Comments for Dr. Z and You http://www.drzvrs.com Your partner in video communication Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:10:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Comment on Know What? Deaf and Hard of Hearing People are the Only People Using Remote Devices to Make Video Calls! by Fred http://www.drzvrs.com/2013/04/know-what-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-people-are-the-only-people-using-remote-devices-to-make-video-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-801 Fred Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:10:17 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2013/04/know-what-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-people-are-the-only-people-using-remote-devices-to-make-video-calls/#comment-801 And iPod touch as well. I use it all the time as if it were an iPhone.

]]> Comment on Editorial #105: “Enough is Enough” — Respect the Privacy and Dignity of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumers by Anonymous Person http://www.drzvrs.com/2012/03/enough-is-enough-respect-the-privacy-and-dignity-of-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-690 Anonymous Person Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:28:40 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2012/03/enough-is-enough-respect-the-privacy-and-dignity-of-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-consumers/#comment-690 I’ve had the same experience reported here. The 1st time it happened, I merely explain that why I switched, make it clear to the party calling that I’m not blaming this against him or her but against the company and support the person’s choice for choosing to work for the company, and request that I not be contacted again. So far that person has not contacted me. But after ignoring one persistent caller, I plan to contact this person and ask that I be left alone and my choice of provider respected.  Then after that, if it happens again, I plan to file a complaint with FCC against both the individual and the company .
NB. If this response is to be made public, please either put me down as “anonymous” or do not publish. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Editorial #105: “Enough is Enough” — Respect the Privacy and Dignity of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumers by wirwin http://www.drzvrs.com/2012/03/enough-is-enough-respect-the-privacy-and-dignity-of-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-689 wirwin Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:30:18 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2012/03/enough-is-enough-respect-the-privacy-and-dignity-of-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-consumers/#comment-689 Another thing to mention is how this tactic by the other VRS provider is DIVIDING the deaf community between users of their products vs Z. In the hearing world, there is stiff competition between Sprint, ATT, T Mobile and Verizon but we do not see a division like this. All products work as intended (interoperable) and there is no “Us vs Them” style tactics. Everyone has their own choice of product and company and no one is the wiser for it.

FCC regs in the hearing telecommunications industry are followed to the letter. If one company “blocked” another it would be slapped silly by the FCC with stiff penalties. In the VRS industry, one company still has a product that does not work with any other companies product. Also, it seems that other company has been holding Z products for more than 3 months. FCC regs require the products be shipped back in 24 HOURS. Harassment, intimidation and slander are all activities this other company employ to get people to port back often claiming that Z “stole their number”. It is truly disheartening how all this has been allowed to happen by the FCC.

FCC Where ARE YOU!!

]]> Comment on Happy New Year from Dr. Z by Steven Hammersmith http://www.drzvrs.com/2012/01/happy-new-year-from-dr-z/comment-page-1/#comment-634 Steven Hammersmith Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:33:55 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2012/01/happy-new-year-from-dr-z/#comment-634 What is NPRM?
Stevo

]]> Comment on Editorial #90-Sorenson–Please Watch What Your Trainer in The Pacific Northwest Said About 911 Calls from the Z by nick ogrizovich http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/07/editorial-90-sorenson-please-watch-what-your-trainer-in-the-pacific-northwest-said-about-911-calls-from-the-z/comment-page-1/#comment-560 nick ogrizovich Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:41:45 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/07/editorial-90-sorenson-please-watch-what-your-trainer-in-the-pacific-northwest-said-about-911-calls-from-the-z/#comment-560 I would add that for life threatening emergency situations, you might be better off using a landline, calling 911, and then hanging up before suffering through a 15 minute+ relay call. I know of at least one death that was indirectly related to a prolonged relay call in which the 911 person and the interpreter were asking redundant, unimportant questions while the patient’s life slowly ticked away. :( A 911 hangup would have had some sort of authority there within minutes, vs. the 45 minutes it took for the VRS method. I know its an isolated example, but it did happen.

]]> Comment on Editorial #87-Verizon Stops Unlimited Data Plan–What’s Next? Why is Dr. Z Worried? (Updated) by Mark Hill http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/06/editorial-87-verizon-stops-unlimited-data-plan-whats-next-why-is-dr-z-worried/comment-page-1/#comment-523 Mark Hill Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:06:04 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/06/editorial-87-verizon-stops-unlimited-data-plan-whats-next-why-is-dr-z-worried/#comment-523 Phil

It also worries me that some deaf people with mobility disabilities may require more time to use any mobile video communication and by the time, they may end up with fewer calls if ATT and Verizon offer tiered data plans. That’s not acceptable and unfair!

By the way, congratulations to your new position at ZVRS.

Mark Hill, President
Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization

]]> Comment on Editorial #87-Verizon Stops Unlimited Data Plan–What’s Next? Why is Dr. Z Worried? (Updated) by Mike http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/06/editorial-87-verizon-stops-unlimited-data-plan-whats-next-why-is-dr-z-worried/comment-page-1/#comment-522 Mike Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:34:33 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/06/editorial-87-verizon-stops-unlimited-data-plan-whats-next-why-is-dr-z-worried/#comment-522 Mike, that’s beside the point. We should be able to choose our carriers as freely as hearing folks do. I have to admit, Sprint’s network isn’t as good as AT&T’s network – I used to have AT&T before I joined Sprint (mainly cause it was cheaper). I had much faster service, and more coverage. I do regret leaving to join Sprint, but I do save money with their plan. The point that Dr. Z is trying to make is that ALL carriers should provide unlimited data plan for the deaf/hoh. To quote, “There is precedent for this–in the TTY days, ATT used to give deaf and hard of hearing users a discount because it took longer to communicate via typing.” It wouldn’t be right if ALL deaf/hoh folks who want to use mobile video communication, have to join ONLY Sprint, simply because (to my knowledge) they are the only carrier that has an unlimited plan.

]]> Comment on Editorial #87-Verizon Stops Unlimited Data Plan–What’s Next? Why is Dr. Z Worried? (Updated) by Mike http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/06/editorial-87-verizon-stops-unlimited-data-plan-whats-next-why-is-dr-z-worried/comment-page-1/#comment-521 Mike Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:00:57 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2011/06/editorial-87-verizon-stops-unlimited-data-plan-whats-next-why-is-dr-z-worried/#comment-521 Just go with Sprint Relay and use their unlimited data only plan. For more info: http://www.sprintrelay.com

]]> Comment on Interesting Stories on Using Mobile Devices (#1) by Mitch Travers http://www.drzvrs.com/2010/10/interesting-stories-on-using-mobile-devices-1/comment-page-1/#comment-422 Mitch Travers Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:15:04 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/?p=3742#comment-422 Cool, just cool! Keep those stories coming!

]]> Comment on Editorial #67-3 Things the Hearing People Have the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community to Thank For by kenneth g samson http://www.drzvrs.com/2010/10/editorial-67-3-things-the-hearing-people-have-the-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-community-to-thank-for/comment-page-1/#comment-419 kenneth g samson Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:36:10 +0000 http://www.drzvrs.com/2010/10/editorial-67-3-things-the-hearing-people-have-the-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-community-to-thank-for/#comment-419 Dr. Z – there’s also the now-common gps locator in cell phones, which was originally suggested as a solution by TDI and other organizations to cell phone manufacturers at a roundtable on emergency services for the deaf via cell 911 back in the mid-90′s when i was working at TDI. They balked at first, of course, due to the cost, but as we knew it would, the cost eventually came down to make it a feasible solution for cell phones. and now these gps locators are being used in apps on cell phones to do far more than any of us could have imagined or dreamed of back then.

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