Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow. Proceedings of a Conference at Gallaudet University (Washington, D.C., September, 1988)

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 316 979 EC 230 035

AUTHOR Harkins, Judith E., Ed.; Virvan, Barbara M., Ed. TITLE Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow. Proceedings of a Conference at Gallaudet University (Washington, D.C., September, 1988). GRI Monograh Series B, No. 2. INSTITUTION Gallaudet Research Inst., Washington, DC. SPONS AGENCY National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC. PUB DATE Jul 89 GRANT G0086C3522 NOTE 236p. AVAILABLE FROMScientific Communications Program, Gallaudet Research Institute, 800 Florida Ave., N.E., Washington, DC 20002 ($15 00). PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) -- Reports - Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE MFO1 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Assistive Devices (for Disabled); *Captions; *Communication Aids (for Disabled); Computers; *Deafness; Demonstration Programs' Electronic Equipment; Microcomputers; Telecommunications; *Telephone Communications Systems IDENTIFIERS *Automatic Speech Recognition; Real Time Captioning; Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf; Telephone Relay Services

ABSTRACT The conference proceedings contains 23 papers on telephone relay service, real-time captioning, and automatic speech recognition, and a glossary. The keynote address, by Representative Major R. Owens, examines 'urrent issues in federal legislation. Other papers have the following titles and authors: "Telephone Relay Service: Rationale and Overview" (Paul Taylor); "Overview of State-Regulated Relay Services" (Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski); "TDD Relay Services Across the United States" (David Baquis); "Recent Federal Activity Regarding Relay Service" (Karen Strauss); "The Process of Establishing State-Mandated Relay Services" (Michael Hurst); "Dual Party Relay Service: An Analysis of Funding Mechanisms" (Pamela Ransom); "California Relay Service" (Phyllis Shapiro); "Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden" (Borje Nilsson); "Opening a World of Communications for Deaf People: Relay Service in Canada" (Robert Tolensky); "Nationwide TDD Relay Standards: Partners in Progess" (Paul Singleton); "Planning for Statewide Relay Services" (Joseph Heil, Jr.); "Captioning for Deaf People: An Historical Overview" (Malcolm Norwood); "Real-Time Captioning: The Current Technology" (Jeff Hutchins); "Real-Time Captioning: Training and Employment" (William Oliver); "Captioning as an Interpretive Medium" (William Cutler); "Real-Time Captioning in Education" (E. Ross Stuckless); "Automatic Speech Recognition: The Basics" (James Glenn); "Applying ASR to Communication between Deaf and Hearing People" (Judith Harkins); "Applications of Speech Recognition Technology in Rehabilitation" (Jared Bernstein); and "Automatic Speech Recognition of Impaired Speech" (Gloria Carlson and Jared Bernstein). (DR) I'

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I (Wed, by ,Judith, j1 Iarkifv, e anaiarbard M. Virvan hrloir)gy Aysu.s.s'Tfil Progidt» N p5 SPEECHTOTEXT: I 176 : TODAYANDTOMORROW el) II I Proceedings of a Conference 1- at Gallaudet University 1 u September, 1988 lc° Edited by Judith E. Harkins and Barbara M. Virvan

111 Technology Assessment Program

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GRI Monograph Series B, No. 2 I Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University

This project received substantial support from the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research I (Cooperative Agreement No. G0086C3522)

0 GRI Publication Series and Periodicals

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RESEARCH AT GALLAUDET is a periodical produced three times annually by the GRI that describes current projects, publications, and events at Gallaudet related to researchon deafness and deaf people. The publication focuses primarily on GRI activities, but also reports on other research projects and presentations taking place at Gallaudet.

A TRADITION OF DISCOVERY: THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GALLAUDET RESEARCH INSTITUTE includes summaries of the Gill's current projects, their respective personnel, collaborators, and funding sources, as well as a report on GRI-sponsored activities and visiting scholars. A portion of the book is devoted to the annual report of the Office of Sponsored Programs, a unit of Graduate Studies and Research which assists campus personnel in seeking extramural funding.

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Scientific Communications Program Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University CoverPhoto: 800 Florida Avenue, N.B. Sheila Conlott-Mentkowski, Washington, D.C. 20002 NorCal Center for Law and the Deaf In Memoriam

The Proceedings of Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow are dedicated to the memory of

MALCOLM NORWOOD, PH.D. March 16, 1927 to March 22, 1989

Mac Norwood, a man of great warmth and understanding, was known by many as the father of closed captioning." He had the vision, dedication, and ability to make closed captioned television a reality, and nurtured its development for the last two decades of his life. Mac served as an advisor, author, and speaker at the Speech to Text conference.It is with gratitude for his help and for his life's work that we dedicate this volume to him.

iii TABLE OF CONTENTS

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DEDICATION page iii

INTRODUCTION page 1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS page 3

KEYNOTE ADDRESS page 5

TELEPHONE RELAY SERVICE page 9

Telephone Relay Service:Rationale and Overview by Paul Taylor page 11 Overview of State-Regulated Relay Services by Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski page 19 TDD Relay Services Across the United States by David Baquis page 25 Recent Federal Activity Regarding Relay Service by Karen Peitz Strauss page 45 The Process of Establishing State-Mandated Relay Services by Michael Hurst page 53 Dual Party Relay Service: An Analysis of Funding Mechanisms by Pamela Ransom page 59 Panel: Financing Models in State Programs Pamela Ransom, Stuart Brackney, Jack Levesque, and Kathy Woods page 73 California Relay Service by Phyllis Shapiro page 85 Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden by Bode Nilsson page 89 Opening a World of Communications for Deaf People: Relay Service in Canada by Robert Tolensky page 101 Nationwide TDD Relay Standards:Partners in Progress by Paul Singleton page 107 Panel: Relay Service Operations Phyllis Shapiro, Bode Nilsson, Robert Tolensky, and Esther Schaeffer page 111 Planning for Statewide Relay Service by Joseph B. Heil, Jr. page 119 More Questions and Answers on Telephone Relay Service page 127 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

REAL-TIME CAPTIONING page 131 Captioning for Deaf People: An Historical Overview by Malcolm Norwood page 133 Real-Time Captioning: The Current Technology by Jeff Hutchins page 139 Real-Time Captioning: Training and Employment by William Oliver page 143 Captioning as an Interpretive Medium by William Cutler page 149 Presentation: Real-Time Captioning in Education b' Ross Stuck less page 153 More iesdons and Answers on Real-time Captioning page 157

AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION page 161 Automatic Speech Recognition: The Basics by James Glenn page 163 Presentation: Applying ASR to Communication between Deaf andHearing People by Judith E. Harkins page 175 Applications of Speech Recognition Technology in Rehabilitation by Jared Bernstein sage 181 Automatic Speech Recognition of Impaired Speech by Gloria Stevens Carlson and Jared Bernstein page 189 More Questions and Answers on Automatic Speech Recognition page 193

GLOSSARY page 195

CONFERENCE SPEAKER LIST page 201

CONFERENCE ExmerroR LIST page 205

CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT LIST page 207

vi INTRODUCTION

IIMNIMMOMMIVIZNYOUSTMAIIMMINVOI Judith E. Harkins*

involves stenography and special computerSysteraF, It is with great pleasure that the Technology Automatic speech recognition technology is cornpletcly Assessment Program (TAP) of the Gallaudet Research separate from both of these two aveas, involving Institute presents the Proceedings of the conference, different companies, scientific centers, and periodical "Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow." This four-day literature.It is no wonder that consumers have a conference, the first of its kind, was heldon the difficult time finding relevant, accurate, and up -to -date campus of Gallaudet University September 27.30, 1988. information. The conference was conducted as part ofa larger, Speech to Text: Toc lay and Tomorrow brought two-year project funded by the National Institute on together experts to provide current information in Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. areas where timeliness is important and the periodical Department of Education.In that project, the TAP literature is meager. The aim of this conference was to explored consumer opinion, policy issues, and business provide an educational program not only for consumer issues related to devices that make use of senses other advocates but also for those outside the realm of than hearing. The project's focus wason devices used hearing impairment who might influence the in daily living by deaf and hard of hearing adults. development of relay service, real -time captioning, and When consulting with deaf and hard of hearing automatic speech recognition. We wanted to provide consumers on needs for new technology, the desire for new and timely information, exhibit the latest produ.cts an automatic printout of the spoken word was raised for hearing impaired people, and permit participantsto again and again, in numerous and sometimes fanciful get to know each other.It is our hope that the applications, by people all over the country. Speech conference served as a springboard for more and recognition technology has clearly captured the better collaboration among participants. imaginations of deaf and hard of hearing people.It Conference planning was ailed by the advice of was also clear that the current burning issues in the nine people who met with the TAP staff at Gallaudet deaf community included telephone relay service and early in 1988 to sup,gest topics and speakers for the captioned television.These technologies, near-term conference.Their names are included in the attempts to fill the need that computers at present Acknowledgments section. The success of the: cannot, have become central to the lives of thousands conference is due in part to their \ery helpful of hearing impaired people who haveaccess to them. participation. These three technologies-telephone relay service, The conference attracted more than 300 people real-time captioning, and automatic speech recognition-- from 37 states and five foreign countries.Represented share the process of converting speech into text form in the audience were consumer organizations, as a substitute for hearing speech.But the three businesses, government, education, and rehabilitation technologies are developed and implemented in agencies. More than one quarter of the participants completely separate arenas. An understanding of relay were from businesses. The 30 speakers came frnm service requires knowledge of the world of such diverse fields as shorthand reporting, operator telecommunications, regulatory bodies, state legislation, services management in the telephone industry, public and the complex process of relayinga call.Captioning utility regulation, community service, consumer

Judith E. Harkins, Ph.D., Conference Chairman, Director, TechnologyAssessment Pmgram, Gal laudet Research Institute

1 Speerb to Text: Today and Tomormw

advocacy, law, engineering, computer science, and timeliness and the dearth of literature on it.Unlike the marketing. Communication at the conferencewas other two topics, relay service has not been the subject enhanced by the use of interpreters, real-time of research in the public domain. captioning, audio loop amplification, and Ffri The conference exhibits provideda glimpse of amplification, The evaluation forms returned by 166 current and near -future products in telecommunications (54%) of the conference participants showedan and captioning. The fourteen companies that exhibited overwhelmingly positive opinion of thecontent and were an excellent representation of the state-of-the-art organization of the conference. in text. based technologies for hearing impaired The content of the conference reflects the state-of- consumers. the-art, with all its positive and negative features.One In addition to the conference papers, the of the functions of the conferencewas to highlight Proceedings include transcripts of the panel discussions problems and gaps in information.It was clear, for and most of the question and answer sessions which example, in the relay service segment that few followed speakers' presentations.These segments of evaluation studies have been conducted in thearea of the Proceedings are made available thanks to the real- relay services, that little is known aboutproper training time captioning rocess, which enabled capturing the procedures, and that certain legal and ethicalissues information on disk. A few of the questionswere not remain unresolved.In real-time captioning the cost of decipherable and were excluded. The questioner's the services is prohibitive formany uses of the name is identified where this information was available. technology and, again, evaluation is Inc:kingso that the To assist readers in understanding the content of providers of services might be guided bymore the Proceedings, a glossary of terms used in telephone information about consumer preference and need. relay service, real-time captioning, and automatic Relay service was given more time andattention in speech recognition is included. A list of conference both the program and the conferenceProceedings, speakers, participants, and exhibitors is also provided This emphasis was chosen because of thetopic's at the back of the Proceedings. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The success of the Speech to Text: Today and. Kurzweil Applied Intelligence for demonstrating Tomorrow conference was due in large measure to the its Voice Works system. efforts of many individuals who gave their time and energy to the project.Carl Jense raa chaired the Ultratec, Inc fur lending TDDs ror participants section of the program on real-time captioning and to use during the conference. arranged for the captioning services.Barbara Virvan coordinated all aspects of the conference and co-edited Fe lle-nctorf Associates, Inc. for lending FM the Proceedings.She and Vicki Darnell deserve most receiver units. of the credit for the smooth operation of the conference.Ellie Korres and Kurt Metz assisted in a Sony USA for lending a Sony RGV hundred ways-from mailing list development to videoprojcctor. notifying speakers that their time was up. Our many speakers and authors contributed their Special thanks to our program advisors: Pam knowledge and wrote an excellent set of papers. We Ransom of the Chicago Hearing Society; Paul Taylor of are most grateful to Congressman Major Owens for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf; Sheila giving a stirring keynote address that set the tone for Conlon- Mentkowski of the Nor Cal Center for Law and the conference. Thanks, too, to Gallaudet President I. the Deaf; Jeff Hutchins of American Data Captioning, King Jordan for taking the time out of his busy Inc.; Alfred Sonnenstrahl of Telecommunications for the schedule to give the welcoming remarks. Deaf, Inc.; E. Ross Stuckless of the National Technical We deeply appreciate the support ofour sponsors: Institute for the Deaf; Joseph Heil, private consultant; Paul Singleton of the National Association of the Deaf; The National Institute on Disability and and Malcolm Norwood, retired from the U.S. Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Department of Education. Education, for a grant making the conference We also thank the many Gallaudet faculty and staff possible.Special thanks are due to our project members who assisted with the conference, especially officer, 1)r. Richard Johnson. Michael Karchmer, dean of Graduate Studies and Research.Special thanks to:Fred Brandt, Ed Corbett, AT&T for sponsoring a reception. Sally Dunn, Sue Ellis, Lolly Gilbert, Peter Goodman, Jeff Grandel, and Leslie Proctor.Sincere thanks also to: Bell Atlantic for sponsoring one day of real-time Da%id Athey; Mike Baer; Ves Bennett; Yvonne Brinkley; captioning. Kevin Cole; Shawn Davies; Robert Davila; Charles Drawdy; John Edmond; Herb Emerson; Mickey Fields; American Data Captioning, Inc. for sponsoringa Peter Francis; Gerri Frank; Mal Grossinger; Sue 'lotto; portion of the real-time captioning. Vanessa Isua; Robert C. Johnson; Harriet Kai. "an; Brenda Keller; Fred Kendrick; Susan King; Er Ica. Xscribe Corporation for its donation in support Levenhagen; Chuck Mann; Wylie Myers; Mary Ann of real-time captioning. Pugin; Gail Ries; Gary Robey; Sue Russell; Mary Louise Scarisfield; Lou Vinner; Donna Wells; Debbie Wheeler; HIM, Inc. for demonstrating its Tangora speech and Cheryl Wu. recognition system. r S.

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Major R. auens, 77-, us, House ofRepresentatives .111 MS MI

11 KEYNOTE ADDRESS

4111=1111=11111111L The Honorable Major Owens*

Icame here this morning from a breakfast meeting at asleep, the Gallaudet students have been very much the Willard Hotel. A summit conference sponsored by alive and vigilant about matters that concern their own Fortune magazine is being held, a summit conference destiny. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, on education. Only in America could you go from a Thomas Jeff. gson said. Maybe some of the history summit conference sponsored by Fortune magazine scholars will straighten it out: The price of liberty is with some of the heads of the largest corporations in eternal vigilance; the price of progress is eternal America, to the site of the revolutionary uprising at vigilance; the price of progress is continued vigilance; Gallaudet University.That kind of fifteen-minute ride is the price of progress is continued citizen participation. certainly, I think, only possible in America. You must be involved if you are going to make things The television and radio comtnentators used to love happen. That is the first and most important to refer to Gallaudet and describe Gallaudet University consideration that anybody who wants to promote with a chuckle and say, "That's the home of the change or wants to receive justice in our society must [football] huddle." The football huddle was invented at be concerned with. Gallaudet, and that was the way they described it You are at this conference to discuss matters which before we had the uprising [in March, 1988]. And are very much within reach in terms of the then all of America listened as students proclaimed that technologies availab.,e.It needs to be perfected in their domands were not negotiable, that they were some cases, and it ;weds to be mass-produced in other ready to fail their exams or be expelled in order to cases. We could have captioned television.That is no have the right to determine their own destiny and to impossibility. We could have it without any great have greater participation by the people who are being astronomical cost.;. We could have many kinds of new served by Gallaudet. After that image was projected, I devices to assist hearing impaired persons.It is all think Gallaudet became the home of the huddle and within our reach. We could have TDD relays on a the home of the brave! statewide basis. on a national basis.All of these things It's a time when mcst other American college are possible, avid they do not really cost that tfittch in students seem to be asleep, and in no way are the final anal.sis. participating in the vital political decisions that Our greatest problem, however. is the problem of determine their destiny.[They don't seem] concerned perception. There are so many Americans--and many about what is going on in government and what of them are legislators, many of them arc congressmen- - decisions are being made by people who arc in charge who are, n the final analysis, mean-spirited.There are of society in general, and education in particular--the so many Americans who arc short-sighted and do not people who are making it more difficult to go to understand that generosity, with respect to human college because they have cut of grant programs and beings, is a great investment in our society.Generosity, have made loan programs more difficult.Those with respect to helping those who need help most, students are asleep. At a time when they all seem always returns a great dividend. When we help those

*The Honorable Major Owens (U -NY), Chair.nan,subcommittee on Scloct Education, Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives Speecb to Text:. Today and Tomorrow who need extra help, we enable them to produce more understand the need forone device or another, for society, to make a contributionthat they would not beyond that which we do so well, I think people otherwise make. So the with return is always worth the disabilities have learned since I have becomethe investment. There are people who don'tunderstand chairman of this committee thatyou have a good this. reputation for doing your homework and I am proud of the fact that I doing it am a sponsor of the thoroughly. The report of the Commissionon the Americans with Disabilities Act.I think it is a Education of the Deaf, for example, isone of the best revolutionary Act.It is going to be the Act which of its kind OW I haveever seen. The Commission on carries us the last mile over the mountaintop with the Education of the Deafreport with its respect to the rights of Americans with disabilities. It recommendations are as thorough,as well worked out, is going to be the Act whichbrings together all of the as clear and precise as any set of recommendations by other progressive legislation thatwe have been able to any similar commission that I have seen, and I have get passed, and build on it. We have a firm seen a lot of reports by commissions.I think the foundation. We can be proud of the fact that our Americans with Disabilities Act reflects thepoints that legislators, our congressmen in thepast, and our were laid out in the report by the Commission presidents have been on the very generous. We have Education of the Deaf. The Act picksup the legislation and we have programs in America unlike any recommendations and makes them feasible interms of in other countries. We havea lot to be proud of, but law. So the homework has been done building on this is what very well. We we arl doing with this have a piece of legislation which isa superior piece of legislation. We are going beyc1 compassion. Weare legislation, very thorough, very well worked going all the way to out. We empowermt. have experts behind that, andwe have your energy Empowerment ineans thatyou do the most for behind that, your activity. and all things people when you put them are in nlace to in a position to make their make it happen.All things are there except the own decisions, when you put them in a position to political environment must be made ready.We must wrestle through the hard choices ofhow to take care become vigilant. of themselves. The Americanswith Disabilities Act will I would like to define "politician." place the authority and the I am here as a power of the United States politician, and I make no apologiesabout that. government behind all people with disabilities I and, would like to take the grittypart away from the combined with theirenergy and their own activity, dPfinition, and define politician. A make them the kind of force politician is one in our society that will who is in charge of vigilance,one who guides people enable them to do therest. and helps them be more vigilant, helpsthem be There are 35 million people withdisabilities of one participants in a process. We have kind or another in America. to understand that Thirty-five million people in order to overcome the mean-spiritednessof those don't have to beg ina democracy.I am here today, I hope 'tau understand, Americans--those people in the Congress andthe not to talk about the details of Administration who look atevery bill and insist that the knericans with DisabilitiesAct, not to talk at out because we have a deficit we should the details of what this conference not take any will deal with. You necessary new step that costs money unless it is in the are butter prepared to deal with those details-- discuss area of defense. They are saying that the problem with the research, discuss the advancesin technology--than I our deficit is the social programs, programswhether am.I am here to talk about thepolitical environment health or education programs--that in which you have to help people. They operate to bring to realization all are the reasons we have such a great deficit.I won't of the things that oughtto be and could be in our drag you into that debate at this point. society, to bring to fruition the national I won't tell programs with you why we have the deficit, but thereare people who respect to television broadcasting,to bring to fruition say this, and in the process of this debate, dismiss manufacturing arrangements which will allow us to every new program or every new step forward,every have certain devices availableat very low costs, to progressive move as being bring to fruition the kind of too costly.So what you counseling and technical have with respect to relay service withtelephone systems available for all people withdisabilities- -the communication throughout the nation, what deaf among them. we have in terms of real-time captioning, automatic speech In order to make it happen, we must all understand recognition, even the research that has that beyond technology, beyond to be being able to be completed on that, are people whosay it is too costly. advocates among ourown group and make everyone

6 13 Keynote Address

On the one hand, we have unlimited amounts of In order to drive home our message, we need to money to spend when it comes time to promote think of having started something, having put in motion research for Star Warsthat defense in the heavens a process that is gaining momentum; and that which is going to stop rockets from landing on us from momentum continues because not only did we some outside power: the Soviet Union. That is not introduce the bill for the Americans with Disabilities feasible research.It is way, way off in the distance. Act but we appointed a task force on the Many scientists say it is impossible, yet we have a blank empowerment of Americans with disabilities.That task check. There are unlimiteo funds available to promote force, headed by Justin Dart, is using the Amer'cans that kind of research. The people .vho say that we with Disabilities Act as its first line of communication, have a deficit and we can do nothing else in the area because that Act is so thorough and comprehensive, so of helping with communications for deaf people or they can go out and talk about bringing together all of programs for disabled people in general, the same the people who have disabilities under one umbrella. people will spend that unlimited amount of money. What we are doing, starting with Gallaudet and the We have to understand, and we have to get our uprising at Gallaudet and proceeding to the Americans minds together and understand that this is not an with Disabilities Act, is making a movement. That is economic problem when the people say there is not what it is:a movement. In the Americans with enough money. This is not about mathematics or Disabilities Act, we give good cause for all the people arithmetic. The problem is the problem of the wrong- with disabilities to come together.If you don't think it thinking.It is a political problem. They don't think it is important, if you think the deaf can go their way and is worth it to spend the money on the communications the blind can go their way and those with mental systems that you need. They don't think it's important, disabilities can go their way and we can achieve those and they never will believe it's important unless the things that matter to each one of the groups people who benefit from it make_ them understand that individually - -if you think that is possible, I am here as a it's important. politician to tell you that is not possible. Never would they understand, the people who are In the America of 1988, you must have what we call the Trustees - -and God bless them, because I don't a critical mass.I'm sure some of you are physics think Gallaudet would exist if the Trustees of the teachers, and you know what I am talking about and people who had been in charge for so many years had you can explain to the others in more detail. You not believed what they were doing.Surely, up to a must have enough people moving fast enough to make point, they ought to be commended, but it took a an impression on our very fast-moving society.It is revolution at Gallaudet for them to understand that hard to have the people who are making decisions there are some things that are more important.I am focus on one set of goals for one group. You have to sure there were discussions.I am sure there were make them focus. You must have enough momentum. debates. Without an uprising to make them fully You must have enough numbers, and 35 million - -all of understand by the people who benefitted most, it the people with disabilities - -is a far better critical mass would have never happened. than separation of one group for the deaf and one What I am saying is in the case of the Americans group for the blind, etc. Bringing everyone together with Disabilities Act and all the benefits that flow from and having a critical mass, creating a momentum, that's that, and the kind of money that is needed for all the what I am here to talk about. programs that are needed for a mass -scale While in the process of maintaining that vigilance, communications systems to assist the deaf:It will that continued participation that's necessary, you have never happen unless we make it happen.It will never become a force to be reckoned with--a movement. happen unless you understand the political Justin Dart and the task force on empowerment are environment.It will never happen unless you helping to create a mo.,ement. Justin often refers to understand that there is a momentum in motion now. the movement as being parallel to a civil rights You have started something. The uprising at Gallaudet- movement.I submit to you that the civil rights -I may be exaggerating when I use the term "uprising," movement never had 35 million to begin with, and but I deliberately use it.I want you to think of it in even now there are not 35 million who stand to those terms and I want histo:.y to think of it in those benefit from the details of the civil rights movement. terms. When people talk about Americans with Thirty-five million is a much broader political base to disabilities, they are now talking in terms of "before start with, much larger numbers, and the 35 million Gallaudet" and "after Gallaudet." That's the historic Americans with disabilities live throughout the entire landmark.I think it is that important. United Stees.There are people with disabilities in

