December 17, 2004
Video phone help for deaf people
Deaf people who prefer to communicate using British Sign Language (BSL) could soon be having their phone conversations relayed using webcams or videophones and an interpreter, reports the BBC.
"The Video Relay Service is being piloted by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) who is urging telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to reduce the cost of the service, making it the same as ordinary phone calls.
The service works by putting a deaf person in visual contact with a BSL interpreter via a webcam or video phone, and the interpreter then relays the deaf person's conversation using a telephone and translates the other person's response into sign language.
For many deaf people, especially those born deaf, BSL is a first and preferred means of communication.
For more on services and features offered by operators around the globe, cf SMS for Deaf category in Textually.org.
Read aslo Scene and heard.
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