Virtual Public Video Relay Service (VRS) User Forum

On April 22 at 8:30 pm ET, the ASL Interpreters Union–OPEIU (ASLIU) and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) will host a first-of-its-kind public forum for users of Video Relay Service (VRS), featuring Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Anna M. Gomez. VRS users will share their experiences and concerns with VRS, an essential service regulated by the FCC and funded by American consumers of telecommunications products.

Why It Matters:

VRS is a system overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing people to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment, rather than through typed text. The April 22 forum for VRS users will be followed by a town hall for VRS interpreters to discuss deteriorating working conditions on April 30. Interpreters and users alike have been speaking out about low pay and inadequate service quality in the industry for years. The two largest providers of VRS, Sorenson and ZP Better Together, have prioritized a profit over people model that has negatively impacted working conditions and service quality. The Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) union is seeking neutrality agreements from both firms allowing interpreters to organize free of management interference.

“For too long, private equity owners have pillaged VRS, extracting enormous profits while users suffer,” said Meg Huseman, an ASL Interpreters Union-OPEIU leader, during a press conference earlier this year. “It’s time we stand up and take action to ensure that we are able to deliver the highest quality service, by ensuring VRS companies and their backers respect interpreters and the communities they serve.”