4 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow every Congressional district.There are certainly people wasn't a lot of money, I assure you) was a legitimate in every state,There are people with disabilities in expenditure. We had to write memos, raise our voices, every agency and in every walk of life every church, and finally it got paid.That's where we are. every denomination - -all over there are people with In order to get from here to the point where we disabilities.They must move to focus and come will be able to legislate captioning for the together. Congressional delberations, a national system where People with disabilities must understand the television sets are mandated to be manufactured in a necessity of asserting themselves and their point of way to allow decoding--all the things you want on a view in order to make happen the things that you want mass basis require Congressional action-we have a lot to see happen in this conference. The things you are of hard work to do. That is vigilance.That is going to talk about as being possible are participation.That is the making of a movement. technologically possible and physically possible, but I hope you understand.I hope you understand they won't happen until they are made politically that all of these things are so wry possible.All of possible. them would not only not cost our society anything Your job is to make them understand, to make it new.It would be an investment which would pay politically possible. You have a second agenda every back our society, but getting our decision makers to one of you, regardless of what your specialty is or understand this is a difficult job.That's the job you where you come from. Every one of you has a will have to do. You have to understand there is a requirement to get involved in this movement of section of the Bible that says that the birds have nests disabilities. You must promote the movement. You in the trees and the foxes have holes in the ground but must understand that the movement is as much a the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.I have necessity as anything you have ever done in your life. interpreted this as being the son of man. Mankind has If you want to know how far behind we are, letme dominion over everything, yet cannot organize the give you this example, My committee had hearings, resources to take care of their own, to be generous and people who were deaf testified at those hearings. enough to take care of everyone. Naturally, my staff director and other people onmy It is a question of organization.It is a question of staff immediately made arrangements to have mind-set.It is a question of morality in all the highest interpreters there, and we had interpreters there. We sense, of being concerned.It really doesn't cost had the money in our budget, and our committee is anything.It is only the people who are mean-spirited supposed to make decisions about how to spend and narrow-minded who insist it costs a lot.They are money legitimately. Any money spent legitimately, we the ones who have to be shaken loose. You have to are supposed to sign it, and it goes through. Do you hit them and hit them hard to make them understand. know when we sent the bill for the interpreters Unfortunately, that's the way it is.It is the price of through for processing they questioned the legitimacy progress. The price of survival is eternal vigilance. of having interpreters at the hearing? They said that it The price of survival for us is eternal participation, was not a legitimate authorized expenditure.It wasn't continued participation.In order to make the things my committee that questioned it.It was the House of happen that we want to make happen, we must create Representatives Ac:ministration Committee. They said a movement. Gallaudet has begun. After Gallaudet, no. They sent it back. We don't pay for this kind of let's not go to sleep.Let the movement go forward. thing.that is where we are, ladies and gentlemen. Let's pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, and you It's a Neanderthal setting that we are in.The will find that all other problems will be easily solved promoters of the American disabilities bili-people who after that. are very knowledgeable of what is going on in the 'Thank you very much. world-couldn't understand that a simple bill (and it

8 15 Section I

TELEPHONERELAY SERVICE

Judith E. Harkins, Ph.D. Session Chair

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Paul Taylor, National Technical Institute for the Deaf ...... , AO.

17 TELEPHONE RELAY SERVICE: RATIONALE AND OVERVIEW

Paul L. Taylor*

What is a Telephone Relay Service? $200 electronic TDD just for the sake of calling hearing/speech impaired individuals.Furthermore, A telephone relay service provides the best only a fraction of the total hearing impaired population accessibility to the general telephone network for possess TDDs. These TDD owners use the TDD mainly people who are unable to use the telephone due to to stay in touch with one another and to foster a hearing or speech impairments. The service has as a community kinship which is often referred to as the central point a qualified operator or attendant who deaf culture.However, the hearing impaired person's "relays" telephone conversations between anyone on use of TDDs does not generally extend beyond the the general telephone network and hearing/speech deaf culture into the working world, where many suffer impaired people who use telecommunication devices from underemployment and lack of job opportunities for the deaf (TDDs). Although the TDDs are due to the inaccessibility of the general telephone connected on the general telephone network via network. modems, the fact that few hearing individuals have The significant benefits of a telephone relay service TDDs precludes the hearing impaired users from are quite obvious. To the hearing/speech impaired unassisted telephone conversations with the general person, these benefits transcend mere accessibility to public. the network.For the first time, users of the relay The operator or attendant in a telephone relay service sense a new freedom and independence that service has two independent telephone lines. One brings them closer to the "real" world.For example, connects the operator to the hearing/speech impaired they can, all by themselves, perform a function that person who has a TDD at his or her end; the other most people take for granted-the simple ordering of a one connects the operator to anyone on the voice pepperoni and sweet pepper pizza to be delivered to network. The operator also has a TDD which is their home. No longer will they need to rely on compatible with the hearing/speech impaired person's someone in their immediate vicinity to place the order, TDD. During the relaying process, the operator speaks and, maybe more importantly, they will not need to on the other line what is read from the TDD and, in explain away such caloric binges! turn, the operator types on the TDD spoken v .)rds to be read by the hearing/speech impaired person.This nearsimultaneous relaying of conversation is, under the Rationale for Telephone Relay Services present technology, the closest the hearing/speech impaired individual can come to accessing the full Without thirdparty intervention, it is impossible for telephone network. hearing impaired people to access the regular Ideally, the ownership and use of TDDs by the telephone network. Even though some of these general public would obviate the need for telephone hearing impaired people may have good residual relay services.However, it would be most unrealistic hearing and auditory training in the use of the to expect 245 million Americans to purchase a $150- telephone, the wide

Paul Taylor, Associate Professor, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, One Lomb Memorial Drive, P.O. Box 9887, Rochester, NY 14623 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

variation of speech qualities among the millions of A deaf high schoolteenager can call her hearing people on the network (suchas tone, accent, friends for help on schoolwork. enunciation, inflection, andmanner, to name a few) presents formidable obstacles to a clear understanding Relay service increases the desireto succeed of conversation taking placeover the phone. A telephone relay service rendersthat third-party A computer operator teephones clients intervention as unobtrusively and invisiblyas possible. regarding their program status. A faceless and namelessoperator relaying the call back and forth confirms the hearing impaired caller the A technician on the road telephonesthe office confidentiality of the conversation takingplace.In to check on availability of parts. addition, the hearing impaired caller neednot be concerned with the operator's judgmentof the A self-employed carpenter telephones conversation, however candid customers or private it may be. ahead of time to avoid wasted tripsto their Examples of how relay servicesmay help hearing homes. impaired persons are listed below: A dentist consults patients withoutgoing through Relay service increases freedom. . the receptionist. Calling the racquetball club to reserve a court. Relay service is for hearing people,too . Ordering a prescription refill at the drugstore so Businesses can hound deaf people who havenot it can be delivered. paid their bills. Reserving box office tickets at the theater for an Hearing people don't haveto buy a TDD the interpreted performance, first day they meet a deafperson they may want to call. Calling about an ad in thepaper. The funeral director needsto call the deaf Relay service increases privacy.. brother of the deceased.

Need some clarification from theIRS on an item A teacher needs to call her pupil's on the income tax return form. deaf parent about a classroom behavioralconcern.

Calling the doctor's office for resultson a blood A study conducted by the Gallaudet test. Research Institute in 1986 found that people withhearing and speech impairments reported making A concerned deaf and receiving only parent calls the financial aid one-fourth to one-third of callsreported as made or office to straighten out hisor her child's tuition received by people with mobility payment. impairments or blindness.Relay service is nota welfare or social service.It is part of the universal service Relay service increases independence concept of ... the Telecommunications Act of 1934.A disability is not the same as a handicap. A handicap No more asking your is created by son to stop his football barriers in the environment that forcea disabled playing for a few minutesto make a call for you. person to function differently from others. The telephone used to bea societal barrier to hearing Secretaries at work are not burdened with impaired people in California.It is no longer. making extra calls for deaf workerswhich adds to the workload. Historical Development and PresentAvailability Young guys don't haveto ask their mother to call a girl for a date. The first relay service probably originatedaround 1966 with the three well-knowndevelopers of the

12 19 Telephone Relay Service: Rationale and Overview

Weitbrecht modem in California. Andrew Saks, James The first statewide relay service managed by Marsters, and R.H. Weitbrecht arranged for their own professionals (in contrast to the numerous volunteer relay services in the Bay Area when the number of agencies) was implemented in January, 1987, in TDD users was fewer than the fingers on one's hands. Woodland Hills, California, to serve all telephone At that time, the telecommunication devices were World customers in the state.The concept of a professionally War II surplus teletypewriters weighing some 60 run relay service was initiated by the California pounds and not unlike the large and cumbersome early Association of the Deaf (CAD) in 1983 when it became IBM electric typewriter.However, the TDD network apparent that surplus funds resulting from a grew rapidly immediately afterwards as more surplus state-mandated TDD distribution program could be machines were donated to the deaf community by used for relay services. CAD successfully lobbied for Western Union and AT&T. an amendment to the TDD distribution bill which was The first known telephone relay service to serve a passed in 1980. The amendment empowered the core of some 20 deaf families was set up in a private Public Utility Commission to solicit bids from telephone telephone answering and wake-up service in St. Louis, companies which may be interested in operating a Missouri, in 1969.It was quickly dropped some six statewide telephone relay service. months later since neither the answering service nor Needless to say, such exciting news spilled over the deaf consumers had anticipated the prodigious into many states.Due to intensive lobbying by various amounts of time required to provide relay services. organizations of deaf people, some 24 states have The consumers could not provide the necessary either established relay services or are currently in the additional funds to compensate the operators. The process of legislation.Leading states with operating relay service was resurrected some three years later relay services are Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, New when a volunteer organization offered services which, York, Illinois (projected March, 1989), Utah, Oklahoma, even to this day, have been woefully inadequate in Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia, and Alabama (projected meeting the telephone needs of the hearing impaired April, 1989).Each statewide relay service has its population in at. Louis. unique organization and funding methods which will Similar stories repeated themselves across the nation be detailed elsewhere. during the 1970s.Presently, there are uncounted The California model serves to depict a statewide hundreds of small, volunteer or minimum wage relay facility size and call volume, as it is the oldest operators positions attempting to answer thousands of running statewide relay service in the U.S.It started in relay requests. Most attempted calls are blocked ana a single rnulti -story building with about 135 operators go unanswered. The result is intense frustration and anc' managerial staff in January, 1987.Its annual resignation among the hearing impaired community. budget was set at soma. $14 million.Today, the facility Many have given up the idea of using relay services, has nearly doubled the size of its operations staff and and simply resort to their friends or family to place has spilled over into a second adjoining building.Its telephone calls.Hearing impaired people have found it current budget is over $30 million, including additional nearly impossible to make confidential or sensitive state appropriations. The additional appropriations phone calls. were needed because the maximum surcharge the state Surprisingly, many of the relay service organizations would allow on each Californian's telephone bill was that were set up in the 1970s have managed to struggle not sufficient to cover both the relay service operations and survive to this day.For example, the Hi-Line Relay and the TDD distribution program.It is estimated that Service of Rochester, New York, handled 163,497 calls each relay call service cost $6 based on more than during 1987 with only four operator positions. The 200,000 calls currently handled per month. There was blockage rate (percent of callers receiving busy lines) no indication as to blockage rate; however, some of 30% was quite high.During the earlier years, the consumers have indicated that it has increased due to blockage rate at the Hi-Line was even higher; many the intense popularity of the relay services. The New people just gave up on Hi-Line during 1987 and those York State Relay Service contractor (AT&T), in an who called Hi-Line did so out of some: measure of attempt to derive operating anbudgetary figures from desperation.In comparison, the New York State Relay demographic data on hearing impaired persons in New Service, which began operations January 1, 1989, York, used the California call volumes, as they proved allows a blockage rate of only 1%, which is the same as more valid for purposes of projecting costs. AT&T for operator assistance on the regular telephone simply reduced the figures by about one-quarter to network. correspond to the respective populations of California (26 million) and New York (18 million). Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Organizational Structures economics will dictate the type of organizationto provide telephone relay service. Andthose economic Relay services throughout the United States have considerations should include factors whichare demonstrated a remarkable variety oforganizational difficult to quantify, such structures. as the price of reliability and In New York City, there isa blind man long-term stability.The bottom line is full telephone who cheerfully provides relayservices in his apartment accessibility. at any hour to anyone whorequests it.His remuneration for services is simplythe fact that he feels useful in today's society.In Rochester, New York, Initiators of Relay Services a housewife with two small children providesa private relay service in her home for some 20 customers for a Who starts a relay service? Whois behind the modest fee; however, her hours are understandably political process which eventually leadsto the limited and her customers need to plan their calls establishment of a relay service? Basedon 20 years of around those hours. Thesetwo relay centers are as constant contact with the telecommunications field, this basic as services can be. author is exceedingly proudto say that such origins On a progressively larger scale, relay centers such as and constant proddingcome from the deaf community. St. Louis CONTACT and Rochester HiLine provide This is a remarkable family which constantlylooks for multioperator services with limitedtraining programs. ways to overcome barriers thrust upon them by their They must seek funds each year from various inability to hear.Their primary objective is simply eleemosynary institutions, private to donations, and very lessen their isolation from therest of the world and to limited vocational rehabilitation funding. work for their own support andindependence. As an Next on the scale is the VirginiaRelay Service, example, the first modem, which made which recently started it possible for to provide relay services asan obsolete yet perfectly serviceableteletypewriters to be outgrowth of the National CrisisCenter for the Deaf linked on the regular telephone network, (NCCD). Its projected budget for was built by 1989.1990 is a profoundly deaf astronomer, Rob( 3 H. Weitbrecht, $866,170, which will be derived from in many the early 1960s.His modem was }Atilt years before the independent sources including some state funding, famous Carterphone courtcase, which eventually paved revenue proposals to city and county governments, the way for direct telephoneinstallation of nonvoice contributions from telephone companies, employee equipment. Weitbrecht's modem includeda patented donation campaigns, direct mailcampaigns, foundation antiecho design which made it possible and United Way grants, private to send two donations and distinct audible signals only 400 HZapart.Thus, the endowments, and a dance marathon.The Virginia Baudot code as generated by Relay Service has published these teletypewriters was brochures to acquaintnew sent over the regular telephone networkas if R2D2 and consumers and training and operations manuals C3PO were talking to each other in themovie "Star including a policyon confidentiality. Another example Wars." of a similarly organized and funded relay service is In 1983, as a result of intense lobbyingby the Telecommunications Exchange for theDeaf, Inc. California Association of the Deaf, the (TED1), which serves residents California state of Washington, D.C., legislature agreed to authorize the Public and adjoining areas in Virginia Utility and Maryland. Commission (PUC) to investigate the possibility of Finally, we have the statewide relayservices that establishing a statewide telephone relay have been established either by system. On the state legislatureor January 1, 1987, AT&T, as contracted by the by the state's Public Service/Utility PUC, Commission. These started the nation's first statewide relayservice for all centers are large and funded usually inexcess of one telephone subscribers residing million dollars per in California. year. The methods of funding these In an adjoining state,on April 9, 1985, Governor relay services are dictated by the authorizing body and Bruce Babbitt of Arizona signed into lawa bill which, usually do not include thesolicitation methods in part, would provide fora statewide relay service.In prevalent among the smaller relayservices. The contrast to California, the Arizona Relay Service statewide relay centers was are structured not unlike that of contracted to the Arizona Council forthe Hearing a business which includes, for example, management, Impaired (ACHI) by the state, without thedirect operations, training, public relations,accounting, and participation of the state's Public Utility maintenance staff. Commission. ACIII then subcontracted for telephone As long as the consumer's various expertise and needs are met, installations, hired a managerial staff andoperators,

14 221 Telephone Relay Service; Rationale and Overview and began relay services on March 13, 1988. The General tax revenues.State departments dealing ripple effect from California continues through the with human services (Departments of Vocational nearly adjoining state of Washington where a Rehabilitation, Commissions for the Deaf, contractor for the relay service is now being sought. Departments of Social and Health Services, etc.) The statewide relay services of California, Arizona, allocate funds from their budgets to a contractor for and Washington were created as a result of state the creation and operation of a statewide telephone legislative action. A novel approach toward the relay service. The amounts may result from an establishment of a statewide relay service without the increase in appropriations or a shift in priorities involvement of the state legislature began in New York within the department. Funds may wholly fund the in 1984. The New York Public Service Commission relay system or supplement private sources of (NYPSC) solicited letters from interested parties; the income. Connecticut, Texas, Kansas, Massachusetts, result was an outpouring of support for a statewide South Dakota, Maryland, and Wisconsin are relay service.Next, the NYPSC conducted recorded examples hearings in New York City, Rochester, and Albany in which over 100 people gave testimony for full Surcharges applied to telephone subscribers.This telephone accessibility. Armed with such testimony, method of funding requires legislative and PUC/PSC the NYPSC moved under its own authority to create a intervention and control. Amounts vary from three committee of telephone company representatives, to ten cents monthly. Revenues derived from the NYPSC staff, and representatives of the hearing surcharges fund the creation and operation of a impaired community to study the creation, funding, and relay service and/or the distributioi. of TDDs among operation of a statewide telephone relay service.After qualified applicants.California, Illinois, Alabama, the committee reported its findings, a formal Oregon, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Nevada, and memorandum authorizing the establishment of a Minnesota are examples. Revenues are disbursed to statewide relay service was generated and unanimously the relay service contractor, which may be a state approved by the seven commissioners of the NYPSC. agency, a telephone company, a nonprofit agency, The statewide relay service went into operation on etc. January 1, 1989 and is operated by AT&T as the primary contractor along similar organizational lines as As a normal operating expense of the telephone that of ale California Relay Service. company. New York is the only state that, as of The initiating of a statewide relay service may this writing, uses this method of funding. The New require different strategies. Advocates in other states York State Telephone Association, which represents may have initiated the process somewhat differently all 41 local telephone companies in the state, will from that of California, Arizona, Washington, or New draw funds from their normal operating expense York, but the desired end result is similar:the budgets according to each company's number of establishment of a statewide telephone relay service to access lines. The opinion of the New York State meet the hearing impaired person's need for full Public Service Commission is that the relay service telephone accessibility. is an integral part of telephone service for hearing impaired telephone customers and, hence, must be treated as a utility maintenance item for essential Funding Mechanisms operation of the telephone network.Subsequently, the telephone companies will have every right to Funding mechanisms adopted by the states that are request a rate increase from the PSC to cover their either planning or implementing relay systems may be increased normal operating expenses.In this classified into the following forms: manner, they can maintain the stockholder's return on equity. Specific tax revenues. Drawing from the tax base a specified amount usually determined by the bill as The funding methods described above are quite adopted by the legislature, for all expenses diverse.Each state has had to devise a method that is associated with the creation and operation of a politically acceptable and yet at the same time try to statewide telephone relay system. Arizona and provide a satisfactory relay service that could alleviate Washington employ this means of funding their relay the frustrations resulting from 'ack of full telephone systems. accessibility.Each method has advantages and disadvantages, doubtless, but because of the infancy of

