Five more years on line

The government has opened bids for another five years of the phone relay service for the hearing-impaired and Deaf, with two major wins for those who otherwise struggle to use the telephone.
Video relay, where the Deaf can use sign language to make phone calls via an on-line interpreter, is now a permanent part of the service after an extended trial, and prices are being sought for providing high-speed captioned phone calls for the hearing-impaired.

National Foundation for the Deaf external communications manager Chris Peters today welcomed the move.

“Most of us take the ability to use the telephone for granted and don’t appreciate how isolating it is for people with hearing disabilities not being able to use the phone to make appointments, do business, or contact family,” he said.

“The phone relay service has helped break down this barrier, but there are areas that clearly need improvements, and video relay and captioned telephony are part of that.

“The video relay is essential for the Deaf and the government is to be applauded for making that part of the service permanent.

“However the hearing-impaired – those who have lost some degree of their hearing – are a huge group, and it is essential the relay caters for them as well. Getting a cost for providing proper high-speed captioned calls is an important first step.”

The phone relay service, which allows hearing-impaired and Deaf people to make phone calls via an operator who types the replies back to the caller’s special telephone, has been running since November 2004, and is operated in New Zealand by American relay company Sprint. Funding is provided by the telecommunications industry and the government.

The contract is up for renewal, and the Ministry of Economic Development, which manages the service funding, has this week finalised the tender documents for the next five years.