Dr. Z and You

4 VRS Providers (CSDVRS, Convo, Purple, and Snap) File Motion with FCC to Extend Comment Period for Notice of Inquiry (NOI)

pbravin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:58:49 +0000

The FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on June 28, 2010. As Dr. Z indicated previously, this NOI is a process in which the FCC will collect information regarding rates and how the VRS service is structured before they issue new rates and rules before the 2011 rate period. The NOI has a 30-day comment period and a 15-day reply to comment period.

4 VRS Providers (CSDVRS, Convo, Purple and Snap) have filed a motion with the FCC to extend the comment period from 30 days to 90 days and the reply to comment period from 15 days to 45 days. The NOI is a very detailed and exhaustive process, raising a lot of questions and Dr. Z is in agreement with the VRS providers that 30 days is too short a time to be able to come up with comments to the questions the FCC has raised. 90 days is a reasonable time period for everyone–VRS providers, organizations and consumers to be able to review the questions and comment on them.

We will see how the FCC responds to this motion.

Dr. Z (and the FCC) cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

On the 20th Anniversary of the ADA-What Has Happened Since 1990?

pbravin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:15:04 +0000

Yesterday was a milestone in the history of America–the 20th Anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It took place in 1990. Come to think of it–what did we as deaf and hard of hearing people have today that we did not have in 1990…let Dr. Z point some of these things out, to give you a better appreciation of the impact of this law and related laws since then…

Relay Services

1990-All relay services were voluntary, provided by church organizations and community-based organizations. We often had to wait as long as half an hour to make a relay call

2010-We have the best–video relay services, with a wide range of devices; text relay services (TTY and IP-Relay); CapTel for the hard of hearing. The relay services have a strong funding base, both on the state level for text relay and CapTel and on the federal level for VRS, CapTel and IP-Relay

Television

1990-Captioning was offered on a limited basis, primarily only for evening hours, educational and news programs almost non-existent for cable TV. Funding provided by the federal government with some self funding by the TV industry. Very little video (VHS) captioning was available; we needed a set-top decoder to be attached to our TV to watch programs with captions

2010-Captioning is mandatory (regulated by the FCC) for broadcast and cable TV with some small exceptions (this was made possible by the Telecommunications Act of 1996); all TV sets 13″ or larger are required to have built-in decoders (made possible by the TV Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990)

Mobile Communications

1990-Nothing (non-existent)

2010-Blackberry, iPhone, Sidekick and now with video relay via mobile phones on the iPhone 4

Interpreters

1990-Some interpreters were available, but they were hard to get, because few were willing to pay

2010-Things are getting better, but still not perfect–we still have to educate the public on interpreters

American Sign Language

1990-Just beginning to understand it as a real language, with a cultural basis

2010-Respect for it as a full language and cultural basis

The list goes on and on–with yesterday’s passage of HR 3101 by the House, President Obama’s Executive Orders and Proposed Rules Issued by the Justice Department, a very involved and aware FCC and other technological developments–who knows what the next 5 years will bring us?

Two words: MORE ACCESS!!

Happy 20th Birthday ADA!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Las Vegas–What a Week!

pbravin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:52:04 +0000

Thumbs Up!!

Dr. Z was in Las Vegas last week and he was giving videophone (VP and VRS) prescriptions to the thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people who were in attendance.

The ZVRS booth was packed everyday. Dr. Z also gave 2 presentations on “Video Relay Service: Its Beginnings, Today and Beyond.” There was also a special event by ZVRS introducing ZVRS for the Apple iPhone 4.

What was most interesting was the booth–many people came to us and it was nice to know that ZVRS had different solutions for everyone–the ZVRS product line ranges from a desktop setting to a mobile setting and Dr. Z was happy to be able to identify the best prescription for anyone who came to the booth with a specific videophone requirement. People also asked questions on numbering and developments at the FCC.

No question–ZVRS for the iPhone 4 opened eyes and raised eyebrows–this is the future–a mobile solution that everyone has been waiting for! For more information on ZVRS for the iPhone 4, click this link.