15 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

the statewide relay service, further elaborationis Service. The New York State Public Service difficult. Commission, in its memorandum establishing the Whether the telephone relay service is lookedupon statewide relay service, has stipulated thatan advisory as an utility component of the telephone or asa social board be composed of representatives of the telephone serv*:ce will ultimately determine its funding.Ir would companies and the hearing impaired community. The be reasonable to assume thatover the years into the board is to advise the contractor (now AT&T)on all 19901 funding methods in each state will inevitably phases of the relay service design, especially service change with experience and with lessons learnedfrom standards and the establishment ofa feedba other states. mechanism. Very little information is known regarding evaluation mechanisms in other states. Service standards developed in large relay services Evaluation Procedures are quite detailed and will not be mentioned here. A sampling of the most significant items, accordingto Developing standards of satisfactory relay service comments from many consumers are: operation against which the contractor of suchservices may be evaluated is of paamount concern to relay Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week service consumers.Historically, such concerns stern service. from the fact that over the decades, hearingimpaired people have not received satisfactoryservices from Acceptable typing speed and spelling ability. many organizations and agencies. These organizations had every intention of providing services, but were not ra Identification of operators by number rather able to do so due to a lack of feedbackmechanisms than name. whereby hearing impairedconsumers could provide input and guidance toward the developmentof No judgments in relaying calls except when the services.In short, these organizations%ere managed operator himself is threatened or abused. by hearing people who assumed knowledgeof the needs and problems of hearing impairedpeople. w Reasonable ability to read American Sign. Experience proved many of these well-meaningpeople Language as presented in text. wrong; fortunately, in the last 20 yearsa significant trend has emerged wheremore and more hearing Very low blockage rate. impaired people have assumed leadershippositions in various organizations and educationalinstitutions. The Strict adherence to a confidentiality policy. end result today is a much improved anda more receptive assortment of educational and service Pll Operators inform the consumer of phone status programs.It is only fair that'presentatives of the such as dial tone, ringing, etc. rather than hearing impaired community be includedin defining maintain a king period of silence. quality and service standards andto provide feedback on current services.The extent of involvement by No limit on number or length of calls. hearing impaired people in the design,implementation, funding, and operational aspects of the relayservices Charges based only on point-to-point distance. has been spotty and sporadic. Thoserelay services operated by human service organizationswhich are managed in part by hearing impairedpeople probably Intrastate versus Interstate Relay Services are the most receptive to consumer feedback. They have developed detailed standardsof service based on Ironically, the subject of intrastate versus interstate years of experience in working with hearing impaired relay services surfaced when the California Relay persons. However, in states such as California and Service began operations in 1987.During all those New York, where relay servicesare operated by AT&T, years leading up to the start-up date, placing measures to include representatives from the hearing long-distance calls was never a problem with the small, impaired community are being taken.California asked privately operated relay services.Calls were billed to a deaf man to serve on the Deaf Equipment Acquisition the originator's phone number. Since the Public Utility Fund (D.E.A.F.), which funds theCalifornia Relay Commission of California could not determinea billing Telephone Relay Service: Rationale and Overview system for out-o.7-state calls, the statewide relay service FCC, to issue a report on interstate relay servicee 120 has been strictly limited to intrastate calls.The billing days after passage.Hearings on the bill were held on system involving interstate carriers is a complex Capitol Hill last Jane with Senator Daniel Inouye arrangement which is regulated by the Federal presiding. A companion version of the bill, li.R 4992, Communications Commission (FCC). has been introduced by Congressman Steve Gunderson, The New York statewide relay service provides with Congressman Major Owens as one of the co- limited interstate call services.Calls must originate sponsors. from New York. The problem of interstate calls exists only where the PUC/PSC of any state has the responsibility of providing the statewide relay services. The Future, of Telephone Relay Service Other statewide relay services which are operated by agencies with monies derived from tax revenues (as Despite the wide diversity of telephone relay service opposed to surcharges or telephone operating funding and organizational methods, the futurc for expenses) are able to provide interstate services, as the effective relay services appears very bright, indeed. calls are billed to the originator or the recipient on a Perhaps the best indicators could be found in the collect basis. sheer volume and support of the written comments The FCC recently issued a Notice of Inquiry submitted to the FCC last June.Nearly all comments soliciting comments on interstate relay ,ervices.After supported the idea of a relay service as a means of its deadline of June 25, 1988, some 500 pages of achieving full telephone accessibility for hearing comments were made available for public review. impaired people.It is only a matter of time before all Thirteen organizations representing hearing impaired 50 states will have adequate relay services, and full persons and telephone companies responded in strong interstate relay services will be a reality for everyone. affirmative tones that the capability for relay services to No one knows for certain how policy will develop, make interstate calls is crucial for full telephone but here are some predictions:Organizational and accessibility among hearing impaired people. However, funding methods for each intrastate relay service will differences of opinion were evident on methods of remain dissimilar for a long time. Interstate relay operation and funding. A Further Notice of Inquiry services most likely will be provided by inter-LATA or (FNOI), which had a deadline of August 26, 1988, interstate carriers through a contractor; some means allowed the public to respond to the comments will be found to devise applicable billing methods submitted in June, 1988.Hopefully, the FCC will take whereby each state's PSC /PUC would collect from the action toward the establishment of an interstate interstate carriers. Approved interstate rate increases capability in making relay service calls. will provide for such funds. The increases will be devised in such a manner that no interstate carrier shall be placed at a competitive disadvantage. Legislation Pending in Congress The comments given to the FCC indicated much support for feedback mechanisms where representatives During 1987 and 1988, the National Law Center for of the hearing impaired communities can have a large the Deaf led a committee of telephone company and part in the evaluation and proper operation of relay hearing impaired representatives to draft a bill for services. The political process in setting up relay Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa.Chief concerns of the services will certainly provide for such feedback draft bill were performance standards and consumer mechanisms.Existing services will strengthen and representation on the FCC review board which would increase affirmative action in the hiring of qualified oversee the operation of a national telephone relay hearing impaired applicants for managerial or service.Pressures resulting from the proposed bill non-operator positions. have produced a Notice of Inquiry from the FCC New methods in relay service appear technically soliciting comments on interstate relay services.The feasible.For example, it should be possible for the chief aim of the bill, the prodding of the FCC into caller to dial the intended number rather than the relay action, apparently was achieved,(The bill was not service number to free the operator from dialing and introduced.) thus help shorten the length of time of service.This In the same spirit of advocacy, Senator John McCain could happen with special coding in the first four digits of Arizona introduced S. 2221, which would provide of a typical eleven-digit number. A "half relay service" for a relay service for access to the federal government. should be possible for hearing impaired people with An amendment was added to this bill to require the excellent speech; they could speak over the phone and 1724 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

the operator would only type theresponses. A means QUESTION AND ANSWER would be devised so that relay servicescan be requested by gender so that in business and professional calls, the operator's voice would Question: Would you comment on thepros and cons approximate that of the hearing impaired caller.A of having the relay service offered througha human simple emergency phone number wouldbe provided in service agency versus a utility? place of 911 to alleviate hearing impairedpeople's concerns in placing an emergency call. Answer: The 'pro" of a utility concept is that the The impact of the burgeoning relay serviceswill telephone relay is looked atas part of the telephone have a profound effecton educational systems for system itself.Therefore, under the utility-like hearing impaired persons.Classes in typing and phone electricity, water, gas, sewer, andso forth-you know etiquette will be offered to childrenas early as their tbat those services will always be thereand will motor skills will allow. Increased use of the typed remain. You don't have to worry aboutany changes word will improve their linguisticskills.In the upper in funding from year to year. The "con" is that often grades, classes on using the phone in job-related agencies running the relay as a utility conceptare environments will be offered asa means of removing large and they're very insensitive to deaf people's telephone barriers that precludemany job needs. But I think that with proper communication opportunities. Deafened adults will haveevening and proper consumer participation througha board, classes to learn how to use TDDs in conjunction with and proper training and evaluation, futilityagencies) the relay services so that they can maintain their can meet the needs of deaf people. As I said, it'svery former use of the telephone. important that consumer participation be included The question as to whether a relay service is anywhere and at any time you set upa relay service. basically a socially-oriented serviceor an essential component of the telephone will remain withmany people for some time.If these people can view a disability differently froma handicap, relay service Notes should be consideredas part of the universal service concept of the Telecommunications Act of 1934.This 1.Since the conference, these billswere passed. The kind of view may createan attitude which could lead resulting P.L. 100.542 is called the Telecommunications to the consideration of relay servicesas a component Accessibility Enhancement Act. of the telephone, and lastly,as a public utility that will remain with us regardless ofour ever-changing economic or political climates.

18 OVERVIEW OF STATE-REGULATED RELAY SERVICES

Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski"

From the time the American telephone system was during these hearings and give the PSC input on their established until the introduction of the teletypewriter views of the requested change. (TrY) in the 1960s, deaf people were separated from The most commonly offered telecommunications the mainstream of American society. The use of ITY7;, benefits or services provided to deaf and hard of which allow deaf people di,ect access to telephone hearing subscribersfor to the widespread advent of networks, has grown with the production of modem state-regulated ervices was typically state day telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDDs). distribution of SCPE, such as TDDs for certified deaf More and more deaf individuals are acquiring TDDs as residents of that state, and reduced intrastate TDD the prices lower and more models are produced. rates.The distribution programs varied from state to state, but basically a deaf subscriber had to obtain certification from a designated official that he or she KPH Distribution could not use a telephone without a TDD. He or she then could obtain a TDD from either the telephone Initially, the various states regulated the distribution company or state office responsible for administering of specialized customer premises equipment (SCPE), the TDD distribution program. Some states had which is telephone company language for the special income qualifications and other restrictions before an devices hearing impaired people in this country need individual could qualify to receive a TD!"); others to directly and effectively use the telephone network. merely required proof of hearing impairment and state The state administrative agencies responsible for this residency.In order to obtain these distribution regulation are called Public Utility Commissions (PUCs), programs and statewide relays, the deaf community had Public Service Commissions (PSCs), or State to petition either its PUC or legislature. Corporation Commissions (in Virginia, VCC). The PUCs have the authority given them by state law to oversee utility prrviders, such as gas, electric, telephone, and Nonprofit Volunteer Relay Services water companies, to ensure that they serve their customers fairly and reasonably. The utility companies With the expansion of state TDD/SCPE programs must petition the state PSCs if they wish to change since 1979, there came a realization of the need for their rates or initiate any other significant changes in what was then called an "answering service" or TDD their services to customers. 'The state PSCs have the telephone relay.Deaf 'TDD users were limited to power to review these petitions and decide if they "talking" to other TDD users and would still have to go comply with state law.Hearings can be held, and the to hearing family members or co-workers to make voice public is notified of these hearings either through an telephone calls.These early telephone relays were insert in their utility bills or notices in their community usually operated by volunteers or nonprofit newspapers. The public may be allowed to testify

Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski, JD., Director, NorCal Center for Law and the Deaf, 2045 Hallmark More, Suite 4, Sacramento, CA 95825, (formerly with the National Center for Law and the Deaf at Gallaudet University)

19 9P Speed, to Text: Today and Tomorrow

organizations. There are still about 225 nonprofitor subscribers' telephone lines; otherstates have allowed volunteer relays throughout the U.S. the telephone companies to comeup with the funding These nonprofit or volunteer relaysare useful and from the telephone companies' operating funds. do help the deaf community in gainingGirect access to A few states, such as Massachusetts and Maryland, the telephone network. However,a growing have used other means for funding their publicly dissatisfaction with these volunteer relays occurredwith mandated relays.Funding comes from general tax the deaf community's expandedaccess to, and use of, revenues or other state funds. The number of the telephone network. Thereare a variety of reasons established statewide mandated relays still remains for this.Since the relays relied on volunteers, there small, as others are still in the planningor study stage. was usually a limited number of hours available touse These relays are fairly new. For example, California's the relay, i.e., from 7 a.m. to 11p.m., with the hours began in January of 1987 and New York's began in between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. reserved exclusively forlife early 1989. The oldest mandated relayprogram or death emergencies.i once tried using a nonprofit appears to be Connecticut's, which has been in place relay at 11 p.m. in order to requesta ride to work since 1979. from a hearing co-worker,as I had to drop my car off However, despite a tremendous amount of planning the next morning for repair work. Thegarage opened and preparing for these various relays, problemsare at 7 a.m. and if my car was to be workedon that day, still encountered with each state relay. Somecommon I had to get it in by 7 o'clock.It was obvious that I problems include insufficient ;...,,ding dueto the would have great difficulty callinga hearing co-worker unexpectedly high volume of calls handled (asa at any other time through the relay. The relay consequence, a few of the relays have had to scale operat7ir told me to get off the line, as thiswas not back their operations). A few have problems with considered a true emergency within that relay's providing interstate access, whichmeans they cannot definition of the term.I disagreed, but since the relay relay telephone calls across state lines. Another was a nonprofit organization and wasn't regulated by problem encountered by some states currentlyin the the state, I could not lodgea complaint. planning process is the perception and apprehension Another problem with the nonprofit relayshas been that the federal government will preempt the states' restrictions on the length of use, usually fifteen minutes authority to regulate theirown statewide relays.This per call. Most deaf users sometimes do not feel fear seems to be delaying actual implementation ofthe comfortable with volunteers running therelays because statewide relays, as state authoritiesseem to be waiting volunteer training can beuneven, leading to frustration and delaying in order to see if the federal for the caller. Another government concern is confidentiality. will remove the burden of providing this servicefrom Almost all of the nonprofit relaysassure relay users of the states. a code of ethics regarding confidentiality, but because In spite of these problems, the statesare these relays are not regulated by thestate and recognizing the crucial and valid need for statewide therefore not bound by state law, relayusers do not relays. The current relay in California isa good feel secure about the confidentiality issue.One other vxample, as calling volume is presently inexcess of problem frequently encountered with thesevolunteer 200,000 completed calls per month. Theprocess of relays is the constantly busy lines whenusers attempt establishing and actually operatinga statewide relay is to dial them. time-consuming, but once established is well worth the Partly as a result of these frustrations andalso as a effort.Customers in states with established statewide result of the growing desire for equalaccess to the relays should communicate anyconcerns and telephone network, statewide regulatedrelays came frustrations with the relay to the agency responsible for into existence. At least 22 states are presently in the overseeing the system.Unless relay users do this, they process of studying, establishing, or already have share the blame for any continuing problems withthe established statewide publicly mandatedTDD relay relay.If you are a user of the system, thenyou are services. Some of the states have decidedto regulate paying in some way for it andyou should not let your their relays either through their PUCor another state money go to waste. agency, depending on how the funding for therelay is Since California appears to be the model other obtained. Some states have requiredthat funding for states are emulating, I will use it asan example of a the publicly mandated relay come from the telephone state-regulated process.California was able to use the companies. This method of funding can vary from a PUC oversight method to implement its relay dueto its per line telephone surcharge to an excisetax on already established TDD distributionprogram.

20 Cverview of State-Regulated Relay Services

The provision for oversight of the state-mandated distance billing, whether intrastate or interstate.Most relay's budget also varies, depending on state policy. of the publicly mandated relays are structured so that Most will require that either the state-mandated board the bill will be from the caller's number to the number overseeing the relay or the PUC or state agency called, not from the caller to the relay.Most of the assigned to administer the program review the relay relays use 800 numbers 50 that the relay user is not budget annually. This is an important part of all the charged for the call to the relay. The operator will statewide relays, as this review allows for requests for usually tell the caller when the phone is ringing or additional funding if deemed necessary. For example, when the line is busy. the unexpectedly large use of the California Relay Some relays place no limits on the number of calls Service led to the state recognizing that additional made at one time.In contrast, the Minnesota policy funding would be necessary since the current for its soon-to-be established, if not already operating, surcharge fund collection was insufficient to adequately relay states:"A calling party can request no more than operate the program. three different relay calls each time he/she contacts the A few states have had problems using their PSCs as relay center." But Minnesota policy also states that the state oversight agency. Maryland is an example. relayed calls have no time limits placed on them. To The Maryland PSC, for unarticulated reasons, was my knowledge, all of the state-mandatedrelays have no reluctant to become involved in directly overseeing the time limits placed on calls. Some of the nonprofit statewide relay although it recognized the need for relays do.Relay operators are required to handle all such a service during a PSC hearing. The Maryland calls in a professional and courteous manner. PSC referred this issue to the state legislature to decide With respect to the issue of confidentiality, all the how to administer this program. The Maryland General established and planned statewide relays require that Assembly decided to delegate the oversight authority to all completed calls be kept confidential. Any records the Maryland Department of Human Resources. of actual relayed calls are to be destroyed. Most The common characteristics found among the state- policies require investigation into the matter if a relay regulated relays are as follows. The state has authority operator breaches this confidentiality requirement; and to oversee the relay by monitoring it to ensure that it some require that the operator be fired ifthe is offering the necessary service.All mandated services investigation finds a breach of confidentiality. usually require input from the deaf community as to Regarding emergency calls, most of the states that how the service is being run, both at the initial have mandated relays also require that the 911 development and planning of the relay and during its numbers within their jurisdictions also have TDD actual implementation and operation.All the state- access. These statewide relay operators are trained to mandated relays recognize that the ultimate goal of instruct TDD relay callers to directly dial 911 numbers their relays is to make the telephone network as themselves.For non-911 emergencies, relay operators accessible to the deaf community as it is to the hearing are to handle these calls in an efficient and appropriate community. manner. The training of relay operators is usually outlined in the state policy. Some of the relays require that the Operation of State-Mandated Relay Services operators type a minimum of 50 to 60 words per minute. They are required to have a basic familiarity Most of the relays are for the use of the callers with the language of the deaf community, which ranges within the state, requiring that the calls originate within from American Sign Language (ASL) to standard their respective states.Some do allow interstate use of English. Some require verbatim translation of the their statewide relay systems. The relay operators are typed messages while others require that if the caller typically required to relay all conversations verbatim so requests, the relayed call n. ky be translated into except when verbal abuse is directed at the relay standard English. Most of the mandated relays have a operator.In such a case, the operator may terminate policy forbidding relay operators from interjecting any the call.This is a policy established by the statewide opinions or comments during relayed calls.They mandated relays and also followed by most volunteer should also know the abbreviations used in TDD relay services. conversations, i.e., GA, SK, PLS, QQQ, etc. In ac .ual use, it is standard for a caller to give the Most of the state-mandated relays will not handle relay operator his or her name and the telephone requests for information since their primary purpose is number being called.Some relays may require the to relay telephone calls and not provide information. caller's telephone number if the call involves long Some of the nonprofit relays do handle this type of

2°218 Speecb to Text:Today and Tomorrow

call.For example, I did no: realize that the patients served by the center, fewer than halfhad Washington, D.C., Automobile Association ofAmerica TDDs in their homes. Theywere too poor to afford office had a TDD number until thenonprofit relay them and were also probablytoo poor to afford operator informed me. Calling parties requesting residential telephone service.I believe that this directory assistance will be referredto operator situation is not limited to that assistance. one city, that in almost Parties requesting basic information about all areas of the United States deafindividuals will not the relay will be referred to the relay'sadministrative have TDDs or telephone service intheir homes. A office. Some of the relays will not call numbers that study by the Florida Council of theHearing Impaired provide information suchas weather reports and the concluded that 94% of households in like. the U.S. had telephone service. The Florida study foundthat of the Billing policies vary, dependingon the type of calls 6% not having telephone service, 98.6% placed. of the California will not handle interstate calls estimated population was hearing impaired.As a except for 800 toll-free telephone numbers.Relay matter of fact, the California PUC found that callers can usually place calls either once its through collect state-mandated relay was in operation,its state TDD calls (charged to the called party),credit card, or third- distribution program grew by 12% for the party billing. first seven months that relay service was available, nearlydoubling its previous annual growth rate.[From the California Public Utility Commission, Evaluation and Emerging Trends Compliance Division, Report on Funding Problems InvolvingDeaf and Disabled TelecommunicationsServices, 22 (Nov. As noted earlier, with at least 22states known to be 13, 1987)1 studying or in the process of establishing or having This California example shouldencourage other statewide mandated relays, Iam confident that the states to either continue or establish TDD distribution remaining states will follow this trend. However, one and relay programs so as to substantiallyimprove the concern that crops up repeatedly is about thosestates, quality of their deaf citizens' lives. such as Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota, that In conclusion, by theyear 2000 it is hoped that all have a sparse and widely spreaddeaf population. deaf individuals will be able Their need is certainly the to easily use the telephone same as the other states, but network via relay systemsor future equally effective funding resources may be limited.Funding appears to technology. be a common problemeven in states with established and mandated relay systems. The needfor accec Able and efficient relay systems is recognized.It is frustrating to watch states go step-by-step through QUESTION AND ANSWER similar processes in orderto establish their own statewide relays. Due to thestate utility regulation issue, these steps are necessary. This conference and Question: You mentioned thatstate dollars are looked the materials developed fromit may help those seeking at as being synonymous with viewing the relay to establish and/or improve their service state relay systems. as a human service.I don't think that is necessarily As a frequent traveller, I hopeto see a uniform so, and I think that those states that are asking practice of state relay TDD and voice numbers printed legislators to fund a relay service needto present it as prominently in every public telephonedirectory or in a service for the entire population. We places where travellers normally are increasing look to obtain such access to a population that has, in the past,not been numbers. accessible to the hearing population. I am also optimistic that This service as more relays are potentially will help businesses and willensure hearing established, more TDD distributionprograms will be people that telephone accessibility will continued and established be there should at the minimum for those they need it in the future.I'm not trying to downplay who cannot afford this equipment.While I was a the obvious need and benefit member of the Maryland Governor's to the deaf population Commission on the but rather I'm trying to convince thehearing Hearing Impaired, a needs studywas submitted to the population, which is much larger, that Commission. it is something It was compiled bya Commission that is for everyone.It's not a human service that is member who worked at a medical center serving inner funded specifically for hearing impairedand speech city cl.e9f patients.That study showed that of 400deaf impaired persons.

22 29 Overview of State-Regulated Relay Services

IFIm BE 1m also

Answer: You're right.That's true, but I guess my Answer: There really are several ways of doing that. point was that we have a policy issue here.There are One is through the establishment of a board with many deaf and bearing impaired people who see the consumers on it.I believe there are several states telephone as a utility. We want to be able to use it that have that or are in the process of developing the same way as bearing people use it, so we feel, that.California only has one deaf member on its "Why should my state tax dollars go for that when board.It is a very difficult question to answer I'm paying that service tbrougb my telephone bill because, again, it depends on the individual state every monde" I think that's what I'm trying to and whether or not consumer participation is actively suggest when I say that maybe this state tax money encouraged. But I want to remind all of you, if you should be used or viewed as a human service have any negative or positive experiences with the component. You see, in my own personal experience relays, especially negative ones, please let the relays with the state of Maryland, we bad some problems know. They won't improve services if you don't let with trying to come up with funding, and we ended them know. I have used both voluntary and state up only getting $169,000 out of the state tax revenue. relays.I Just moved from Maryland, and I have used I'm hoping that once that relay is set up, the amount volunteer relays here in this area, and have been very of funding will become available through other frustrated with busy lines. And to my surprise, when resources because the state tax money from general I moved to California, the CRS (California Relay revenues itself has limitations, too. Service] is busy also.I learned that I have to figure out which hours are the peak times.I guess I need to Question: How do you guarantee that it will be an document those times that I call CRS because I was adequate relay service?I mean, you could set up a just trying that Sunday night at 8:48 and all of the system and you might find that the people who want to operators were busy, and that was not a holiday use it are getting the busy signal all the time. You weekend. So I was surprised to encounter that want the telephone lines to be functional. The deaf problem. You can see the problem is not always only should be getting a service comparable or identical to in one area, but in a variety of areas. what hearing people are accustomed to. There would have to be some sort of controls built in. What are the states doing to try to ensure standards?

