.  What if that person then saves my Caller ID in their phone book, not realizing they need to change it to the DNS name?  A few days later, my IP address could change and now they can’t call me.

For me, this is not a huge problem because I don’t have dynamic IP addressing.  My IP addresses are permanent static addresses because I pay a higher price for business-class service from Comcast.  But not everyone can afford this.

That inability to connect via phone number from one type of VP to another is where there is a huge problem that will potentially get worse as the market share of VP users grows.  Parents will be unable to call their son halfway across the country because their son’s IP address changed since the last time they talked.  The potential gains we have for bridging the gap between Deaf and Hearing family members could be lost.

So this 10-Digit Numbering System, to me, deflects from the real issue at hand.  How do we make our VP’s more globally accessible?   Remember, videophone manufacturers are or will be benefitting hugely from the growing market demands that are just around the corner.  Just like the Deaf Community was a pioneer in the mass text-paging industry in the cellular world, so too are we pioneers in the home videophone industry.  In the 1990’s, we were the first true market segment to fully adopt pager communication as a means of normal communication.  Now, in 2008, everyone seems to own a pager device of some kind.

We’re contributing to a new economic market here and someday, every home will have a videophone, regardless of Deaf or Hearing.

So, the question is, should the FCC be focusing on 10-Digit Numbering Systems or looking at ways to unify communication across all Videophones?  I think the latter is far more important.  A 10-Digit numbering system will slow down the mass adoption of VP’s and continue to cause incompatibilities in ease of reaching people regardless of videophone device.

In the hearing home, telephones are made by many many different manufacturers.  Yet, if you call that home from your phone, you can connect with no problem.  It doesn’t matter if I have a Sony telephone and you have a GE phone.  We will connect.    That’s where VideoPhones need to be.   NOT restricted to the VideoPhone’s own proprietary directories.

Most of us have Sorenson videophones.  Many of us are still waiting for OjoPhones, MVP’s, and VPads.    When people start getting all these different devices, we’re going to have some headaches trying to teach people how to make this all work.   Explaining IP addressing, Dynamic DNS and hostnames isn’t always an easy task.

In fact, I am working with Linux developers currently to make the Ekiga videoconferencing software compatible with the various Videophone codecs out there.  That means yet soon another device will have some difficulty with changing IP addresses.

The technology to achieve this is simple enough.  And the FCC can get involved in mandating and regulating such a system.  These standards should apply to all videophones marketed in the United States, regardless of whether they are to be used by Deaf users.

• Update existing VP Firmware software to include a new DDNS (Dynamic DNS) client built into the Videophone itself.  Too many people don’t understand how to access configurations in a router.
• This DDNS service shall be governed by an independent body of members of both the VideoPhone industry and the consumer industry.  If possible, it should be used expressly for videophone usage and not for other IP-based services.
• Give the consumer the ability to optionally link that DDNS name with the 10-Digit number so that when a hearing person calls VRS and gives out the number, VRS will call the DDNS name automatically.
• When we call from one videophone to another videophone, ensure that it is the DDNS name that gets displayed, not the IP address nor the phone number.
• When the receiving VP saves the call into the phonebook, it should recognize that a DDNS name was given and use that to store.  Not the IP address.

Then, and only then, do I believe we’ll ensure true global communication by allowing the 10-Digit Numbering System to tap into this potentially huge globally-compatible directory, without impeding on the potential growth of videophones which WILL eventually become ubiquitous in every home, just like it is already ubiquitous in Deaf homes.

Reading the recent press release about Viable VPAD now being available, I’m sad to say, it looks like the answer to my question “Is Viable discriminating against Deaf-Blind?” is “Yes.”

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Living in the Deaf Blogosphere in recent months has been a rewarding experience for me.  There’s the exchange of ideas, the thrill of debate, the satisfaction of comments to your articles.  It is a great way to catch up on events going on in our Deaf Community and a way for people outside our Community to learn about us.

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Imagine a Cold Case so hot, it’s jam-packed with Deaf acting luminaries.

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How thrilling! Jeff Rosen announced the restoration of the Ojo Network. Now, everyone can call each other on their Ojo phones. Okay, maybe not. Still one important detail left… Where’s my Ojo?

I know Snap!VRS says they are distributing Ojo Phones in a measured pace. But it’s fast becoming a distant reality for many of us. Hopefully, Snap!VRS will find a way to improve the distribution and load-balancing of their network. There’s too many people looking for Ojo’s and already contemplating going on to the next big cool thing… The Viable.

See See….

The last two posts relating to Sorenson have been an eye-opener for me.  I really started out innocently just talking about two strange experiences I have had dealing with Sorenson technicians.  This led to a flood of comments, mostly negative against Sorenson.

One comment even spawned a second post from me about the question of monitored calls to Sorenson VRS.  This led to probably even angrier responses from readers who felt that Sorenson wasn’t being kosher about how they do business with the Community.

It is obvious that there are widespread problems and struggles going on in this area of videophone technology and the level of customer dissatisfaction must be dealt with.

However, we have not yet seen any response from Sorenson themselves.  I’d like to be fair and give Sorenson a chance to air their side of the story.  Sorenson, if you’re reading this, please, feel free to contact me with specific contact information and I will be willing to post your response as a full article on my site.

I think we would all like to hear more as while customer dissatisfaction may be high, we are all equally interested in seeing the success of videophone technology for the Deaf continue to succeed and rise.

As we all saw from my last post about strange Sorenson experiences that I have, the comments were surprisingly negative against Sorenson’s quality of service. Some of my friends have said “No that’s not surprising.” Really sad state of affairs we’re living in.

Reading through the comments, it seems pretty obvious that Sorenson’s technicians don’t have professional courtesy, professional technical knowledge, or even basic customer service expertise, and aren’t properly screened. But one reaaaaally caught my eye. Can this possibly be true???

Sue posted a comment. I actually know Sue and know she’s not the type to make up outlandish stories. She stated that when she needed her VP replaced, the technician told her she could not upgrade to a VP-200. Why? Because she didn’t make enough calls per month. She has to qualify by making 100 VRS calls a month.

HUH??? Either two things here.

1. The technician doesn’t know what he is talking about and is an idiot. Well, we’ve seen a lot of that from the comments. So that’s not too surprising. But hmm, he only had a VP-100 when he came over. So maybe he was indeed told by Sorenson to only provide VP-100.

…or…

2. Sorenson is indeed tracking calls and monitoring in a database the number of calls made by their customers. Think about that. Tracking our calls… Hmm… Restricting customers based upon that is the same as extortion in my book.

Whew … 100 VRS calls per month. Let me sink that in my head a little bit… 100 VRS calls per month… 100… No I can’t possibly fathom having to make 100 VRS calls a month. Who would I call that many times??? EVERY MONTH. For the rest of my LIFE! Oy vey!

In any case, I would hope that Sue writes to the FCC about this issue. I cannot believe the FCC would view this lightly.

Has anyone else heard of such a restriction placed on Sorenson customers?