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This is something new to me, and since I've never heard anyone mention it,
perhaps it's new to you, also.
I'm familiar with Relay Texas and telephone/teletype services for the deaf,
but this is a whole new idea.
Please click on the links below for details.
Laurie
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:13:17 -0700
From: "Marti Goddard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Publib] RE: video phones for people who are deaf or hard of
hearing
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
There is a Sorenson VP200 video phone in the Deaf Services Center of the
San Francisco Main Library:
http://www.sfpl.org/librarylocations/accessservices/deafservices.htm
We got the phone and the television to which it is attached from the
Sorenson Video Relay Service (VRS): http://www.sorensonvrs.com/
Web cams that work through computers are available from Hands On VRS,
Sprint, etc. Our IT staff had fire-wall worries when we broached that idea.
We had a dedicated DSL line installed to work with our Sorenson VP200.
We experimented first with using it through the Library's regular server
and found that upload and download time when using that shared bandwidth
made the signing jerky and difficult to understand.
We have a guideline of one hour of use per day per person. Users borrow
the remote control from the desk and sign in with a start time (but no
name). Folks sometimes make a few short calls through the day. The VP is
used every day the Deaf Services Center is open (Tuesday - Saturday).
For January - July of 2007, here are usage numbers:
- 33 people on average used the videophone each week.
- Highest usage in one week was 53.
- Lowest usage in one week was 20.
Please feel free to ask questions!
Marti
--- original message ---
I'm looking for information anyone might have on providing a
video phone service for the hearing impaired in your library. How do
you do it? What policies are in place to manage it? How much use
does it get? Etc. Thanks in advance.
Dawn J. Sowers
Public Services Manager
Fauquier County Public Library
__________________________________
Marti Goddard, Access Services Manager
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415/557-4557 (voice) 415/557-4433 (tty)
415/557-4531 FAX