Correction Page 22, second column, first paragraph: The Florida Council for the Hearing Impaired surveyed a nonrandom sample of hearing impaired people, of whom 98.5% did not have TDDs, The paper inaccurately states that 98,6% of those people without telephone service are hearing impaired. OlsabilityCo Oriented unkation S

111.0.0

iaddleft, Fourteen companies den-9ns..mted their productsat the conference exhibit. Pictured at left is Stan Sikorski of 10own Research,Inc. TDD RELAY SERVICES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

David Baquis"

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, First, it nny nelp to understand the function of the there are over 21 million hearing impaired and 2 Hotline. The Tele-Consumer Hotline is a nor profit, million speech impaired people in the United States. independent consumer information service established Some of these people must use a I'DD for telephone in July, 1984, shortly after the divestiture of AT&T.It communication. Since many individuals and businesses was founded to educate consumers about changes in are not TDD-accessible, many TDD-dependent users do the telecommunications environment. We help Answer not have full access to the telephone network. A TDD questions such as how to choose a long distance can only be used to communicate with another TDD or phone service, how to save money on phone bills, :41(.1 computer. A TDD user who wants to communicate what to do when your phone doesn't work. with a non-TDD user requires the assistance of a third In early 1986, the Hotline implemented a Special party who, acting as a telephone interpreter, relays the Needs Program in response to the lack of information call.These relay service personnel communicate with in the special needs equipment market. We found that the TDD user (by TDD) and the non-TDD user (by providing information on available special equipment voice). such as TDDs was not enough. TDD-dependent There has been little accessible information about consumers cannot have universal access to the TDD relay services. The local phone companies are telephone network without relay services.Thus, the limited in the information they can disseminate about Hotline began collecting information about relay relay services in much the same way as they are limited services across the country. in the provision of information on long distance We were not the first organization to undertake telephone services.Even the deaf community Las such a project. The National Technical Institute for limited information on relay services.Relay services the Deaf surveyed about 90 services in 1984.That are geographically scattered with different names and project was never completed and the information phone numbers, different days and hours of operation, gathered is now out of date.In 1986, Dane County and different rules and standards of operation. This (Wisconsin) Message Relay Service prepared a packet of situation has created an urgent need for accurate comparative information in both a narrative and matrix information to ensure that this segment of the format.That data was limited, however, to the ten population has access to the basic telephone system. relay services within the state of Wisconsin. The It is especially important that people in key National Center for Law and the Deaf also provides a positions, such as legislators, rehabilitation personnel, comprehensive summary of relay services, but the and telephone company personnel, become aware of information is limited to those services which are the number of available relay services and the regulated. The Tele-Consumer IIotline has published differences among them. The Tele-Consumer Hotline the results of its research hi eight regional TDD Relay has surveyed many relay services across the United Services Comparison Charts.The publications are States, and this paper provides an overview of these available free of charge. The Hotline is accessible on a services from a consumer perspective. toll-free number' to both voice and TDD users. The

David Baquis, Special Needs Manager, Tele-Consumer Hotline, 1910 K Street, NW., Suite 610, Washington, DC 20006

12 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

Hotline's other publications, gearedto the special rennin° logy/Type of Relay Service needs community, includea 7DD Directory Listing and a Special Needs Fact Sbeet. These and other Hotline The questionnaire was designed to elicit information publications are described inour brochure (see about twelve service features, suchas service territory, Appendix 1). population served, accessibility, days and hours of The data in this reportare based on the 168 relay operation, and service limitations. Many services services which responded toover 200 questionnaires needed to be contacted again by phoneto clarify their sent out between early 1987 and the spring of1988. responses to our questionnaire. Our terminology and However, the Hotline has evidence of theexistence of that used by the services differed significantly.Several well over 300 relay services (see Appendix2).Surveys terms were used to describe relay services:message were sent only to those services which relay calls from relay service, interpreting relay service, answering more than one location. Also, there are many TDD- service, telephone interpreting service,one-way or two - accessible agencies which, although they donot way relay service, monitoring service, and dual party advertise themselves as relay services,may help out relay service. Some peoplewere under the occasionally upon request. In other words,many relay misconception that the name of the relay service they services provide telephone relay assistanceas a were familiar with was the generic term used for all secondary service. Such organizations includelibraries, relay services.For example, some people thought all crisis lines, churches, and informationcenters.The relay services went by the name of Contactor TEDI. collection of data was challenging. Someservi 2s did The Hotline's chart distinguishes betweentwo very not respond even after repeatedcontact via phone and different types of relay services:message relay and mail. Some reasons may be: dual party relay services. Onevery limited type is a "message relay service."It functions much like an Wrong address/defunct service. Therewas no answering service by taking a message from its client single source of information about all relay and then relaying that message ata later time to its services. Many organizations suchas the client's party. Some message relay services willallow Gallaudet Research Institute, the NationalCenter the client to remain on-line while hisor her message is for Law and the Deaf, state vocational being relayed. The message relay service will then rehabilitation departments,state associations for inform the client that themessage was received and deaf persons, and state Public Utility report on the response of his or her party. A back Commissions helped us locate addressesand and forth or ongoing conversation betweenthe client phone numbers of relay services. TDD and his or her party does not take place. directories were alsoa good source of The other type of relay service is "dualparty relay information. Some of ot.r leadswere taken from service." A back-and-forth or ongoing conversation old newspaper clippings and magazinearticles. between the client and his or her party takes place Information was even discovered in the locked with the help of a relay operator whostays on both file cabinets in the basement of the Gallaudet phone lines.This service allows both parties University library. immediately to respond to another througha relay operator. Most relay personnel attempt to remain Desire to remain unlisted. Some services impartial and relay the exact words used by both specifically asked to remain unlisted dueto a part: es. concern about overuse and misuse of their The term "message relay" is most commonly used by service. For example, one university offeringthe the TDD services to c escribe their service, butit can service only to students feared thatnon-students be misleading. A traveller fromout of town, for would call the service. A fewone-person example, may be disappointed when heor she tries an services operating out of private homes indicated unfamiliar relay service and discovers that the service a preference to relay calls only for friendsor has only one phone line, thus rendering it incapableof select clients. providing a dual party relay service. Theterm "interpreting relay" confuses some people who think Insuffident staff.Sonic relay services may not this means that sign language inteleters are available have a large enough staff to respondto surveys. for walk-in clients. The term "answeringservice" also can be confusing because some services providea

26 33 TDDRelay Services Across the United States

message relay service and others a dual party relay Population Served service. Forty-two percent of the responding services Fewer than 1% of services responding to our provide both dual party relay and message relay. survey restrict service to a limited population. Forty-eight percent provide a dual party service only Examples of population limitations are university and 11% provide message relay only. Many services students only or adults only. prefer to relay calls in the dual party format because they do not want to be responsible for conveying Days /Hours of Operation important messages to someone who is difficult to reach. Many relay services indicate that they would like The terminology for the personnel who staff the to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, relay services also varies.For example,the terms but only 40% of those relay services responding message relay operator, TDD operator, message relay reported this continual availability.Most services associate, communications assistant, and message relay only emergency calls during non-business transfer specialist were used to refer to the same staff hours. member. Fees

Survey Results Most relay services are available free of charge. This is due, in part, to the utilization of volunteer Of the relay services surveyed, 25% had a single staffers.Only 1% of the services responding require telephone number for both voice and TDD users. A that clients first subscribe and establish an account. phone number listed as both voice and TDD is often It would be interesting to learn if the services answered by voice first.If no one responds to a requiring pre-subscription have better quality-- verbal greeting or if TDD signals are heard, the call is specifically, easy accessibility and efficient relaying. answered by TDD. Since most relay calls are initiated by TDD users, some relay services will answer by TDD Accessibility first in an attempt to conserve time. Of the relay services responding to our survey, 75% have a separate Most consumer complaints revolve around poor number for voice and TDD callers.Some services with accessibility. The capacity to handle a number of a separate line dedicated for TDD users may have the calls at the same time varies significantly among the TDD connected directly to the telephone jack, which services. Of the services responding, 60% can means they may not be able to answer that line by handle only one call at a time; 22% of the services voice.Eight percent of the listed services offer toll-free can handle up to two calls at a time; 7% of the numbers to clients. services can handle up to three calls at a time; 10% of the services can handle four or more calls at a Geographical Region time.At Elle other end of the scale, the California Relay Service (CRS) can handle over 100 calls at a Most relay services aM to serve the TDD use time. of a local region, but are willing to receive calls and initiate calls irrespective of location.Only two of Service Limitations the responding services are national, that is they list the entire United States as their service territory. Service limitations are a source of anxiety for The Federal TDD Relay Exchange helps people most relay service clients.For example, it is throughout the country conduct federal government frustrating to attempt to reach a relay service for business. Another national relay service, the two hours and then be informed of a time Telephone Interpreting Service for the Deaf, will limitation.Fortunately, some relay services impose make calls anywhere in the United States and is limitations only during busy periods.Relay services accessible via a toll-free number. may place one or more calling limitations on their clients: Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

DurationLength of the individual culls. use their calling/credit card. Over 99% of the relay services offer calling card and collect billing, but Quantity - -Total number of calls a clientmay most services reported never using these methods. make per day or per session (e.g.,no more than Twenty-two percent of the relay services offer three calls upon reaching the service). third-party billing, the method of billing with which FrequencyAmount of time which must elapse most consumers are familiar.Relay services are also between calls (e.g., client must wait 30 minutes more familiar with third-party billing.In fact, before calling back). although the services reported using the other three billing methods, approximately one-third of those ContentSubject matter of the conversation.For services responding were initially unfamiliar with example, some services will not relay fast food methods other than third-party billing. Asa result orders or personal/social calls. of the familiarity, third-party billing is themost requested method. Of the services responding toour survey, 31% Sometimes relay services ecounter billing place time limitations, 29% place quantitylimitations, disputes over third-party-billed calls.To avoid 5% place frequency limitations, 13% placecontent billing problems, 1% of the services do not offer limitations, and 22% imposeno limitations. third-party billing and 1% of the services refuseto place any long distance calls. On the other hand,it is interesting that 1% of the relay services will place Long Distance Billing Methods direct dial long distance calls atno charge to clients. There are four different waysa relay service may handle chargt, for long distance calls: Bilingual Language Capability

Third-party billingThe relay serviceasks the Some relay services have on-staff operators who operator (long distance or local company can relay calls in more than one spoken language. operator) to bill the call to the client's telephone Some services require advance notification in order number. The operator can also bill thecall to a to schedule their bilingual relay operator to handle person not involved in the relay call, with that the call.Other services have bilingual operatorson person's consent. duty at all times.Spanish speaking operators are available at 15% of the responding services.Fewer Collect callingThe relay service asksthe than 1% of services have staff whocan operator (long distance or localcompany communicate in French, German, or Italian. operator) to reverse the chargesso that the receiving party (the party called by the ell(nt) is Computer Compatibility billed. The receiving party mustagree to pay for the call. Of the responding relay services, 31% reported being equipped to handle calls in 300 baud ASCII, Credit/calling cardThe client providesthe relay a data transmission rate and code used in computer service with his or her long distancecompany communications. However, most relay services account number. The long distancecompany reported never having used their ASCII capability bills the client. and some reported not even knowing howto adjust the setting on their TDDs to prepare for sucha call. Direct dial- -The relay service is charged forthe Some relay services may also be ableto handle call and bills the client ata later time. overseas calls.In order to do so, TDT)s must be able to transmit in baudot at a rate of 50 baud. Based on responses to oursurvey, 22% of the Some TDDs allow switching between 45.5 and 50 relay services are willingto place long distance calls baud. (Consumers should check with their TDD using any of the four billing methods mentioned, relay service to learn if the service's TDDcan and 67% of the relay services willuse any method handle overseas calling.) except direct dial.If a relay service does not provide direct dial, thenconsumers should ask to

28 TDD Relay Services Across the United States

Educating Consumers equally important is the neea for comparative information on the. quality of the services, The The Tele-Consumer Hotline sees a need to Hotline i:. unaware of any study on quality from a educate consumers about telephone issues, Toward consumer perspective. Such a research project this end, we offer much descriptive information could include placing test calls to the services to about relay services.In some metropolitan areas assess: where several services are available, consumers can use the Hotline's charts to "comparison shop" for Accessibility- -The ability to connect to the service the most suitable service.For example, a consumer without a busy signal or long hold time. who needs to make a late-night cal. must select a. service which provides overnight hours. Professionallsm-The neutrality or objectivity of There is a wealth of practical information which the relay operator, the confidentiality of the needs to be disseminated to relay service consumers conversation, and use of standard TDD etiquette so they can take full advantage of the features and relay service protocol.For example, do offered by relay services. There are many money- relay operators clearly communicate the start saving tips which can help TDD consumers make and finish of a call to ease the transition the most efficient use of relay services.For between consecutive relay calls? Do they inform example, if consumers need to use a relay service to clients of any difficulties in the relay process, call long distance, they have two options. The first including being put on hold? is to use a local relay service.If the consumer's party does not answer the phone, he or she will Competence-The speed and accuracy of typing, not be charged for the call.If, however, his or her use of abbreviations, appropriate voice 'one and party does answer, the caller will not receive the clear enunciation, and familiarity with the sy,itax TDD discount because the local relay service pla"ed of American Sign Language (AK) to assist those the long distance call.(Exception: The TDD who do not understand ASL in its transliterated discount is applied to calls relayed by AT&T- form. administered relay services.)Using a distant relay service located near the home of the person being Our contact with relay services also indicates a called is the second option available. If the need for the formation of a national association for consumer's party does not answer the phone, he or relay service providers. Such an organization could she will still be charged for the long distance call coordinate the efforts of regulated and non- made to the relay service. The second option is regulated services, set standards for quality, facilitate recommended if the consumer knows that his or the sharing of information between relay services her party is home because the consumer will atid consumers, and advocate for both consumers receive the TDD discount on the long distance and service providers.This conference certainly portion of the call. provided the impetus for such a collaborative effort.

Looking Toward the Future QUESTION AND ANSWER Although the number of relay services has increased, there is still much room for improvement. Many rural areas, for example, still do not have a Question:I was wondering if you included computer, local relay service.It appears that telephone something such as CompuServe, in your survey? interpreting is becoming big business, and relay services are growing by leaps and bounds. Even Answer: No, we Just surveyed the relay services.[The with the implementation of more regulated statewide Tele - Consumer Hotline's TDD Relay Service Compar- and nationwide relay services, there will always be ison Chart] shows the kind of services which either smaller unregulated relay services to supplement the hearing impaired or bearing people can use to make high consumer demand.Therefore, the need will calls through the telephone network. always exist for up-to-date comparative information on the features of relay services as well as tips on Comment: This is more of a reaction than a question, how to use the services most effectively.The Tele- but I particularly want to commend Mr. Baquis on his Consumer Hotline's publications meet this need, but clear definitions and distinctions between message

29 Speecb to Text: Today and Tomorrow

relay, dual party relay, and similarconcepts.I thick Question: You don't have any information about that these are very important distinctions,and I'm anyone complaining about privacy? of :d that in recent times there has beena growing trend to confuse the termsmore and more. I'm afraid Answee: No, we have not been receiving complaints that message relay has been used fartoo much to about confidentiality. We receive a lot of complaints describe what is really dual party relay, andI would about busy signals and not being able toget through, like to go on record as reinforcing thecomments of and being upset with relay operators not responding Mr. Haquis on that. in the way that they should on the telephone.

Question [Virginia Stern]:I understand why everyone Question:I wonder, with telephone relay service, is doesn't respond to asurvey, but you said some [relay there one assistant for each callor is there a new services] didn't respond because of confidentiality technology where they would takecare of me, and at [about their services]. 'Why would relayservices want the same time take care of anotherperson who is to keep their identities confidential? calling and go back and forth between thetwo of us to speed up the service? Answer: There are some relaysystems that provide a private relay service to select clientsor friends.These Answer: I think an ideal situation would bean services do not want to get swamped with callsfrom operator who can give full attention to a single phone the public. For example, a university I contacted call, but there are some short-staffed relayservices provided a relay service only for studentson campus. [whose staffs] are very frazzled and will tryto handle In other cases, several people that workin the more than one relay call at the same time. community might have a group of justseven [hearing impaired] people who use their service. Iwanted to Comment: I would like to make a comment in acknowledge that such services do exist,because that response to that question. Technology within the kind of service takes care ofsome of the burden that telephone system is now available so thata relay is placed on the public relay services. system could, indeed, be handling multiple relay calls at the same time.It just has not been implemented Question: Did those services that riskedto remain yet.But it is a possibility, and it can be a reality quite confidential charge any type of fee? readily.I would like to comment on thatso that calls in the future could be handled muchmore quickly by Answer: No, the ones I contacted were just doing it relay operators handling multiple calls at thesame time. on the basis of good will.

Question: How do you see the issue of privacy -- which Question: You mentioned something about privacyin is a guaranteed right of all consumers-affecting our TIY calls.That happened most often when the long-term telephone relay service,or MS? [Baquis: service used old TN Western Union machines and they Are you thinking that because there are problems with put the message on paper rolls, and themessages were confidentiality, that might inhibit the growthof relay saved.I object to that.I think all services should use services ?]I'm thinking that confidentiality is something plain non-paper TIY machinesso they won't be that we, as a country, have never been able to keeping any records. Do you haveany evidence that guarantee. Maybe I ant jaundiced, but I don'tsee TRS there are some services that keep the messages? going the long-term because I don'tsee how we can guarantee the privacy of the folks whoare going to use fulSwer: No, I haven't heard of anything like that. TRS when we can't guarantee privacyfor anyone. Well, actually, some servicesmay keep emeigency messages for a short period of time but, no, I think Answer: I haven't given a lot of thoughtto that, but relay services attempt to destroyany written directive there may be some opportunities in other workshops of the conversation. Although I surveyedmany relay to work out the issue of confidentiality and ho,v that services, our information is non-judgmental.There is going to affect the continuation ofrelay services.I may be 300 services out there.It doesn't mean they imagine that someone is going to finda way of are all good. Rather than ask the services how many working it cut. calls they relay, I asked, 'Wouldyou be willing to relay a call if a deaf person calledyou up and asked

30 IDD Relay Services Across the United States you to do so?' What that means is I have located operator to check that they were relaying the messages several services wbicb I call relay services but which appropriately and effectively.Then, at that time, they have never relayed a call before, But they are an were destroyed.[Moderator:Do you mean they were untapped resource oui there as a backup plan if one tape recorded also ?]No, the hard copy was kept so of the regularly used relay services is busy. that they could look at how it was processed. The supervisor looked at that hard copy to make sure it Comment Ube Heil]:I would like to make a comment was conducted as properly and of eiently as possible. on privacy. There are some relay services which, And it was destroyed after it vial; checked. So there is either through misguided, intentions or through lack of perhaps some value in maintaining a hard copy briefly understanding, do maintain a hard copy. There are for quality assurance. several reasons for that. One would be, "I need it in case I am handling an emergency call and something Comment: I want to pick up on [the moderator's] goes wrong-to protect myself" Another one is, "The question because I think she asked whether or not the orpnization I belong to requires me to keep it in the voice portion of the relay was also recorded. The file cabinet for six months." A third is that "I need it paper is a form of recording a conversation but you to give volume reports."I think this is very serious for cannot evaluate the competency of a relay by only another reason that ought to go on record: Any police looking at one half of the conversation. You need to department in the United States can subpoena those know about the attendant's manner of speaking and records. You see, as a hearing person, when I talk to how he or she translates the hearing impaired person's you, they can subpoena my phone bill and say I called message. you, but they don't know what I said But the deaf person whose conversation is filed in the file cabinets Comment: I would like to comment first about saving is subject to subpoena in most jurisdictions on toll messages in the hard copy. Recently-and I do not records. So that is a serious thing in hard copy when know the details-I read in the SilentNewsthat a man's somebody files it fax one reason or another. There is hard copy was used in court.I think if I had to a new facet.People want to use personal computers depend on the relay service, I would be upset about for relay. You have the same problem there. Are you that but, on the other hand, people who are using the going to store it in memory? I think it is a very big relay service almost need it in print because people issue. talk at different rates. Sometimes it's very hard without a printer to know the whole content of what they are Comment: One of the points that has been made is saying.I believe the copies should be destroyed about the difficulty with [encountering frequent] busy immediately after.I think the volunteers do the best signals when calling a relay service.1 think if anything they can without appropriate training. There is no positive will come out of this conferee (and many leadership and no place to get a proper training positive things, I'm sure, will come out of this manual.It is very difficult to do that. conference), that would be to have public policy awaken the hearing community to provide more Comment:I was a volunteer on a relay service for resources fax human services throughout the country- seven years.During this time I handled maybe 10,000 Whether through tax money or private foundation incoming calls. Over a period of time, I realized that money-so that there is more staff more equipment, the phraseology of some of the particularly personal and the use of the latest technology to improve questions was sufficiently complicated-because I did accessibility. Working with a service myself for the last not know the characters involved or the circumstances- nine years, this is the primary difficulty.I think it's -that it was helpful for me to have a printout of the necessary to ensure that that be dealt with by Try conversation. That enabled me when I made the increased revenue sup/ -rt so that there is more staff vocal call to simply read the text of what I had. and improved technology to reduce this particular Although I didn't know what it was, I didn't want to go problem. back and quiz the deaf person as to who was who and what was what.I would say 99% of the time that I Comment I would like to make one brief commenton simply read the text, the person at the other end of the the hard copy issue.I did a survey also and some of call knew exactly what it was about This way, having my respondents told me that they kept a hard copy a printed text, which I would keep only for this only until the end of the operator shift.Atthe end of purpose, was invaluable.It enabled the mil to go that time, those papers were turned over to the through smoothly and efficiently. supervisor, who used them for quality assurance of that Speecb to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Notes Answer: Perhaps the new wave in the future will be to have a whole computer monitor so youcan see 24 1.The Tele-Consumer Hotline's toll-free number is lines lined up right on top of each other. 1-800-332-1124. TDD Relay Services Across the United States

Appendix 1

What Information Does The Hotline The Tele-Consumer Provide? Shoppers' Guide The Guide is a document specially prepared for each individual, based on type Hotline's Special of impairment.This information is derived from an electronic database created by the Hotline research Needs Program staff. The information lists retailers who sell the equipment, a description of the equipment and the cost of the equipment (by retailer). A version of the What is the Tele-Consumer Hotline's Guide is also available in Braille. Speci& Needs Program? Special Needs Factsheet Factsheets provide detailed information on matters unique to those The Tele-Consumer Hotline isa free consumer informa- with impairments, plus helpful Facts such as how to tion service for all consumers in need of assistance in qualify for special exemptions, free directory dealing with their telephone shopping requirements. assistance calls and discounts on long distance Founded in 1984 by the Consumer Federation of Amer- calls. ica and the Telecommunications Reseal1i and Action TDD Relay Center Comparison Chart Relay Center, the Hoqine has endeavored to meet the informa- services help TDD ui.iers and non-TDD users tional needs of tens of thousands of consumers. communicate with Jne another. Relay serviceper- The Hotline's Special Needs Program is designed to focus sonnel pass along au on-going conversation or Hotline resources on meeting the unique needs of those message between the TDD user (by TDD) and with special requirements due to physical impairments. non-TDD user (by voice). The Chart offers com- Hotline staff recognized that there is little information parative information such as area served, member- readily accessible about equipment specially designed to thip requirements, fees, and other service limita- aid consumers with speech, vision, hearing, mobility, or tions. mental impairments. The situation has created an urgent TDD Directory Listing This is a directory of need for quality information about the cost and availabil- directories, listing available TDD directory books. ity of equipment necessary to ensure that those with These books arc invaluable because they contain impairments have continued access to the basic telephone emergency numbers, government, special agencies, system. travel agencies, banks, schools, libraries and law- yers who have TN) numbers, The Hotline's Special Needs Program featnres live coun- Factshcets Five factsheets and regional long dis- selors at a toll-free number, 1400-3324124 (voice/TDD) tant: company comparison charts are available in to Orator 10 print for consumers with low vision, and in Spanish. The factsheets include: Answer Questions: Hotline counselors can help How to Choose a Long Distance Company answer questions such as: what type of equipment Equal Access will help me communicate more effectively, given - The New Long Distance System my impairment (speech, hearing, vision, motion, How to Buy a Phone mental)? How much does the equipment cost? What to do When Your Phone Doesn't Work Where can I buy it in my area'? Should 1 buy or How to Start Long Distance Phone Service rent phones? Where can I get my equipment repaired? Long Distance Analysis For vision impaired Send Information: The Hotline publishes a number consumers, the Hotline will provide a discounted of helpful free publications. Thcse include its spe- cost comparison of their long distance telephone cial needs Shoppers' Guide, a TDD relay compari- bills. The cost comparison analyzes the consumer's son chart, TDD directory book listing, long dis- actual telephone bill and reveals how much it tance comparison chart and fact sheets that answer would cost to use the different companies. The a variety of questions about telephone service. All analysis is based on 30 different calls and the ma, al is available in large type fur consumers with results are read over the telephone to the Hotline's low vision. client,

33 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

Appendix 2

List of TDD Relay Services Acrossthe United States

Notes:

1. Relay services are listed under the states(s) where their officesare located although many relay services extend services to consumers residingin other siates. 2. Asterisks identify unlisted relay services.Descriptive information about theseservices does not appearon the Tele-Consumer Hotline's TDD RelayServices Comparison Charts.Since information about unlisted relay services has not been confirmed bythe Hotline, readers should checkwith the relay service prior its number with the general to sharing public. The names of unlistedservices are provided to illustrate thetremendous amount of relay services. The Tele-ConsumerHotline has discovered and will research addition to those listed. many relay services in

Tele-Consumer Hotline's TDD RelayServices Comparison Charts National

"National" means that the organization serves consumers across the country.It does not imply that the serviceis free, accessible viaa tollfree number, or available 24 hoursa day.