Dr. Z will be posting more information on this website regarding ZVRS for the iPhone 4 in the weeks to come.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

ZVRS and iPhone 4 Featured in NY Times

pbravin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:29:36 +0000

The New York Times has published an article featuring the iPhone 4 and ZVRS. This is an informative article and the fact it is published in the NY Times as part of the mainstream media gives credence to this development.

You can link to the article here. (link to article)

This development is on many blogs such as Engadget, etc.

This is the beginning of a new era in VRS communications–mobile video communications!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Sorenson Petitions Court for Review of Rates

pbravin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:12:33 +0000

Sorenson Communications has filed a petition for review of the FCC’s rates with the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

The 10th Circuit is located in Denver and the filing states that it is an appropriate choice because it is close to Sorenson’s Headquarters in Salt Lake City.

The filing is a one page document and does not have much information.

Dr. Z will keep you posted as developments warrant in this case.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

ZVRS-iPhone, Laptop, Netbook, Desktop, Dedicated Units-Your Choice!

pbravin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:12:00 +0000

Come to Think of It…

We now have a choice of solutions for video communication–no more is the day we are limited to a device that does not meet your needs.

Looking at the ZVRS product line, you have a video communication solution for the following…

Mobile Environment – iPhone, Z4 (downloadable software for PC and Mac) downloaded to your laptop or netbook

Desktop Environment – Z4 downloadable to your desktop or laptop, Z-150, Z-340, Z-Ojo

Office Environment – Z-150, Z4 (downloadable to your computer)

Home Entertainment Environment – Z-340, Z4 (downloadable to your computer)

No Other Company on Earth Offers You More!

For more information, click on this link

For more information on the iPhone, click on this link

You can see all of ZVRS products at the Deaf World Expo in Las Vegas next week (June 19-22) at the Sands Convention Center.

In addition, there are a lot of services offered by ZVRS that supports all our products. (link)

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

ZVRS for the iPhone-Proof is in the Pudding!

pbravin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:48:19 +0000

This may be the shortest post Dr. Z has put up.

This blog has 100 words.

A photo has 1,000 words.

A video has 1,000,000 words.

This is a video of an actual iPhone call to a ZVRS interpreter making a video relay call (link to video.)

ENJOY!!!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects..

FCC Denies Sorenson Rate Stay Motion

pbravin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:23:41 +0000

The FCC on July 9, 2010 has denied Sorenson’s Rate Stay Motion. The FCC lists its reasons for such denial in the order. You can read the document using this link.

Dr. Z (and the FCC) cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Three Days After Independence Day…Using ZVRS With a iPhone!!!!!

pbravin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:56:43 +0000

“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”

This day has ARRIVED!!!! Communications independence with an iPhone 4!!!

ZVRS at the NAD Convention in Philadelphia announced the ability of an Apple iPhone 4 to make VRS calls using the ZVRS platform. It met with rave reviews from the invited audience who witnessed people making live VRS calls in a wifi environment using an iPhone. It was a historic and beautiful moment for us all to witness!!

It was a sneak preview with a public announcement to take place later this week.

Dr. Z will expand on details of this exciting announcement in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!!

Happy Communications Independence Day from Dr. Z!!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

On this Independence Day…Independence for Us All (Functional Equivalence)

pbravin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:20:56 +0000

There are many ways to observe Independence Day. Dr. Z usually reads the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. In any event, Dr. Z considers the first sentence of the second paragraph most fitting when one talks about independence.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This is most fitting today when we have close to full communication access, made by the advent of videophones, which followed TTY’s. When one says equal, this means we deaf and hard of hearing people are close to being equal to our hearing counterparts when it comes to how we communicate. The things standing in the way are interoperability between products. This should be resolved once and for all–once all videophone devices are fully interoperable like cell phones, we can consider ourselves equal and we can then pursue “life, liberty and happiness!”

Happy Independence Day from Dr. Z!!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.