Federal TDD Relay Exchange(cross listed under D.C.) Telephone Interpreter Servicefor the Deaf (cross listed underIndiana) Senate Special Services(cross listed under D.C.) *U.S. Congressional Telecommunications Center for the Deaf (cross listed underD.C.) Alabama

Alabama Institute for the Deaf-Blind(Dothan) Alabama Institute for the Deaf-Blind(Huntsville) Contact Mobile Independent Living Center Janice Capilouto Center for theDeaf VOA Mobile Center for theHearing Impaired Alaska

Juneau Interpreter Referral Line *Crisis, Inc.

Arizona

Arizona Council for the HearingImpaired Arkansas

Office for the Deaf andHearing Impaired (13 offices)

34 41 MD Relay Services Across the United States

California

California Relay Services Contact Pasadena The Darren McDaniel Independent Living Center Foundation for Living Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness I.T.S. Communications Independent Living Resource Center Rolling Start Deaf Services Silent Connections Temple United Methodist Church * American Red Cross * Answerfone Carol Walter * Center for Independent Living Community Resources for Independence Deaf Community Services of San Diego Deaf Informed Community Resource Center Inland Service Center Norcal Center on Deafness Richmond Library Suicide Prevention of Alameda County * Trinity Baptist Church

Colorado

Center on Deafness Disabled Resource Services Volunteers of America * Colorado State University Denver Commission on the Disabled Northern Colorado Center on Deafness Pikes Peak Center on Deafness

Connecticut

* Converse Communications

Delaware

Contact Delaware

District of Columbia

American University Capcom, Inc. (cross listed under Maryland) Deg link Hotline Federal TDD Relay Exchange (cross listed under "National") Senate Special Services (cross listed und:T "National") (TEDI) Telecommunications Exchange for the Deaf, Inc. (cross listed under Maryland and Virginia) Washington Connection Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

*District of Columbia Center for Independentliving, Inc. *St. Elizabeth's Hospite *Senior Center for the Deaf *U.S. Congressional TelecommunicationsCenter for the Deaf (cross listed under "National") Florida

Big Bend Service Center Broward County Hearing and SpeechAssociation Deaf Service Bureau Deaf Service Center Deaf Service Center, Inc. Deaf Service Center of Palm BeachCounty Deaf Service Center of West CentralFlorida Deaf Service Program Centerfor Independent Living United Hearing and Deaf Services *Crisis Line Information and ReferralServices *Contact Miami *Deaf Service Center of Jacksonville Deaf Service Center ofManatee, Inc. *Deaf Service Center of VolusiaCounty *Gulf Coast Deaf Service Center *Health and Resource Line *Speech and Hearing Association ofSouthwest Florida Georgia

Atlanta Deaf Action Center Contact Hall County CruselleFreemont Center for theDeaf Hawaii

* Hawaii Services on Deafness * Message Relay Service

Idaho

*Idaho Falls Relay Service TelCAR, Inc. * Twin Falls Relay Service

Illinois

Chicago Emergency Services Crisis Line of Will County Deaf Contact Chicago Department on Aging Information andReferral Center Mayor's Office of Inquiry andInformation Contact Rockford *Contact Stevenson County Jacksonville Community Ccnterfor the Deaf 43 36 TDD Relay Services Across the United States 416.1.10.

People Assuming Control over Environment (PACE) Sertoma Center for Communicative Disorders

Indiana

Contact Cares Interfaith Deaf Relay Telephone Interpreter Service for the Deaf (cross listed under "National") Community Services for the Deaf * ContactHelp Deaf Services, Inc.

Iowa

First Call for Help

Kansas

City of Olathe Relay Johnson County Deaf Services Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired Olathe Public Library Topeka Pubic Library

Kentucky

Relay Service for the Deaf

Louisiana

Deaf Resource and Communication Center Louisiana School for the Deaf St. Francis deSales Catholic Deaf Center *Catholic Deaf Center

Maine

Ingraham Volunteers

Maryland

Capcom, Inc. (cross listed under D.C.) Family Life Center Frederick County Services for the Hearing Impaired Hartford County Library Hearing and Speech Agency of Baltimore Howard County library LINK Relay Message Service *TEDI (Telecommunications Exchange for the Deaf, Inc. [cross listed under U.C. and Virginia]) Eastern Shore Point of Contact for the Deaf *Montgomery College *Montgomery County Department of Public Libraries (seven branches with TDDs) *Washington County Disabled Citizens

37 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

Washington County Deafnet Association *Montgomery County Division of Serviceto Handicapped Individuals * Montgomery County Informationand Referral *Municipal Telephone Exchange *National Catholic Office for theDeaf *Prince George's Community College *Private relay service (College Park) *Private relay service (Silver Spring) *Private relay service (Kensington) University of Maryland Help Center Wheaton Community Services Center

Massachusetts

D.E.A.F. (Deaf Education andAdvocacy Foundation) *Amherst Fire Department

Michigan

ARC Resource Center Center for Handicapped Affairs Center for Living Independent Common Ground Community Services for the HearingImpaired Gryphon Place Independent Living Program Kalamazoo Center for IndependentLiving Michigan Association for BetterHearing and Speech OaklandLivingston Human ServicesAgency Social Services for the HearingImpaired THEE Telephone AnsweringCompany Detroit Hearing and SpeechCenter Grand Rapids Center for IndependentLiving Superior Answering Service

Minnesota

D.E.A.F. First Call for Help (St. Paul) First Call for Help (Minneapolis) First Call for Help (Grand Rapids)

Mississippi

* Del Epee Deaf Center

Missouri

Contact St Louis Research Medical Center TDD Relay Services Across the United States

Montana

Montana Independent Living Project Outreach * Matthew's Telephone Answering Service

Nebraska

Nebraska Commission for the Hearing Impaired

Nevada

Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living * Deaf Resources

New Hampshire

Helpline

New Jersey

Contact Contact Atlantic Deaf Contact 201 Deaf Contact MorrisPassiac Deaf Contact of Mercer County Ocean County Library Ocean County Office for the Disabled * Bergen County Office on the Handicapped * First Call for Help * Ocean County Sheriffs' Department

New Mexico

New Mexico Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf * New Vistas Independent Living Center

New York

Capitol District Deaf Center Coming A.I.M. Deaf Contact HiLine New York Society for the Deaf Volunteer Center/Helpline Westchester County Office for the Disabled Western New York Service for the Hearing Impaired * Capitol District Deaf Center * Henrietta Public Library * Long Island Center for Independent Living NTID/RIT Telecommunications Center (National Technical Institute for the Deaf) * Queens Public Library SILO (Suffolk Independent Living Organization) Speed, to Text: Today andTomorrow

North Carolina

Charlotte Community ServiceCenter Deaf Contact (Winston-Salem) First line Greenville Community ServiceCenter Guilford County CommunicationsCenter for the Deaf Morganton Regional CommunityServices for the Hearing Impaired Reach Line Wilkes Deafness Center Wilmington Regional CommunityServices for the Hearing Impaired Winston-Salem Deafness Center *Deaf Contact (Asheville) Raleigh Community Service Centerfor the Hearing Impaired North Dakota

Vocational Rehabilitation Deaf Awareness

Ohio

Callvac Services, Inc. Help Hotline, Inc. Scioto Drug Abuse Council *Chagrin Answering Service *Contact Community Connections * Contact Trumbell *Deafline/Contact Queen County *Westerville Public Library

Oklahoma

State of Oklahoma Services forthe Deaf and Hearing Impaired *Contact Northwest Oklahoma

Oregon

*Northwest Ansir

Pennsylvania

Berks County Associationfor the Hearing Impaired Contact Chambersburg Contact Harrisburg Contact Lower Bucks Contact Philadelphia Contact York Deaf ContactLancaster Erie Hotline F.I.RS.T. Helpline Pennsylvania Department ofHealth, Hearing, and SpeechProgram

40 A P' TDD Relay Services Across the United States

Vocational Rehabilitation Westmoreland County Deaf Services Contact Altoona Deaf Hearing Community Center Hearing Conservation/Deaf Service Center Laverne Walters

Rhode Island

* Red Cross * Help line

South Carolina

Help line

South Dakota

Community Service for the Deaf

Tennessee

Family and Childrens Services Interpreting Service for the Deaf Knoxville Area Communication Center for the Deaf League for the Hearing Impaired Deaf Contact Chattanooga Deaf Contact Cleveland Deaf Contact Johnson City Deaf Contact Kingsport Deaf Contact Knoxville Regional Center for the Hearing Impaired

Central Texas Council for the Deaf Corpus Christi Area Council for the Deaf Deaf Action Canter East Texas Deaf and Hearing Association El Paso Center for the Deaf HearSay Highland Council for the Deaf Lubbock Community Services for the Deaf Operation Howdy (Goodrich Center for the Deaf) Travis County Service for the Deaf West Texas Service for the Deaf * Answering Service for the Deaf Deaf Council of Greater Houston Houston Center for Independent Living Houston Fire Department

41 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

Houston Public Library * Message Masters MHMR Hotline Panhandle Council *San Antonio Council *Southeast Texas Council for theHearing Impaired * Texoma Council for the Deaf

Utah

Whitmore Library *Utah Community Center for theDeaf

Vermont

*Central Answering Service

Virginia

ACFSHelpline Communications Center for the Deaf Contact Peninsula Contact Tidewater TEDI (TelecommunicationsExchange for the Deaf, Inc.[cross listed under D.C. and Maryland]) *Arlington Library *Citizens Assistance and Information

Washington (Starr)

Pierce County Rape Relief Spokane Service Center forthe Deaf TACID (Takoma Area Councilfor Individuals with Disabilities) Yakima Valley Center for theDeaf Community Service Center forthe Deaf and Hard of Hearing *Contact TriCities

West Virginia

Contact Huntington Coordinating Council forIndependent Living Appalachian Center for IndependentLiving Contact Kanawha Valley

Wisconsin

Dane County Message RelayService Developmental Disabilities ServiceCenter Family Service Association First Call for Help Fond Du Lac Department ofSocial Services Madison Fire Department Milwaukee Hearing Society St, Elizabeth Hospital

42 4 9 TDD Relay Services Across the United States

Society's Assets *Marathon County Public Library *Outreach Line *Tap line

Wyoming

*Vocational Rehabilitation (four offices)

435 0 '

4.14

"St

=iimope:114

Speech to Text participants examine Ult:atec'spay phone TDD during the conference ochiNt...... 15W7MIWOMMvIRM.011.1.C.Inurn` RECENT FEDERAL ACTIVITY REGARDING REW SERVICE

Karen Peltz Strauss*

(Editors' Note:This paper was revised by the author to shortages, placing severe limitations on telephone incorporate significant federal actions taken a month after access. Some of the programs rely on volunteers; the Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow conference.] others place time limits on the length of calls; still others offer services only during limited hours and days of the week. In recent years, various states have finally begun to For those states seeking to establish programs, take action toward the establishment of dual party TDD development of those programs is often hampered by relay systems. While few more than a handful of states repeated delays.Because there has been little or no have relay programs that are in operation, manymore- - coordination among the states in developing the relay approximately fifteenare in the process of studying the programs, each state is forced to start afresh in making development of a relay system or, having allotted funds decisions about the funding, operation, and standards for a system, are exploring the means by which to for its program. The result is that needless duplication establish and maintain its operation. Given this state of efforts takes place, and critickl relay services are activity, what should be the role of the federal delayed pending the outcome of decisions that have government in the provision of relay services?If been made time and time again in other states. A federal action is needed, what form should it take--is single nationwide system, with coordination among all the Federal Communications Commission (FCCor of the states, would eliminate these repeated delays. Commission) equipped with sufficient authority to Perhaps the most critical need for federal order these services? Or is federal legislation needed intervention in the development of relay services stems to finally achieve equal access for hearing impaired from the failure of most current state systems to offer persons to intra- and interstate telecommunications interstate relay services. The California Public Utility services? These questions and a discussion of action Commission (PUC), for example, has refused to order taken by the federal government on these matters will the provision of these services out of its concern that it be explored in this paper. does not have sufficient authority to do so. Without the ability to make interstate relay calls, hearing impaired persons will continue to be denied full and Need for Federal Action equal access to our country's telecommunicati( tis network. Although many states have begun establishing dual At the same time that the existing state programs party relay systems, these systems have only offered a have confronted difficulties, the demand for relay beginning to providing telephone at..Less for hard of services has risen to overwhelming proportions.In hearing and deaf consumers.First and foremost, the California alone, the relay system currently handles vast majority of states still do not have a relay system more than 200,000 calls each month, up from an in operation at the present time.In addition, many of original demand of 50,000 calls each month. Few those that do have systems suffer funding and staff states, including California, have been able to maintain

* Karen Peltz Strauss, J.D., L.L.M., SupervisingAttorney, National Center for Law and the Deaf, 800 Florida Avenue, N.H., Washington, DC, 20002 52 45 Speech to Text: Today and'morrow

the capacity to handle this tremendous demandfor acknowledged NARUC's request fora federal policy that services. It is easy to conclude that federal guidance would achieve consistency and coordinationamong and/or financial assistance is criticallyneeded to assist intra- and interstate systems, and explained that the in meeting this demand. proposals sought should be ofa nature that would enable persons with hearing and speechimpairments to carry on real-time interstate telephone conversations Past Federal Activity with voice telephone users. The Commission specifically requested informationon the need for an After many years of inaction,on April 24, 1987, the interstate system, an economic and technical analysis FCC adopted a Notice of Inquiry requestingcomments for the operation of a system, proposed rulesfor its and factual informationon the provision of use and administration, and an analysis of the communication services and equipmentto hearing Commission's authority to ordera system and establish impaired and other disabledpersons [0 Docket 87- a mechanism for its funding. 124 (released May 15, 1987, reportedat 52 Fed. Reg. 19198, May 21, 1987)].In this proceeding, the FCC promised, depending on theresponses it received, to Comments on the FCC's Further Notice ofInquiry evaluate the need for additionalregulatory or legislative action to ensure reasonable telecommunicationsaccess The FCC received a majorresponse to its Further for deaf persons.In response to the FCC's request for NOI. Over 50 organizations representing hard of comments, a number of interested parties expressed hearing and deaf telephone subscribers throughout the support for the creation of an interstate relay service country submitted comments offering suggestionson throughout the United States. the establishment of an interstate telephonerelay In an action designed to follow up on the FCC's service. Numerous commentswere received from April 24th Notice of Inquiry, the NationalAssociation of providers of telecommunications service and Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)on October equipment, and comments also 1, 1987, submitted were submitted by state a petition to the FCC requesting public commissions that have establishedand operated that the Commission establisha committee composed local relay systems. of state and federal regulatory officials,hearing Virtually all of the commenters spokeout in support impaired customers, and communications providers. of the establishment of a nationwideinterstate relay The petition asked the FCCto issue a Further Notice of system. Those states that had already established relay Inquiry in which the FCC wouldrequest interested systems for intrastate calls reported on the benefits of parties to submit specific proposals forthe such systems to their hearing impaired populations.1 establishment of an interstate relayservice to the While a few commenters questioned the FCC's committee. NARUC's petition urged theCommission to authority to fund an interstate relay system,2most avoid further delay after decades of limited telephone seemed to agree that the FCC does havesufficient access for hearing impaired persons. It requested the jurisdiction to mandate and fund sucha system.3 Commission to finally developa federal policy on an Moreover, the need for FCC involvement in the interstate system "so that inter- and intrastate establishment of an interstateprogram was readily developments can be coordinated, thereby reducing apparent throughout the comments submitted.This duplication, confusion, andcosts to both hearing and was best exemplified by an opinion submitted by the hearing impaired subscribers." California PUC in which the PUC refusedto extend its relay system to interstate calls for fear ofoverstepping its jurisdictional boundaries. Current FCC Proceeding Commenters varied on what theysaw as the proper role for the FCC in the establishment andoperation of On March 24, 1988, in apparent response to the an interstate relay system.Only a few commenters comments received on its initial NOI and theNARUC sought to limit the Commission's involvementto a petition, the FCC adopted a Further Notice of Inquiry minimum. One of those commenters, the UnitedStates (Further NOI) seeking specific proposalsfor the Telephone Association (USTA), requestedthe FCC to implementation of an interstate relaysystem ICC encourage "voluntary entry into the TDD relay business Docket No. 87-124 (released March 29,1988, reported by carriers and others" (USTA Commentsat 9). at 53 Fed. Reg. 12546, April 15, 1988)]. The FCC Similarly, AT&T urged leaving implementation ofa relay 465' Recent Federal Activity Regarding Relay Service system to the states, and requested that the FCC merely administration, publicity, and research.Close identify an agency or trust fund which would ultimately coordination would also allow for consistency be responsible for managing and administering the among the various states in their relay services system.4 (NCLD comments at 18). Many, if not most, commenters recommended that the FCC establish an advisory body to design, This, in turn, would minimize confusion among implement, and manage an interstate relay system.5 telephone subscribers as to the scope and operation of The National Center for Law and the Deaf (NCLD) the various relay services. Toward this end, NCLD recommended that this advisory body be composed of urged the FCC to act quickly individuals with hearing and speech impairments, the to establish a relationship between antra- and interstate FCC, state regulatory officials, and representatives of relay systems.Further delay, NCLD noted, could only the interstate carriers and relay services. make coordination with states that are now planning In its initial NOI of April 24, 1987, the FCC their systems more difficult. requested opinions as to the estabiishment of an The principal source of disagreement among advisory committee that would address issues of commenters to the FCC's Further NOI was in the telecommunications access fbr disabled individuals. manner in which each believed that an interstate relay Notwithstanding public support for the creation of system should be funded.Organizations representing such a committee, in its Further NOI of March 24, hearing impaired individuals suggested that each 1988, the FCC rejected the establishment of a form:: interstate carrier be required to make contributions advisory committee. At that Time, the Commission into a general fund, the amount of such contribution stated that "advisory committees should be established to depend on the number of common lines only when they are determined to be essential and presubscribed to that carrier.8 Funding of this kind, their functions cannot be performed by Commission they explained, would treat these costs as one more staff or by an existing committee" (CC Docket No. 87- cost of providing interstate telephone service, rather 124 at 25). The Commission concluded that a than as a special cost attributable only to the hearing committee to study telecommunications access issues impaired population. was not "essential." Telephone service providers, on the other hand, Given the general agreement among both inclu4s.ry suggested that funding for an interstate program should and consumers--as reflected in the recent comments to come from governmental appropriations, whether on the Further NOIon the pressing need for an advisory the state or federal level.These companies shared the body, it is possible, and hopeful, tha t the FCC will belief that the costs should be absorbed by general reconsider its decision to reject the establishment of an taxpayers.9 AT&T offered other funding alternatives, advisory board. Indeed, although the FCC already including the placement of a surcharge on local rejected creation of a board for the purpose of exchange lines or the placement of such costs on th2 studying general telecommuWeations access issuo, it local exchange carriers, ultimately to be absorbed in may very wen agree to its creation for the more limited the rates of those carriers.Not surprisingly, some local purpose of developing an interstate relay system. exchange carriers who submitted comments rejected Commenters also generally agreed upon the need to this method of funding, fearful that either they or their coordinate the establishment of an interstate relay customers would bear the burden of providing system with existing intrastate relay programs. Many interstate services. felt that creation of a system designed to handle only Several commenters set forth minimum standards of interstate communications would be inefficient and operation for an interstate system. Among the more would merely duplicate services already provided.6 important of these guidelines were the following Existing programs, some suggested, might be capable of standards: handling some of the interstate calls, which would, in turn, lower the costs of an interstate system!Similarly, accessible relay services 24 hours a day, seven NCLD explained that: days a week;

By working together, interstate and intrastate special training for relay operators, including jurisdictions could take advantage of greater knowledge of American Sign Language, typing, economies of scale and operational flexibility. spelling, vocabulary, and the cultural and linguistic differences between the hearing Certain operational expenses could be shared, unpaired and hearing communities; including costs associated with facilities, labor,

47 54 Speecb to Text: Todey and Tomorrow

prohibitions against censorshipor editing of current authority to mandate the operation and funding messages; of interstate relay services.However, even with an interstate system in place, millions of TDD users may strict codes of ethics and confidentiality of calls; remain without a means to make local calls in those states which lack local relay systems.It is unclear access through Baudot and ASCII codes; and whether the FCC has jurisdictional authority to mandate intrastate relay services. To the extent that prohibitions against the imposition of additional the Commission lacks such authority, the Commission charges for use of the relay services. should support federal legislation which would mandate and assist in the development of intrastate In addition, several commenters recommendedthat relay services.Only with the provision of relay service users be granted discountson their comprehensive nationwide antra- and interstate services telephone rates, given the longeramount of time they will the promise of equal telephoneaccess finally be need to complete relayed calls.1° realized for individuals with impaired hearing and Finally, most commenters agreed that, forthe present speech. time, relay operators would be needed inan interstate relay system. Automated services, they concluded,are possible only in the distant future.11Nevertheless, Other Federal Activity virtually all commenters urged the FCCto remain open to new, automated technologies that mightone day In August of 1986, the Architectural and replace manual systems. Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB) and the Department of the Treasury begana trial relay system within the federal government. The system was The Next Step intended to be used for relay calls to, from, and within the federal government. Unfortunately, the ATBCB's Reply comments on the FCC's Further NOIwere relay program has been insufficientto meet the need due by September 9, 1988.It is now incumbent upon for relayed calls within federal agencies. Accordingto the Commission to review all thecomments carefully a recent Senate report, the system has only one and to act promptly to establishan interstate relay operator, two TDDs, and two answering machines.It system. The Telecommunications Accessibility does not make provision for the replacement of that Enhancement Act, P.L. 100.542, signed bythe President operator should he or she take sick or annual leave (S. on October 28, 1988, requires the Commissionto Rep. No. 100.464, 100th Cong., 2d Sess.at 6). complete its inquiry into thismatter within nine months Moreover, the current ATBCB program has not been after that law's enactment. Pending thecompletion of well advertised. Many deaf governmental workersare the FCC's review, representatives oforganizations of unaware of its existence; most deaf persons outside the and for hearing impaired subscribers haveurged the government are unaware that they can reach Commission to establish an interim relaysystem. governmental offices through this service. Specifically, they have proposed that allinterstate The ATBCB's program was initiatedon a trial basis carriers be required tprovide connections to those only and was scheduled to expire by September of intrastate relay services already providedby local 1988.P.L. 100.542 %Afrects the Administrator of General exchange carriers and torecover the costs of the Services, the FCC, and other federal agencies to interstate calls in the rates charged by theinterstate continue the existing federal relay service and to addat carriers. As stated in their comments,"connection to least one additional operator to the system. The existing interstate relay services couldoccur almost Senate report to the legislation explains that additional immediately, offering thousands of hearingimpaired operators and equipment should be added if they are individuals their first opportunityto place and receive necessary to accommodate the demand for relay calls interstate calls without regard for whetherthe other (S. Rep. No. 100.464, 100th Cong., 2nd Sess.at 6).In party to the call had a TDD."12Similarly, comments by addition, P.L. 100.542 requires the Administratorto AT&T suggested that the Commission couldorder conduct a thorough analysis of the need for it relief should it choose to doso. AT&T modifications to the federal relay system within 180 exylained that industry already has the technical days of the legislation's enactment, after whichtime the equipment, standards, and know -hownecessary to Administrator is directed to prescribe regulations begin a nationwide dual party relaysystem. needed to assure full access to the federal A nationwide interstate relaysystem is critically telecommunications system for hearing impaired and needed to ensure that hearing impairedindividuals speech impaired individuals. receive equal access to the interstate telephone In its report on S. 2221, the Senate recognized the network. Toward this end, the FCC shoulduse its benefits of and the need for expanded relay services.

48 Recent Federal Activity Regarding Relay Service

It explained that with an increase in the number of the Bay Area Center for Law and the Deaf, Inc. TDDs installed in federal agencies came an increase in NCLD's comments explained that the Commission's the number of relayed calls and, in turn, an authority stems from the Commission's universal service improvement in the performance of federal employees goal, as set forth in the Communication Act of 1934, to with hearing and speech impairments. The Senate ensure that communication service is available to all concluded that "the number of calls to and from Americans so far as possible.Additional authority is agencies using the relay exchange clearly demonstrates derived from that provision of the Telecommunications that there is a need for the service . . . It has long for the Disabled Act of 1982 which authorizes the been recognized that all employers should take Commission to adopt regulations ensuring access to whatever steps possible to fully integrate persons with hearing impaired individuals. physical impairments into the work force.In the case. of hearing impaired and speech impaired individuals, 4.NARUC, too, suggested that the states carry out the the costs of installing TDDs and operating the relay administration of an intra and interstate relay system. service are small in comparison to the resulting benefits" (S. Rep. No. 100.464 at 2). 5.NARUC, GTE, NYNEX, the California PUC, Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, and Cincinnati Bell were among the commentators that recommended the Conclusion establishment of an advisory board, task force, or national forum which would provide guidance and After many years of silence on this issue, the federal establish standards for the implementation of a government has finally begun to consider and act upon nationwide relay system. the need to improve telecommunications access for persons with hearing and speech impairments. The 6.See, for example, comments submitted by NCLD, FCC's ongoing proceeding on interstate relay services NYNEX, BellSouth, Pacific Bell, Cincinnati Bell, and and the recent federal legislation for a federal relay Ameritech Operating Companies. system are most encouraging. Consumers should take an active role in these and other governmental efforts 7.See comments submitted by Southwestern Bell. to realize the development of relay services throughout the 50 states. 8.See NCLD comments at 9-12.

9.See comments submitted by AT&T, GTE, Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company, Notes Northwestern Bell and Pacific Northwest Bell, BellSouth, NYNEX, and Bell Atlantic. 1.As noted above, the California PUC reported that demand for the relay system has been "overwhelming, 10. See comments submitted by NCLD, AT&T, Bay Area far surpassing original projections."California PUC Center for Law and the Deaf, and Southwestern Bell. Comments at 2.See also comments submitted by the In a recent report, the Senate Committee on Telecommunications Access for Communications Commerce, Science and Transportation also recognized Impaired Persons Board, which discuss the utility of the higher costs associated with TDD calls.In that the Minnesota relay service, and by the New York report, the Senate called upon the FCC to determine Public Service Commission, which discuss the benefits whether interstate exchange carriers should be ordered of a New York's new relay system. to provide relay services at a reduced rate.Currently, as the report notes, AT&T is the only such carrier that 2.See comments submitted by BellSouth, South provides discounts for TDD calls.See S. Rep. No. 100- Central Bell Telephone Company, and Southern Bell 464, 100th Cong. 2d Sess. (August 9, 1988) at 6. Telephone and Telegraph Company (collectively referred to herein as "BellSouth"). 11. See, for example, comments submitted by AT&T, California PUC, and Southwestern Bell. 3.See, for example, comments submitted by the National Center for Law and the Deaf, COR, et al. 12. NCLD comments at 31. (NCLD), NYNEX Telephone Companies (NYNEX), and Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

QUESTION AND ANSWER Question [Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski]: Related to the Americans with Disabilities Act: I know that Section 504 says that if people violate the law, their federal funds Question: I take very well the five itemsyou will be taken away until they start complying again. mentioned in the standards of service.I would like to Can you tell me what penalties are assodated with the ask you to add one more-that, in keepingwith the Americans with Disabilities Act? Suppose itpasses, spirit of full accessibility, the availability of telephone what will happen if anyone in the privatesector relay operators be the sameas the availability of the violates the law? operators in the regular telephone networks. Answer: I can tell people the major difference Answer: That's definitely listed in the federal between this Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation proposal that we were establishing. Act,Section 504 covers only federal programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Question [Michael Hurst]: Have you hadany feedback This Act goes much further,This Act affects the from the FCC staff on the possibility ofinterim relief? private sector.Thai is the main difference between the two pieces of legislation,This act would affect any entity that Title 7, which covers private Answer: Consumer groups that commentedon the employers, would affect. Now, most broadcasters, if NOI [Notice of Inquiry] suggested that theFCC not all, with the exception of public broadcasting establish "interim relief while consideringall of the systems, do not receive federal assistance, For that comments, Interim relief would set upan interstate reason, courts have repeatedly said that broadcasters relay service for at least thosestates that already are not under any particular requirement to expand have intrastate relay systems.The answer is that we their captioning services, for example.They are have not received any word back fromthe completely private entities even though they receive Commission on interim relief Forone thing, the federal licenses,[Editors' Note: Ms. Strauss supplied reply comments were just submitteda few weeks ago, the following additional information, which she didnot and I would imagine the FCC wouldwant to review have in hand at the time of the conference: As those.I have to say that I would like to bemore written, I believe the Act would allow the various optimistic than I am about the speedwith which the federal agencies responsible for implementing theAct FCC is going to move on this. to determine the appropriate penalties when there are violations of the Act, The Act itself doesnot prescribe I am, however, very pleased that somethinghas been specific penalties. ] done. Like I say, tremendousprogress has been made within the last year when you compare it with the Question: Suppose a nonprofit organization refusesto last 54 years; however, given the longtime that it has get a TN to serve the hearing impaired because [the taken to reach this point, I think itis going to be a people in the organization] are afraid that theyare not little bit longer before we bear back fromthe FCC on going to be able to communicate with deaf people and this, because they don't have an interpreter there.Has anybody been taken to court or a judgment filed Question [Judy Tingley]: In listeningto the areas that against them for not providing a TTY in facilities where you would want to see covered by a system,are you it is needed for the hearing impaired? including any standards related to communicationto the hearing party on the other end?I heard you Answer: Many complaints have been filed against talking about the need to have skill in dealingwith the organizations that receive federal funds. The most consumers using ASL, but are you considering the need clear example isvitals. At the National Center for to cmnmunicate to the hearing person-what standards Law and the Deaf we have filedmany complaints you expect with regard to diction? against hospitals that do not have TDDs. If they do nat have a TDD for emergency purposesor for access Answer: That is one of the items listed:grammar, to the hospital, you can bring a complaint against vocabulary. It has to be somebody whocan take an them, We have gotten judgments.Typically, we have ASL message and put it into good English,if that is not bad to go to court because we win at the what the bearing person requires,Yes, it goes both administrative level.Again, in that situation what ways.There has to he knowledge of what thebearing we do is file the complaint with the agency impaired individual uses, and what thebearing administering the funds to the hospital,so it's the individual uses. Department of Health and Human Services.If it was a program administered by the Department of Education, let's say a school, thenyou would file a

50 Recent Federal Activity Regarding Relay Service complaint with the school, and yes, it has been done many times and very successfully. We encourage people to file those complaints.

Question [Stew Billottc]: Was there any mention in your request for standards for bilingual operators? Answer: Not to date. As I say, this coalition is very fluid.That is something we can consider.

58 51 5'

Alicbuel iturst, Alry'r THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING STATE-MANDATED RELAY SERVICES

Michael Hurst*

[Editors' Note: Wben this paper was written, Mr. Hurst was This world of regulated telecommunications has an attorney with the San Francisco law firm of Graham always been complex with its labyrinthine sets of rules and James. Since then be bas Joined AT&T The opinions and regulations.It has become increasingly complex as set forth in this paper are not necessarily tbose of AT&T] the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), federal courts, and state regulatory agencies have allowed This paper addresses issues involved in establishing greater degrees of competition in the areas formerly an intrastate dual party relay service through a state reserved for telecommunications monopolies.Thus, legislative mandate. The fundamental characteristics of the regulatory arena often becomes a tangle of such a relay service are outlined and the roles of the regulations overseen by regulatory agencies attempting state legislature, the state regulatory agency, the to resolve the conflicting goals of maintaining the executive departments, local exchange carriers, perceived benefits of regulation while pursuing the interexchange carriers, as well as representatives of promised benefits of increased competition. hearing impaired persons are examined. Understanding this conflicting set of goals and Often the enactment of a new statute 'recognizing determining how the relay service fits into .he the need for a relay service is, in and of itself, a major development of this increasingly competitive victory for hearing impaired persons in any particular telecommunications environment is probably the most state.Nevertheless, such a statute is only the first step important analysis required of hearing impaired persons in the challenging and often frustrating process of if they are to be successful in expanding the availability developing the rules and regulations necessary to of relay service throughout the nation. establish and operate a relay service.Even when that process is successfully completed and the relay service is up and operating, there remains the important Fundamental Characteristics of Dual Party Relay ongoing process of reviewing the operation of the relay Service service and, when necessary, seeking the help of the appropriate state governmental entity to maintain its The fundamental characteristic of a relay service, operation in the best interests of hearing impaired which colors every aspect of its establishment and persons. operation, is that the cost of providing relay service is Maneuvering through this process will challenge much higher than most people are capable of paying to organizations representing hearing impaired persons to use the relay service. The cost of a nine-minute call develop new skills and draw on new resources. through the California state dual party Hay is close to Among the most important of these skills and resources $6. A subsidy is required in order to provide such a are those which will allow hearing impaired persons to high cost service and make it generally available to understand and function effectively in the per hearing impaired persons. world of regulated telecommunications. There are two reasons for the high cost per call. First, a relay service is highly labor intensive. An

'Michael Hurst, J.D., Attorney, AT&T, 795 Folsom Street, Room 670, San Francisco, CA 94107

53 60 Speed, to Text: Today and Tomorrow

operator must be on line before and during the entire great majority of residential calls are placed intrastate,a communication. Operators' wages makeup relay service can be establishedon an intrastate basis approximately 50% of the cost ofa call.Second, it first.The existence of that relay servicemay then takes longer to communicate over a relay service than provide leverage at the FCC to bring aboutinterstate through direct communications, thus theequipment service. costs are spread over fewer individual calls. The subsidy issue for relay service createsa The need for a subsidy creates specialproblems problem with the second limitation--a utility'sproperty when attempting to implementa relay service through a cannot be confiscated without compensation. In short, regulatory process which is changing dramaticallyas a state legislature cannot order the utility to provide telecommunications services becomemore competitive. relay service at a loss to the utility. A subsidy from As telecommunications utilitiesare confronted with customers or taxpayers must be created in some form. more competition it becomes more and more difficult This subsidy must be created withsome care. At least to obtain subsidies from any particular serviceto two state legislatures, California and Illinois, have acted support a relay service. At the same time,state to order telecommunications carriers within theirstates legislatures are unwilling to allow increased to provide relay servic and have authorized the competition and the associated deregulationto occur if utilities to collect a surcharge from all theircustomers telecommunications servicesare not universally to subsidize the relay service.In both states the issue available. At least one feature of universalavailability is of the magnitude of the surcharge has been revisited that services are widely offeredat affordable rates. by the legislature at least once.It is clear that if that Thus, a state legislaturecan, and has in at least surcharge becomes politically unacceptable (by California and Illinois, order a relay service established becoming too large) then support for relay servicein and impose a surchargeon other telecommunications those legislatures may be jeopardized. services to fund the relay service,even if such 4.ction Once the initial battle to establisha relay service is goes against the general trend of reducingcross- won within a particular state legislature, the most subsidization within the telecommunications industry. important long-term objective must be to keep thecost of the program under control and avoid continually returning to the legislature for increases in funding. State Legislature This also can be avoided by drafting the enabling statute to allow for some flexibility in how much The state legislature is in almostevery instance the surcharge may be collected. Thus, the first battle in key institution in initiatinga relay service.Every state implementing a relay service is draftinga statute that legislature has the power to regulate businessactivities provides for sufficient flexibility in the funding within its borders. The scope of thispower is limited mechanism so that the program can respond to by the United States Constitution and federal law. One fluctuations in cost without returning time and againto of the most significant limitationsrelating to the the legislature. regulation of telecommunications utilitiesis that a state The issues that motivate a state legislatureto cannot regulate the telecommunications activitiesthat establisha relay service relate directly to the growing cross state boundaries. Such servicesare classified as competition in the telecommunications industry. One interstate and come under the jurisdiction of theFCC. argument often raised against allowing competition into Another important limitation is thata state legislature the tightly controlled territory of telecommunications cannot confiscate a telecommunications utility's utilities is that such competition will make residential property without compensating the utility. Thesetwo and rural service more expensive. Theargument is that constraints have a very important impacton how a a significant subsidy flows from long distance services state legislature may implement a relay service. to local residential and rural services. As competition First, since the state legislature only has thepower increases in the long distance market the magnitude of to regulate business activity within thestate (intrastate), this subsidy will decrease. a state legislature cannot order a telecommunications Many legislators are concerned that increased carrier to establish a relay service whichprovides competition not result in a lower qualityor higher interstate long distance service. This is a serious priced service to certain segments of theirconstituency. barrier to implementing a fully operationalrelay service Hearing impaired persons have never had fullaccess to which provides service equal in qualityand scope to the telecommunications network, and it is feared that that available to hearingpersons. However, since the increased competition would reduce the likelihood that

54 The Process of Establishing State-Mandated Relay Services such access will develop.This is because it is even At least one state regulatory agency, New York's, more difficult to generate a subsidy for relay service, as has acted to implement a relay service without a prices for telecommunications services are determined specific legislative mandate. That agency has more by the market than by regulatory mandate. Thus, interpreted the existing New York law as granting the increased competition has provided an opportunity to agency sufficient authority to order the local hearing impaired persons to raise the possibility that if telecommunications utilities to implement an intrastate the legislature does not act now, it is unlikely that a relay service and spread the cost of that service in the relay service and full access for hearing impaired rates to all customers. Most state statutes which create persons will ever come about. the regulatory agency for that state have very broad language which could be interpreted as New York's agency has interpreted its statute.In fact, as relay State Regulatosy Agency service becomes better understood and as hearing impaired persons develop their organizing skills on this The method universally chosen by state legislatures issue, more states may follow New York's examph. to regulate telecommunications utilities is to delegate This would short circuit the necessary run through the authority to an agency or commission to accomplish legislature for special enabling legislation. the day-to-day task of regulation. These state Regardless of which route is taken to get o the regulatory agencies can do no more than the state state regulatory agency, at some point that agency is legislature authorizes; they are "creatures of statute" going to hold hearings or some form of public forum and are restricted by the bounds of the enabling to debate how the relay service should be established statute. and operated. These proceedings are very critical and Nevertheless, such regulatory agencies are very also very difficult.The state agency will have before it powerful and are the most important agency in terms the conflicting concerns of the industry and its various of establishing the actual operating parameters of a players-hearing impaired persons, the general body of relay service.Generally, once the statute mandating the ratepayers, state executive agencies, and its own staff. establishment of a relay service is effective, the burden Understanding the fundamental nature of each of these of fleshing out the service rests entirely with the pa' ties' interests is the key to resolving the issues and regulatory agency.Such an agency has several eventually obtaining relay service. alternative courses of action available to it.It can: Aside from this basic analysis of the differing interests involved in a proceeding to establish a relay initiate a "rulemaking" proceeding and service, there are several important tasks that hearing invite all interested parties to help impaired persons must fulfill to be successful. develop the necessary rules and First and foremost, it is necessary that hearing regulations under which a relay service impaired persons know the rules relevant to the will operate; proceeding that is followed in their state.If it is a rulemaking, there are specific rules that must be order the utilities to come forward with followed for each agency.If it is to be workshops or proposals for the relay service and select hearings or a combination of both, a different set of from among those proposals; or rules will apply.Every agency will have a published set of rules to guide such proceedings; the first step in provide combinations of the first two working through ar agency is to determine what options. procedure applies and what rules govern that procedure. Illinois is following, for the most part, option one. The second important task is to come to the A final set of regulations is expected soon.California, proceeding prepared with a proposal.In almost every on the other hand, has followed option two and has instance, state agency proceedings take on a life of had an operational relay service for some number of their own.If hearing impaired persons come to the months. Option one has the advantage that full proceeding without a specific proposal, the entire participation by hearing impaired persons is possible in proceeding will become focused on the propooal of the initial development of the service.Option two, those who come prepared. Now that several states however, can be accomplished in a shorter period of have moved significantly through the process of time. establishing a relay service, being prepared with a proposal should not be a difficult task.

55 62 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow Imes.

Third, and equally important, hearing impaired Local Exchange Carriers and 'ntererchangeCarriers persons who are going to participate ina proceeding to establish a relay service mustget to Know the The local exchange carriers and interexchange (long agency staff assigned to the proceeding;,. Often the staff distance) carriers will bring considerableresources to a position can tilt the balance betweentwo conflicting proceeding instituted to establish a relay service. Their positions in such a proceeding. interestwill focus on preventing the relay service from placing their particular company ata competitive Fourth, it is important that hearingimpaired persons disadvantage.In all instances this means that the build organizational support thatcan provide the legal subsidy must be spread evenlyamong all the and technical backup that is essential to presenting a companies so as to avoid discriminating againstany professional case to a regulatoryagency. Often a good one company. lawyer or witness can help tip thescales in a close It also means that there may be some competition decision. among various companies to provide the service because of the beneficial public relations itgenerates. An important concern that may not always be self- Executive Departnsetsts evident is that each company will seekto avoid any unnecessary interference in its ability to manage its State executive departments oftenintervene own affairs. How this will play out in any particular (officially participate) in proceedingsbefore state state is extremely difficult to pred4et. No consistent regulatory agencies. Their level of participation and position has developed among industryparticipants influence varies widely, but theycan often be a across all the states that are considering relay services. significant resource for hearingimpaired persons.For Because of this lack of consensus in industry example, in Illinois the Illinois PublicCounsel, the positions, hearing impaired persons should always Illinois Attorney General, start as well as the Department of from a position that they are willingto negotiate.If Rehabilitation Services all participated in the rulemaking hearing impaired persons cometo these proceedings proceeding. Each of these agencies supported the with a proposal in hand anda stated willingness to positions adopted by the statewidetask force negotiate with all parties, then their objectives representing hearing impaired are very persons. They also likely to receive serious considerationin those provided important logisticsupport in the Illinois proceedings. proceeding. Nevertheless, industry participants havea significant However, often these executivedepartments and advantage in these proceedings in that they agencies have limited influence with can bring the regulatory significant resources and experience beforethe agency. The regulatory agency is an independent regulatory agency.Having a carefully drafted proposal agency created by statute, and generally thegovernor, and avoiding unnecessary conflict with the or any other state official, for that industry matter, has limited participants is the best guide to conservingresources direct influence over the regulatoryagency. for the important issues. On the other hand, a state's governor may wield Obviously, with all these players in the field,the significant indirect influence with various members of name of the game is coalition-building. Themore the regulatoryagency. Usually the members of the parties supporting a proposal, themore likely that regulatory agency are nominatedby the governor and proposal will succeed. Appointed upon approval ofone or more of the legislative branches. Thus,over time, a governor may place in control of the regulatoryagency individuals Conclusima with whom he or she sharesa common point of view or political outlook. This is an indirect form of Implementing a relay service througha legislative influence which can havea great impact on the general mandate to a regulatory agency is direction and policies of the a complicated and regulatory agency.This lengthy process. To succeed, hearing impairedpersons area of influence is not one that should berelied upon must be capable of organizing a coalition which in efforts to implement a relay service unless the state includes consnmer representatives of hearingpersons, agency takes up a policy of opposingany relay service. members of the state legislature, and A governor could have state executive significant influenceon agencies. These coalitions must be able to draw reversing such a policy. on legal and technical resources capableof assisting

56 63 The Process of Establishing State- Mandated Relay Services hearing impaired persons in participating effectively in addressed, namely the hearing impaired population the intricate proceedings that are used to regulate who don't know about 1DDs. We have to educate telecommunications utilities. people about TDDs through major television Finally, these coalitions must be established for the advertisements-not through closed captions, but long-term because establishing a relay service is only through gm captions so they can understand these the first step.Hearing impaired persons will need to things. continue to go before the relevant state regulatory agency to review and modify, if necessary, the ongoing Question:I would like to know what form of operation of the relay service. advertising you have in your state for educating the hearing community about the relay services and the services that are provided for the hearing impaired. QUESTION AND ANSWER Answer: It is very limited for the hearing community. Question:I have been listening with great interest to About the only information they get is the surcharge what you said about the local exchange carriers setting on their bill.Most people are not aware of it.Some up this relay system in Illinois.Perhaps we have the people figure it out. My wife saw me working on all wrong idea at Bell South, but how were they able to these cases and really didn't understand what it all get by the modified final judgment that barred us from meant until she got involved in it, and even then changing content? In fact, in order to be of service in missed a lot of the points.There is a lot of education a relay system, we must change content; not the that needs to be done. meaning, but the content as it is given to us. Question Lloe Heil]:I think you raised a good point. Answer: The modified final judgment is the I go back to my experience when I set up operator settlement in the AT&T antitrust case that was services for AT&T. We did a big publicity program, decided by Judge Greene.Its result was that the instruction booklets, and then for five or six years we regional operating companies be divested from AT&T, never did anything more. There is a need for Bell South is one of the regional operating companies. continuing, constant re-informing of not only the One of the constraints that is placed on those hearing public, but also the deaf community. There is companies is that they may not provide service across a continuing need for training and education. We tend IATA boundaries-LATA means local transport area. to treat it as a one-stop item in the planning and That is usually a small area, like Chicago and the institution of a new system, then we forget about it. surrounding area; so, for example, the regional So I would add that ongoing, continuing education is operating companies can't provide service from needed. Chicago to Springfield, Illinois.[These companies may not change content of infirmation going across Answer: There is an additional point to add to that. their lines, which was part of the consent decree We felt it very important that the focus be within a intended to keep these companies from entering the state, that we not try to impose this from the federal information services business.] level down.The reason is this:The effort of trying to get a dual party relay within a state resulted in a Fortunately, in Illinois, no one raised the issue. We coalition.The local leadership was built up and expected that they would, and we expected to have to people got involved in the process 14,,thin that state. address it, but they didn't. And so the rule was Now they can do something [about continual written without objection; no one raised it as a education].If you direct it from the federal level problem, and it will go into effect without that issue down, you wouldn't have that grassroots being addressed. One of the reasons they may not organizational ability to respond on an ongoing raise it is that relay service is going to be provided basis. through a third-party organization, and they may see that as some protection,I don't see how, but they Question [David Curioni]: Can you tell me which might. third-party [relay service provider] will provide service in Illinois, and how you selected that third-party? Comment [Fred Weiner]: You made a point about informing the hearing public about the use of 1.1)1)s.I Answer: A not-for-profit organization has been think that another segment of the population should be selected for TDD distribution.They have been ,Speech to Text:Today and Tomorw

selected Jr o overseeing the dual party relaysystt ii. that comes up for bid again, so'very Jive year'' That will coiisirt of hat ng peop'r bidon becoming new service provider could come into existence or the the service provider for the dual party relay.A one that is currently in existence could orovide the bidder will be selected and then recommendedto the lowest bid and continue providing it.It could be Commission for its approval.The necessary contracts anybody. It coul(- be an interexchange carrier, it will be entered into.The notibr-profit organization could be a notfor-profit organization-whoevercan will supervise the transfer of funds between the meet the standards in the rule and submit the lowest utilities and itself, and the service provider.The bid. service provider could be anybody. Every fiveyears

Pamela Ransom, Chicagofearing Society DUAL PARTY RELAY SERVICE: AN ANALYSIS OF FUNDING MECHANISMS

Pamela Ransom*

Persons with normal bearing may be unable to We are in a period of experimentation in the fully appreciate the pervasiveness of the telephone, development and operation of dual party relay services. both in the commercial transactions and personal Arizona, elifornia, Illinois and New York have taken contacts,The inability to use this instrument. . unique financial approaches to providing access to the is not only a practical disability but a constant telecommunications network through dual party relay source of dependency and personal frustration.' services. The purpose of this paper is to raise questions and stimulate further thought and analysis, the ultimate goal being the evolution of an efficient and . he telephone is an integral part of our everyday effective dual party relay service which will make the lives, a critical link to the mainstream of our society. telephone accessible to people with severe hearing and For more than 100 years since the telephone was severe speech impairments. invented., people with severe hearing impairments and people with speech impairments have been, in effect, "locked out" of the telecommunications network. Aram; Relay Service Profile However, this is changing. With the advent of state- mandated telecommunication devices for the deaf Implementation Date: March, 1987. (TDD) distribution and dual party relay programs,2 the telephone will finally be accessible to severely hearing Average Call Volume Per Month: 19,000/month impaired and speech impaired persons.3 (January, 1987 through June, 1988). This paper will present and analyze three alternatives to financing intrastate dual party relay Budget:$48,843 average/month (January, 1987 services.These alternatives will be exemplified by through June, 1988); $102,00average/month programs either already established or being planned in (projected January, 1989 through June, 1989). the states of Arizona, California, Illinois, and New York. This paper is structured so that each state is Number of Relay Operators: As of August, 1988, 52 profiled individually. The profiles will provide the operators (23 full-time, 16 part-time, 13 temporary). context in which the funding mechanisms operate. The Projected early 1989, 104 operators.Based on three history and actual approach to funding will then be shifts. outlined.In corclusion, financing models will be analyzed based on to what extent the models meet Funding Mechanism: At a rate of 4%, the month:y three major criteria:long-term financial stability; cost- phone line service charge funds both TI)!) distribution effectiveness; and access to the telephone network and relay (effective July, 1988, II.B. 2082, Chapter 145, equal to that of general customers. Sec. 42-1372.2).

'Pamela Ransom, Executive Director, Chicago Hearing Society, lt) West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604

596 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

General Service Description: the distribution of TDDs and the operation of the relay. The state is legally responsible for ensuring relay Since its inception, the relay service has services. experienced a steady increase in call volume.During the relay's first five months of operation the number of Relay service is available 24 hours a day, seven incoming calls increased from 7,100 to more than days a week. 11,200.5In response to the growing need, ACHI made the decision to continue expanding relay operator There is no charge to the relay user for capacity. intrastate calls. It soon became evident that the monthly program costs were exceeding monthly revenues.In August of The state contracts with a not-for-profit agency 1987, monthly relay expenses were approximately to provide the relay service. $43,000 and TDD distrib,LA expenses averaged $14,000 per month, creating a X9,000 shortfall.It was A Merlin 3070 telephone system is used projected that the programs would run out of money (presently at maximum capacity). by June of 1988.6 This financial crisis was reflected in the headlines of the Arizona Council for the Hearing Incoming 1.800 lines and outgoing WATS lines Impaired News Bulletin, which read:"Relay Service are used. Scheduled To Close." In the spring of 1988, Senate Bill 1230 passed, Intra- and interstate calls are placed for relay increasing the excise tax to .4% of the monthly phone users. line service charge.It is anticipated that this increase will generate approximately $98,000 per month.If, There is no consumer advisory council. however, the demand for service and relay operator (However, one is being developed.) capacity continues to escalate, consumers will be forced to continually go back to the Arizona legislature Financing for the Arizona Relay Service: for increased funding in order to maintain the services.

Arizona's TDD distribution and dual party relay service programs were legislated by Arizona Senate Bill 1010.4 California Relay Service Profile This bill mandated that the Arizona Council for the Hearing Impaired (ACHI), a state agency, establish and Implementation Date: January 1, 1987. administer both a statewide TDD distributionprogram and dual party relay service for severely hearing Average Call Volume Per Month: 50,000/month impaired and speech impaired persons. The Council (January, 1987) increasing to 175,000/month was given the authority to develop program rules and (December, 1987). procedures.(See Figure 1.) Initial funding for the bill required that fromJune Budget: $8,726,530 (January 1, 1987 through 30, 1985, through June 30, 1988, .2% of monthly December 31, 1987). phone line service charges would finance the aforementioned programs.It was estimated that this Funding Mechanism: The Public Utility Commission excise tax would generate revenues of approximately ruled that on a temporary basis (October 1, 1988 $45,000 per month. A Telecommunication Fundfor through June 30, 1990) a charge of .5% of the total bill the Deaf (an interest bearing account)was established on all intrastate tariffed services will be collected to to be administered by tale state agency as the fund the programs. As of January 1, 1990, the charge depository for the excise taxe3 usedto finance the will revert back to no more than ten cents per programs. subscriber line.In addition to the aforementioned TDD distribution was the state's firstprogram to funding, revenues are generated from the relay user become operational in July of i9;16,to he, followed by being billed from the call's point of origin directly to the establishment of the relayservi.::. in March of 1987. the point of termination. These user revenues are The ACHI contracted witha not - for -profit agency for passed to the Trust Fund to help offset the operating expenses of the relay service.

60 67 ARIZONA RELAY SERVICE FUNDING FLOW CHART

BILLS FOR WATS ARIZONA COUNCIL FOR AND 1.800 THE HEARING IMPAIRED

( STATE AGENCY EXPENSES ADMIN./ LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCAL RELAY PAYROLL ENSURING THE PROVISION OF EXCHANGE PAYPHON?Ilb, RELAY SERVICES) COMPANY BILLS SURCHARGE

GENERAL RELAY CENTER TELEPHONE (NOT-FOR-PROFIT REIMBURSEMENT CONSUMERS AGENCY) SURCHARGE $ SURCHARGE $ /

/1-800 SURCHARGE $ NO C HARGE SURCHARGE $ INTEREST RELAY BEARING USER ACCOUNT .111111 V

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

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eneral Service Description: Commission to initiate an inquiry regarding the "feasibility of implementing new funding sources and Local exchange carriers (telephone companies) program reductions in the Deaf and Disabled are legally responsible for ensuring that the relay Program."7 The Commission began the review of these service is provided. services in November, 1987.Informal workshops and formal proceedings have taken place since that time. D.EA.F. Trust (a not-for-profit corporation) On July 8, 1988, the Commission issued an order administers the service. which set forth the issues to be addressed by the expanded investigation.These issues included, but Relay service is available 24 hours a day,seven were not limited to, the following remarks: "Has there days a week. been fiscal or program mismanagement or abuse of the Trust Fund by the TA [Trust Administration'? What Relay service is provided by AT&T under safeguards can and should be developed to eliminate contract. any real or perceived mismanagement of the Trust? Should limitations be imposed on the use of the CRS 1.800 and WATS lines are used. to reduce costs the Trust Fund and, if so, what types and to what extent?"8 There is no consumer advisory council. In July, 1988, the Public Utility Commission, in Resolution T-13005. ordered that from October 1, 1988, Only intrastate calls are placed for relay users. through June 30, 1990, a charge of .5% of the total bill on all intrastate tariffed services be collected to fund AT&T System 85 is used. California's telephone access programs. Then, effective July 1, 1990, the charge will revert back to a level of Financing for the California Relay Service: not more than ten cents per subscriber line.

The California Relay Service (CRS)was established under the Public Utility Code Section 2881 by Senate Illinois Relay Service. Profile Bill 244 chartered in 1983. The CRS is onlyone of a number of telecommunicationsaccess services provided Projected Implementation Date: As soon as in California.Initially, funding of a three-cent practicable, but no later than June 30, 1990. surcharge per subscriber line was establishedto fund all of the programs. (See Figure 2.) Projected Call Volumes:50,000 /month (initial st- On January 1, 1987, the CRS opened its doors.It up), 100,000/month (sifter one year of operation).9 was soon evident that actual relay usage would far exceed initial projections.It was projected that the Buaget: Based on 100,000 calls per month, the annual D.EA.F. Trust Fund would incur a deficit by mid- budget is projected to be $6,612,731.1° October, 1987, if the surcharge remainedat the three- cent funding level. Projected Cost Per Subscriber Line Per Month: Based As a result of the projected deficit, the Commission on an annual budget of $6,612,731 and 5,461,000 granted an emergency increase effective September1, access lines in Illinois, it is projected that the cost per 1987.Resolution T-12043 increased the monthly subscriber line will be approximately ten cents per surcharge for residential, business, foreign exchange, month. PBX, and semi-public service from threecents to ten cents, and increased the surcharge for Centrex and Projected Number of Relay Operators: Basedon Airport Communication Service to one cent. 100,000 calls per month, 175 relay operatorsare Effective January 1, 1988, Resolution T-12056 projected (this number does not include management, expanded the ten-cent surcharge to private; line and. etc.)." WATS/800 services and increased the Centrexmonthly surcharge to ten cents. The Commission expressed its Funding Mechanism: "The Commission shall establish concern that even these expanded revenues would not a rate recovery mechanism, authorizing charges in an sufficiently fund the programs beyond June,1988. amount to be determined by the Commission for each The California funding crisis prompted the line of a subscriber to allow telecommunications

62 6nell

coo

N.)

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICE FUNDING FLOW CHART

TRANSFER SURCHARGE $ AND $ FROM RELAY USERS

LOCAL EXCHANGE COMPANIES

(LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE PROVISION OF RELAY SERVICES) INTEREST D.E.A.F.TRUST BEARING A ACCOUNT 4 (NOTFORPROFIT CORP.) REIMBURSEMENT

A PHONE BILL

REIMBURSEMENT EXPENSES RELAY USER

RELAY CENTER AT&T

72 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

carriers providing local exchange serviceto recover initiated to develop the rules for the dual party relay costs as they are incurred under this Section [forthe service.During the first several months of workshops TDD distribution and dual party relay service]."12 and hearings it became evident to all parties that the three-cent surcharge would not be sufficientto fund General Service Description: the relay service. In the spring legislative session the ICC introduced Local exchange carriers are legally responsible H.B. 3545. The Illinois Statewide Task Force for for ensuring that relay servicesare provided. Hearing Impaired Persons (representing the interests of the hearing impaired community throughout therule- Relay service will be available 24 hoursa day, making proceedings) supported this bill.The bi'l seven days a week. provides the Commission with the authorityto set the surcharge rate based on the cost of the TDD Relay users will be billed at thesame rate which distribution and relay services, and postponed thestart- would apply if the call had been placed without up date for the relay until June 30, 1990.Despite the use of the relay. intense opposition from the telephone companies, the bill passed both Houses and has been signed by the Only intrastate calls will be placed forrelay governor. users. This flexible method of funding will enable adequate financing without the needto continually Illinois Telephone Access Corporation(ITAC) return to the legislature for a change in surcharge shall, as the agent for the local exchange levels.Along with this funding flexibility theremust be carriers, administer the relay service.(As of incentives to ensure that services are providedcost August 8, 1988, however, the IllinoisLegislature's effectively (i.e., filing of tariffs, contractual relationship Joint Committee on Administrative Ruleshas filed between the local exchange carriers ILECs] and the an official objection to the Commerce relay service provider). The task force has advocated Commission's authority to order ITACto these safeguards during the rule-making proceedings; administer the relay service.) however, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the telephone companies have opposed them. Thereare ITAC shall develop and circulatean RFP for the presently few safeguards in the Illinois Ruleto ensure provision of relay services. that the relay services will be provided in themost cost-effective manner.(See Figure 3.) A consumer advisory council has been established as a "watchdog"group. The council shall receive all ITAC and Commissionfilings, New York Relay Service Profile reports, or other information pertainingto TDD and relay services. Implementation Date: January 1, 1989.

Financing for the Illinois Relay Service: Projected Call Volume: 100,000/month(January 1, 1989 through December 31, 1989), 126,600/month In 1985 the governor of thestate of Illinois signed (January 1, 1990 through December 31, 1990). into law the Universal TelephoneProtection Law. Section 13.703 of the law providespeople with severe Projected Budget: $10.9 millionfirst year), $12.7 hearing impairments equalaccess to the million (second year). telecommunications network through theestablishment of a TDD distribution and statewide dual party relay Projected Cost Per Access Line Per Month:Nine cents service. (first year), ten cents (second year). In December of 1985, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) began proceedingsto implement Projected Number of Relay Operators:163 attendants Section 13-703. The Commission considered the 1'1)1) (first year), 172 attendants (second year), basedon distribution and dualparty relay service in two phases. three shifts. The TOD distributionwas considered first.In December of 1987, Phase II of theproceeding was Funding Mechanism: Funding for the relay is treated

64 ILLINOIS RELAY SERVICE FUNDING FLOW CHART

TRANSFER SURCHARGE $ AND S FROM RELAY USERS LOCAL EXCHANGE COMPANIES

(LECALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SURCHARGE ILLINOIS TELEPHONE ENSURING THE PROVISION OF 111..s ACCESS CORPORATION RELAY SERVICES) INTEREST ---ir. (NOTFOR-PROFIT CORP. GENERAL BEARING ACTING AS THE AGENT FOR TELEPHONE ACCOUNT 04 ILUNOIS TELEPHONE REIMBURSEMENT CONSUMER COMPANIES)

EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENT

RELAY CENTER

is Spec( b to Text: Today and Tomorrow

as normal operating expenses to the local exchange Commenters representing hearing impaired and companies (LECs), Relay service costs are recovered speech impaired consumers were committedto by two sources;(I) end user charges paid byusers of providing relay services of the same quality and with the relay service and (2)assessments to the local the same procedural protection as telephone services exchange companies to be recovered fromtheir general for the general population. They proposed that' the body of customers. relay service should be operated by the telephone companies and that relay costs should be absorbed by "Recovery shall be made by each localexchange all of the ratepayers. The telephone companies,on the company in the context of a formal tariff filing. other hand, proposed a relay service operated bya The method of recovery, includingrate structure, social or government agency. Aftera series of public will be subject to Commission approval . The hearings and further investigation, the Commissionput cost shall be assessed against the individuallocal the responsibility for ensuring provision of relay exchange companies basedon the ratio of each services squarely on the shoulders of the local company's number of access linesto total exchange carriers. statewide access lines for all localexchange New York's philosophy of providing relay users with companies." the same telecommunications quality and procedural protection as the general telephoneconsumers is General Service Description: reflected in its relay funding methodology. The relay service is treated as a normal operatingexpense for the Relay service parameters should trackthe local exchange carriers.13 The Commissionprojects parameters of the existing telephone networkos that the charge per access line per month will be closely as reasonably achievable. approximately nine cents during the first year of operation. The local exchange carriers ere responsible for Relay service costs are recovered fromtwo sources; ensuring that the relay service is provided. The person placing the relay call is billed 50% ofthe tariffed rate which would apply if the call hadbeen The LECs contract with AT&Tto provide relay placed without the use of the relay (this charge will services. not, however, pay for the total cost of the call); and the nonbillable portion of the relay call isrecovered at Relay service is available 24 hours a day, seven the discretion of the individual telephonecompanies days a week. from their general body of customers.Subsidies of this nature arc not uncommon to promote universal Relay users are chawd 50% ofthe tariffed rate telecommunications service.(See Figure 4.) which would apply if the call hadbeen placed without the use of the relay. Analysis of Funding Alternatives AT&T System 85 is used. There are three basic approachesto funding relai An ad' isory board composed oftelephone services, which are exemplified by Arizona, California, company representatives, Commission stall, Illinois, and New York. The first modelis that of a hearing impaired consumers, andspeech rapped surcharge or excise taxper subscriber line or impaired consumers will be established. per access line (Arizona and California). The second model is that of a flexible surchargeper subscriber Financing for the New York Relay Service: line, which could be adjizsted, dependingon actual costs of services (Illinois).The third model is one In Decembe. If :984, in response to advocates for which integrates the funding mechanisminto the the disabled community, theCommission initiated Case normal operating expenses of the telephone 28966 and issued a notice companies, soliciting comments distributing the relay cost across allrate payers (New regarding ihe establishment ofa statewide dual party York). relay service.The Commission receivedresponses from 85 individuals andgroups, and four telephone companies,

66 7f6 NEW YORK RELAY SERVICE FUNDING FLOW CHART

LOCAL EXCHANGE COMPANIES (LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE PROVISION OF RELAY SERVICES)

1011I-401111MIIMMO ao" RELAY CENTER GENERAL SERVICE PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT TELEPHONE BY AT&T CONSUMER

78 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

Three major criteria have been used to analyze the sufficient source of funding, relayservices must be funding models; cost-effective. In California, a not-for-profit corporation, the To what extent does the model promote long. D.E.A.F. Trust, was establishedto administer the TDD term financial stability? distribution and relay service. To what extent does the model Surcharges collected by promote the telephone companies flowto the D.E.A.F. Trust incentives for cost-effectiveness? Fund, to be utilized forprogram expenses.In California, the telephone companiesare legally To what extent does the model provide hearing responsible to ensure the provision of relayservices. impaired customers telephone networkaccess They transfer funds to the D.E.A.F. Trust, equal to that of general telephone the board of customers? which is dominated by telephonecompany representatives, which then transfers fundsto AT&T to The Capped Funding Model provide the relay services.It appears that this methodology may not provide the Of the three models, the capped most effective system funding model is of checks and balances by whichto ensure cost- the least effective in promotinglong-term financial effectiveness. security, cost-effectiveness, and equalaccess to the In addition, two essential cost-monitoring telecommunications network for peoplewith speech mechanisms have been overlooked in California's impairments and hearing impairments. funding process. There isno contractual relationship The capped funding modelhas not been able to between the telephone companies (which respond to fluctuating are ultimately program expenses due to responsible for the relay service) andthe D.E.A.F. escalating relay usage, and thereforeit has created a Trust. Without a contractual relationship funding crisis. When initial the local legislation was drafted, the exchange carriers are insulating themselves from amounts of capped charges legal were based on projected responsibility to provide the relayservice.If there is relay usage.Actual usage of the relay services far ro contract between the LECs and the D.E.A.F.Trust, exceeded initial projections,however, thus creatinga there is no easily monitored mechanism funding shortfall situation. by which the These deficits have telephone companiescan be held accountable for the necessitated returning to thestate legislatures for transfer and usage of funds. funding increases. Advocates in Ariz'ona have returned Secondly, the LECs are not requiredto file tariffs to their legislature once. in California,legislative for relay services. appeal has occurred Requiring the LECs to file tariffs numerous times and still there is would create incentives to provide no final solution to insufficient funding. services cost effectively, as the LECs would be held With each return to the to those legislature and each request projections and could not abandonservice.If relay to increase funding, the relay's futuremay be service expenses exceeded the projected jeopardized. costs filed in Continual requests for increased the tariffs, the LECs would need surcharge or excise tax permission from the rates to fund escalating relay Commission prior to increasing theirrecovery. The costs could trigger an outcry fromgeneral telephone tariff filing procedure would enable customers. This could lead to drastic the Commission to cutbacks in relay monitor_lay service expenses justas it monitors the services in order to decreasecosts. expenses of other telecommunications services. 'Ibis has been evidenced by the Public Utility Of the four states' relay services,Arizona's is the Commission's proceedings in California.One of the least costly to operate. ACHIcontracts with a private questions being asked is whetherthe use of the relay not-for-prcfit social service should be limited in order agency to provide the relay to reduce expenses.if service.Ii1.. estimated that Arizona's services are limited, people with average cost per severe hearing relay call is approximately $2.30,compared to impairments and people with speech impairments will California's average costper call of approximately $6. be denied equalaccess to the telecommunications Although Arizona's relaysystem is presently less network. The :apped fundingmodel as it is presently costly, there is one structured does not concern regarding long-range cost- promote long-term financial effectiveness.It is questionable whether, with the stability for dual party relayservices. advent of new technology, the This leads us to the second Arizona relay would be essential question: able to adapt as quicklyas a relay service provided by Does this funding modelpromote cost-effectiveness? In a telecommunications business. New technologysuch addition to the need forproviding a flexible and Dual Party Relay Ser. 'ce: An Analysis of Funding Mechanisms as speech technology has great implications for telecommunications system (in a manner similar to New significantly reducing future relay costs. York); and therefore not require the establishment of a Although both of these relays provide service 24 separate not-for-profit corporation which would only hours a day, seven days a week, the services are still add to administrative costs. not equivalent to those telecommunications services Although there was substantial opposition from the enjoyed by general telephone users.Both Arizona and telephone companies, the proposed Ninth Interim California have developed relay systems which are Order requires each LEC to file a tariff providing separate entities and not integrated into the existing descriptions and costs of relay service functions and telecommunications system.Rather than using existing setting forth the basis for rates which will be charged telecommunications standards and financing and to the relay user.All filings with the Commission shall complaint procedures which ensure quality service and also be served on the TDD/Relay Advisory Council (a procedural protection for the general public, these watchdog group representing the hearing impaired states have developed their own standards and community). Both the Commission and the Advisory procedures. Council can more easily monitor costs through these These approaches do not provide the relay user tariff filings. with the same high quality of service and the same The PIR proposed integrating the relay service into procedural protection as general telephone users.In the existing telecommunications network and opposed the December 1987 Relay Audit, the Arizona auditor the establishment of a not-for-profit corporation to general expressed concern over the quality of relay administer the relay service.It has been demonstrated services being provided. However, the most alarming by the New York Commission that the additional example of this inequality is that the relay services in administrative cost of the not-for-profit corporation is these two states could be terminated as a result of not necessary for the management of the relay service. insufficient funding. Other telephone services cannot The PIR's proposal was not accepted and the proposed be terminated because the local exchange carriers have Ninth Interim Order stated that "the LECs shall.. . filed tariffs which do not allow them to abandon jointly administer the relay service through their joint service. agent, the ITAC [the not-for-profit Illinois Telephone Access Corporation]." The Illinois legislation's Joint The "Flexible* Funding Model Committee on Administrative Rules has, however, filed an objection questioning the Commission's legal The flexible funding model, although it comes closer authority to establish the ITAC to administer the relay to promoting long-term financial stability and equal services. access to the telecommunications system, falls short of The Illinois model, like Arizona and California, does being the most effective model. not provide a service which is equal in quality to that The Illinois Relay Service solves the problem of experienced by general telephone users.Illinois returning to the legislature for increased funding.H.B. established its own funding procedures and less 3545, which was passed in the spring, 1988, will enable stringent quality of service standards rather than using the Illinois Commerce Commission to set the surcharge procedures already established for general telephone rate based upon the costs of the TDD distribution and customers. relay service.This funding mechanism is flexible so Illinois relay users will, however, receive procedural that if relay program costs fluctuate, the subscriber line protection similar 'o those of general telephone users. surcharge has the capability to fluctuate also. The telephone companies' requirement to file tariffs Therefore, there will not be a need in the future to will make cost information accessible to the Advisory return to the legislature for funding increases. Council and will enable consumer input through Although the Illinois Relay Service appears to solve Commission complaint and hearing procedures. The this initial problem, it does not provide sufficient proposed Ninth Interim Order has stated that any mechanisms which will ensure cost-effectiveness. disputes regarding the relay service shall be governed Throughout the rule-making proceedings, the hearing by the Illinois Administrative Code. These are the same impaired community, represented by the Public Interest procedural protection provided to general telephone Representatives (PIR),14 advocated for the following users, and no less. cost-effectiveness mechanisms:to require the local Illinois has taken steps to promote financial stability exchange carrier, +o file tariffs for relay services with and equal procedural protection for Hay consumers, the Illinois Comme.,:e Commission; to integrate the These features are inadequate, however, unless the relay service into the already existing relay service is managed cost effectively.'This flexible

69 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

funding model has the potential for promoting a The rate issues which arc being addressed byNew runaway spending mentality without regardto cost York relay users are the same fundamentalongoing mtainment. Only time will tell whetherIllinois will issues addressed by general telephone be led down the same path customi..3s. as California, where Hearing impaired and speech impairedpersons hearings have been instituted to investigate program addressing the same utilities issuesas general management. telephone customers provide the opportunityto develop even strongerconsumer coalitions to address The Integrated Funding Model common concerns.

The integrated funding model,as compared to the Conclusion capped and flexible models,appears to most effectively promote long-term financial stability, cost-effectiveness, This is a time of innovation and experimentation. and equality of telecommunicationsservice for relay Statewide dual party relay services have the users. great potential to bridge the telecommunicationsgap This funding model treats the relayexpenses as between hearing, hearing and speech impaired normal operating people. expenses of the local telephone The funding mechanism which is chosen by companies. each relay It integrates the relayexpenses into the service will provide the underpinning for the actual rate base of general telephone consumers rather than provision of services.This choice may make the setting up an entirely new process. This is a flexible difference between a relay service whichis integrated mechanism which avoids the problemsof a capped into regular telephon, services for funding model. years to come or is a separate relay system which, in the end,may be The integrated model has also put in place the abandoned because of escalating surchargesor excise procedures to promote cost-effectiveness.The local taxes. Of the three funding models presented, the exchange carriers are requiredto file tariffs for relay integrated model, as exemplified by New York, services with the Commission. This comes is the same the closest to promoting financial stability,cost- procedure which is used for all other effectiveness, and equal access to the telecommunications services.In addition to tariff telecommunications network. filings, a contractual relationship willbe established between the local exchange carriersand the relay service provider (AT&T). The New York State Department of Public Service Notes has, however, expiIsed concern regarding thecost- effectiveness of the relay service."Although the direct 1. A dual party relay service enables telephone costs of the system appear reasonable, A&F communication; between a hearing impairedperson (Accounting and Financing) is concerned that the profit using a TDD and a hearingperson without a TDD margin is high.. . We recommend that the Commission through the assistance ofa relay operator. The relay allow the LECs fullrecovery, but put them on notice operator translates the TDD-typed that the Commission will message into a expect them to develop lower verbal message for the hearingperson and, in turn, cost alternatives or to introduce incentivemechanisms translates the verbal message into into the contract to reduce a TDD-typed message or control costs..."15 for the TDD user. The New York Commission hasstated that the relay service should track the parameters of the existing 2. H.R Rep. No. 888, 97th Cong., 2ndSession 4 (1982) telephone network as closelyas is reasonably quoted from the FCC Comments regardingInterstate achievable. The relay service utilizesexisting Dual Party Relay Service, August, 1988. telecommunications standards andprocedures.This is in contrast to the other three states, which have 3. The following states are in theprocess of developing developed totally separate systems to administer relay an'intrastate dualparty relay service: Arizona, services. The New York LECs arc required to file California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii,Illinois, Kansas, tariffs, contract with the relayservice provider (AT&T), Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and use general telephone operators' Minnesota, service standards Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, for relay operate rs. Rhode Island, South nakota, Texas, Utah, andVermont.

70 Dual Party Relay Service: An Analysis of Funding Mechanism

4. S.B. 1010, Chapter 35, Title 36, G-q.pter 17.1 Article 10. Ibid.p. 115. 1, Sec. 351947 and Sec. 421472. 11. Ibid., p. 80. 5. "Performance Audit, Arizona Council for the Hearing Impaired, The Telecommunication Device for the Deaf 12. FIB 3545, etc., 85th General Assembly 1987 and Program, Auditor General, December, 1987, 87.13, p. 1988 Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13.703. 12. 13. State of New York Public Service Commission 6. Is.p.17. Resolution by the Commission Case 26158, Resolution April 28, 1987, p. 8. 7. Public Utilty Commission, Order Instituting Investigation, No. I. 8741.031 filed Nov. 25, 1987. 14. The Public Interest Representatives is composed of the following major parties:the Illinois Statewide Task 8. Decision 88-07.033 July 8, 1988, Order Expanding Force for Hearing Impaired Persons; City of Chicago, Scope of Investigation.Before the Public Utility Attorney General's Office; Department of Rehabilitation Commission of the state of California. Services; Citizens Utility Board; the Chicago Hearing Society; and the Office of Public Counsel. 9. "Report of the Illinois Telephone Association on the Proposed Design of the Dual Party Relay System to 15. "Recommendation to the Commission from the Connect Deaf Persons with Persons of Normal Consumer Services Division and Communications Hearing," August 28, 1987, 3. Division of the State of New York Department of Public Services," April 5, 1988.

71 82 Jack Levesquo, DeafnessCounseling Advoaq and kflerralMenty ..., .10114011...... /..0-10...... , PANEL: FINANCING MODELS IN STATEPROGRAMS*

PANEL:" Pamela Ransom Stuart Brackney Jack Levesque Kathy Woods

Pamela Ransom the evolution of a stable cost-effective relay service. We will specifically focus on the financing alternatives There are two opposing policies which underlie the for a dual party relay service, way a relay service is implemented. The relay service There are three basic approaches to financing relay may be established as separate from the existing services. The first is a fixed or capped surcharge telecommunications network or it may be integrated model. The second is a flexible surcharge model, and into that already exiting network.Relay services the third is an integrated funding model.In both established as separate from the telecommunications Arizona and California, the legislators have established network, exemplified by Arizona, California, and Illinois, a cap on the surcharge or excise tax that iscollected have not been as effective in promoting long-term per subscriber line or per access line.In Illinois, financial stability, cost-effectiveness, or access equal to initial legislation was established with the capped that of general telephone consumers. surcharge; however, that was amended this past session Integrating a relay service as much as possible into so that the Commerce Commission inIllinois can set the existing telecommunications network is exemplified the telephone subscriber surcharge rate based on the by the New York relay system.It is this approach costs of the actual TIN) and relay service program.So which has the greater potential for long-term financial this model is a more flexible one. stability, cost-effectiveness, and service which is equal New York's philosophy is really the integrated to that of the general telephone customer in terms of model.Its philosophy from the beginning has been to equal procedural protection and equal standards of develop a relay service which tracks the parameters of service. the existing telecommunications network as closely as is Our panelists will present alternatives and stimulate reasonably 2' chievable.This funding model treats the discussion and debate, which will hopefully promote relay expens:!s as normal operating expenses of the

This is a transcript of a panel presented at the conference, Because the conference was captioned, the text couldbe saved and edited.

"Pamela Ransom, Chicago Hearing Society-Chicago, Illinois Stuart hackney, Arizona Council for the Hearing Impaired-Phoenix, Arizoti Jack Levesque , Deafness Counseling Axil/ochry and Referral Agency/California D.E.A.F. Trust Fud-San Leandro, California Kathy Woods, New York State Department of Public Service-Albany, New York Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

local telephone companies. It integrates the expenses telephone relay service.All three are under one into the rate base of the generaltelephone consumers. charge because at that time, in 1983, Each panelist has been asked there was a large to describe his or her amount of money accumulated, and they decidedto state's relay service, discuss themechanics and the add other programs to the initial [TDD financing approaches of their distribution] services, and then give one. Whether or not that was wise remainsto be you an idea as to what theysee as the strengths and seen. We did have one problem: The weaknesses of the financing term "deaf' approaches that their appears on the phone bill.I wish we had never put states have taken. Each panelist is a relay expert in his that term in, because itgave a negative picture to the or her state, and they will be able to provide you, I people who were paying their monthlybills; but that's think, with a very unique approachand unique life. perspective. Now I'd like to talk about funding.I'd like to talk about the money, how muchwe .,arned, and how it is Jack Levesque spent. We have approximately $20 million forthree programs--the TDD distributionprogram, the TDD relay service, and the handicapped devices I have a responsibility distribution to explain the funding in program. The call volume for the relay California. program is now I also must try not to be biasedin my talk around the $250,000 mark about the funding. per month. You have heard In 1982 and 1983, therewas a lot about the funding problems in California. of discussion in California This is due about continuing the to the demand by deaf and hearingusers of the TDD distribution of TDDs. In Sacraniento,we met to relay service. We are not in the hole discuss whether we should continue because of distributing TDDs problems, but mostly because the predictionsof usage because we had already disseminatedabout 15,000 have been surpassed. TDDs in California. Some It was forecasted that 50,000 people felt that nowwas the calls a month would be the time for a relay telephone service. average.It was five times Some otherfelt more than that in reality. that we should distribute This shows that deaf people TDDs to employers, families need this service. The legislature and friends; so after and the Public some discussion, we came to the Utilities Commission have instituted agreement that we would focus a temporary on the TDD relay measure of collecting one-half of 1% service, with the understanding per month on the that none of us would customer's monthly phone bill until oppose that bill. We had an agreement next year. They that some of want to study the problem until they finda way to us would not oppose the bill because ofthe politics in resolve the funding situation in the community related a fair way. The relay to who should be providing the service covers more than 120 service--that is, social service operators who handle agencies or a tel the phone calls, mor thanten managers to supervise company. At that time, we expectedto talk with Pacific the system, a site in Woodland Bell in California. Hills, and all other For a few years we discussedthe expenses related to running a business. Some issues; the governor signed the figures bill in 1983, with the show that tilt' average call for relay relay service to begin in 1986. runs to about $7,50 per call.This is a marveloussystem; let me share some AT&T won the contractto provide the services. of the different perspectives. The local telephone companies agreed to allow Pacific We have a situation that people Bell to collect the need to money monthly.Pacific Bell turns understand. Congressman the money over to the D.E.A.F. Major Owens mentioned this Trust, where it is put morning that the deaf community needs into an interest-bearing to advocate for account at the Bank of the services. AT&T, which America. provides services, hasa role D.E.A.F. Trust is reTonsiblefor monitoring to provide that service. They have how the money is collected to work together to and disbursed, not how make sure that the service is the telephone companies provided. There are a lot run the programs. This may of communication problemsin the deaf community change in the future, but Iam here to talk about the itself because they present system. arc not very good at speakinj, yipor sharing their concerns with thetelephone company. The D.E.A.F. Trust receives threecents from each The telephone companies themselves subscriber's phone bill; before, want to hear the it was ten cents but it problems, but the deaf people don'tspeak up. So the has been reduced to threecents. Keep in mind that telephone company thinks everythingis fine. this revenue covers threeareas: TDD distribution, At the same time, I'm not a' s sure where AT&T equipment for handicappedpersons, and TDD is coming from.Let me give o three examples to

74 85 Panel: Financing Models in State Programs show AT&Ttwo or three examples from the deaf side, we need to communicate, not hide things under the to be fair.I went on a camping trip with fifteen deaf table.Deaf people are very gullible. We shouldn't be people one weekend.I decided to talk about the taken advantage of. We need to cooperate more. California Relay Service.I sat down with them and Another example: We met several times last summer asked them what they thought of the service.Everyone in San Francisco about the settlement hearings to said, "Oh, it's fine." They loved it."Twenty four hours resolve how to improve services.There was a lawyer a day, seven days a weekwonderful."I asked if there there who represented a telephone company. He were any problems."No," came the resounding spent all week there.His number one role was to answer. make sure that no one touched the budget.I didn't So I explained what happened to me on the phone. feel that was an action of good faith of us working I put the phone on the hook, and I started typing and together. When it was over, the lawyer sat down and waited and waited. They said, "Oh, I'm used to that.I wanted to talk and said, "Let's contact each other and have had to wait all my life and I have had to be talk more later."Remember, during that whole week patient." But I call that a problem.I am concerned. they [discussed] relay service; and the lawyer said, Why did they have to wait? "Did you find out why you "You know, I want to contact you, but how?"I gave had to wait?" I asked. They said, "No, I'm used to it." him my phone number, and the lawyer said, "How can They said, "Sometimes it is busy."I said, "You don't I contact you?I don't understand. Should I have call that a problem?" They said, "No, I'm used to it." someone interpret for you or..."I said, "I spent a People are inclined not to call those things problems whole week here with you and you still don't while the telephone compat y is waiting to hear any understand the relay system yet?Something is not problems or concerns that people have. right."So we need more partnership' and more A few people speak out, but many don't.There are cooperation. some who have problems with operators, and deaf people accept those as normal. They said, "Oh, they're hearing.I'm deaf.Because they're hearing, they know Stuart Brackney more." They're used to that. We need to put a stop to it. We need to educate our community. We have Actually, I can do this really quickly. Arizona is the that responsibility to teach them that if they don't land of the six shooter. They still wear guns on their speak out, things will not change. Things will not hips.Here is the explanation of the program's history: improve. We just took the money and ran.I'm only joking. So on the AT&T side of the coin, let me give you an 'ibis is not true.This is not true. example.I understand that yesterday the telephone I would like to cover a different approach, the one company filed a petition with the FCC.In California, a that was used in Arizona. You need to understand the group of people met to discuss several issues. One political atmosphere--what you can and can't do, and issue was voice carryover.This telephone service is what you would like to try to accomplish. We not only for deaf people, you know. It's for all approached the state legislature, which had an interest different kinds of hearing impaired people, hard of An relay services. We were unsuccessful with the hearing people, people who were deafened, people phone company the first year with a piece of legislation who were born deaf, people who have lost their voice. that would have created funding. We went back and Some people can talk, some people can hear and not got the phone company to reevaluate its posture as it talk.Some people can talk and not hear, so the voice related to relay services.I won't get into the issue of carryover allows choices.It enables people who have whether it is a telephone service or a social service. a variety of different problems to use the telephone.If The point is we went back with a bill.The bill ends they want to talk into the phone and receive a typed up charging everyone's phone bill.Here is a critical message back; or if some other [vocally impaired] point.I think it is applicable to whit you will hear people may want to hear, so that cuts down on time. later about New York. We did not want a tax or a It shortens the length of a long distance call.My surcharge on residents only. We felt that businesses understanding is that the group met and eve) ything would reap the benefit of being able to receive seemed to be all right. They needed to investigate the business inquiries from John Doe deaf, John Doe cost itself and everything, but AT&T opposei that speech impaired, so the tax that we applied in Arizona without any of us knowing.I don't like th it.I think was one that was across the board--all businesses, all we need to be more open about those nin4s.I think residents.

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It was a formula tax.Some of you know of states negotiations and trying to resolve issues,That's a lot that have taxes designated in a penny amount. Oursis of time.Consumers, as Jack pointed out, are not only a formula.It started out as two-tenths of 1% of the deaf people, but they are speech impaired people and base charge paid per customer line.I'm not a families.They are frustrated with the amount of time telephone man so bear with me onsome of my required for public hearings and filing of dockets, etc. telephone phraseology.It ended up being two cents a We were able, through this approach, not touse the month per residential customer. The state of Arizona Arizona Corporation Commission (in another state, it had all the phone companies collecting thatmoney. might be called the Public Utility Commission). The phone companies have collected themoney. They Instead, we put a bid on the street saying, "Excuseme, give it to the Department of Revenue. That'our state who wants to distribute TDDs according to these rules? tax collector.He, in turn, gives it to my stateagency. Send us a bid to our RFP." As Jack was saying, we watched the program in We got a nonprofit organization to distribute TDDs, California; we watched the TDD distributionprogram, a nonprofit organization that was familiar with the deaf and then we watched the beginning of relay services. community and was located in the two major We, in our statute, said that the money will be usedfor communities, Tucson and Phoenix. We then got into both.So we used one statute to say thepurpose of relay services, and we have a funding problem that tax dollars will be to do both-- provide TDDs and everybody, including California, is confronted with. provide relay service. We choseto give uut TDDs first. The biggest cost for relay is what you payyour During the first year, you have a rule-writingprocess. operators. The operators are your biggest cost, so we So we ended up with money being collected byphone awarded a contract for a relay service toa nonprofit companies, given to the tax collector, whogave it to group that is paying fewer dollars for their relay me; I turn around and put that money into an interest- operators compared to, let's say, larger bearing account, which you will findmost state companies/corporations/telephone utilities.So the agencies or most states have. Take their general fund, cost for us to show that the service was needed, was the annual taxes you pay. They just don'tsit there, low. And we got the service starteda lot quicker. they earn interest. We took the TDDmoney and put it What is the downside to this? Well, the downside into an interest-bearing account whilewe were writing is that our three years were almost up. We hurriedup that rule on how the relay will berun and how the and got a state audit of the relay service, and hereis TDDs will be distributed.That was a full year.It took what they told us.(I love it when another state us a full year, and we're talking abouta lot of agency tells me what I have been telling them for a community participation. The fundingmoney, long time.)One, relay service is needed. Two, it therefore, is building up. We then begandistribution should be expanded. Three, it should continue of TDDs. receiving funding.Four, the funding should be We had a problem in Arizona, and I don't increased to meet caller demand.I felt like a prophet. recommend this approach toeveryone. The problem I said, "I could have told you that, but I would rather was that we live in a six-shooter land, pickup trucks you tell me that because now I will take your report to andle racks, cactus, and lots of heat. We also livein the state legislature and say, 'You know that law that is a state that we are proud to say is the home of'Miry going to sunset? Well, here is the Auditor General's Goldwater.I have a super consc-vative legislature.In bill, and here is the bill to continue theprogram and using the legislative approach,we ended up with what to increase the tax formula again from two cents to was called a three-year program.After the third year four cents."It passed, not because I said it would, of the program (they use thisterm in state but because the auditor general reviewed theprogram government), the program will "sunset." Theydon't and said it is needed: "Continue it.Increase it, and say, "The. program will die." They have this term that by the way, you need some additional revenue." says it will just pass into the sunset. We said, "Fine." The negative side of that program isyou don't want The first year we were writing rulesas we were to be stuck in the scenario of going back again and collecting the cash. The secondyear we began again to the legislature for funding increases. We have distribution of TDDs, and then the thirdyear we a joint legislative tax committee. They decide the taxes started relay.Interestingly enough, when you hear on your property; they sit down and say, "You know some of the chronologies of other states, we're talking what we need to do? We need to raise property taxes." somewhere into the third and fourthyear of [Instead of a capped rate] we could have given them

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[the joint tax committee] legislation to increaie our I would caution you not to be shy, whichever telephone tax, if you will, as the needs dictated.But I funding approach you use.I would hope you use was advised by the key legislative leaders that they [Arizona's] as an example to consider as you lead intc don't meet very often.It's not a popular topi You the New York approach.I find the New York may not want to do it that way. See if you c.,J., hang approach stimulating, because I can't continue to keep in there with a cap. up with growth using a nonprofit.I love [nonprofit In March of 1987, we started out with about 10,000 relay services].They provide me a quality service. The calls a month. A year later now, we are doing 22,000 deaf community loves them. The tearing unpaired love calls a month. August of this year, we are doing them. The deaf-blind love them. The point is we will 27,000 calls a month. My definition of a call is not the not ever be able to keep up with growth for two number of calls that come in.It's the number of calls reasons. One, we are not a phone company and two, that go out because we don't have a limitation on we don't have the flexible revenue base to look to. consecutive calls.That's a lot of calls.If I need to The concern I have on setting up relay services is hire more relay operators, the state constitution says, twofold: If we are going to start a program as we did "Stu, you cannot incur a bill for money you don't have in Arizona, I knew that we could do it for two cents a in the bank." That is the rule for all good businessmen month. There were some legislators who said, "Stu, and also the rule for Arizona.I cannot just hope we that is not very much money."I said, "Let me start will get new money.It is fixed money. The problem small and build up." Telephone people, regulators and of my approach in Arizona is that we have a fixed super-duper consumers say, "Stu, we want equitable income, and I have to get the biggest bang for the service at the outset."I say, "You know, I wish I buck by using a nonprofit organization which pays a could, like a magician, create equitable service at the relay operator less bucks. outset." But there was a time in Arizona where the The point I would like to make is, with all the political environment said, "You can get something technology that you get for a relay service, the relay through now.If you can make it v-ork, do it now." operator will make or break the service for you. And We di 1 it. so if you are paying nickels and dimes, as everyone in Where does this leave me? There is another this room knows, you are going to get pennies back. approach I find more appropriate for Arizona now that 'Au pay for what you get or you get what you pay for. I have established a definition of the need, a volume of The rule is, find out what an operator gets in your the need, a rate of growth, and a cost factor on what it town to start figuring out costs.Find out what the is costing me with a nonprofit to run the service. phone company is paying an operator. Go to your Then I find out about New York.In New York, they local la..ur office and find out what a standard pay are opting for yet a different approach that I say, "Well, range for a switchboard operator is. We have ten duty let me now watch New York."See, I'm a thief.I'm stations in Arizona that process 27,000 calls a month. sorry, but I am,I steal from Jack in California as I Some of this is in the report. We started in 1987; watch what they do, and that's, I hope, part of the 10,000 calls a month, as I mentioned. We're now up purpose of this conference. Now I'm in operation, but to 27,000 calls a month.People love the service. I know that I cannot in the long-term provide equitable Compare Arizona and California for a split second-- services for alp.So now I look to Ms. Woods, New $48,000 a month is my operational costs.That is going York, and what they have planned for the future and up.I am now paying $62,000 a month to run relay hopefully, as I see *.heir success become a reality, I will services.It is costing me $2.30 a call.Some people use that approach. out there will hate to hear that number. Jack's number was in the $6 range.Peop1.2 hate to hear that number but don't let them snowball you. Why $2.30 a call Pamela Ransom when here in Washington, D.C. it is 20 cents for a telephone call?That's the way the general public does I am happy to be presenting the Illinois approach, their comparison analysis between cost of relay call which is really the flexible funding approach.Illinois and cost of me just using a pay phone. They say, "Why approached this a little bit differently. We began the are we paying $2.30?" Everyone in the room knows process and soon realized during the workshops and the answer. You are involving a relay operator, rulemaking proceedings that the three cents that we electricity, and overhead and telephone equipment. had initially included in the legislation, which was a capped limited surcharge, was not going to be

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suffic'ent to fund both the relay service andalso TDD administration of the relay services], which in Illinois is di! tribution. being called the Illinois Telephone Access Corporation. The past two years have been long,very involved, We learned from New York that therewas no need to and very complicatedI think MichaelHurst said it well set up this additional layer of bureaucracy, which is when he said, "the peculiar world of only going to cost the programmore money. telecommunications."I think we learned more about it Although there was substantial opposition from. the than we wanted to know. But I think the endresult telephone companies, the Ninth Interim 0. der has for the hearing impaired communityin Illinois will be a been filed by the commission.It provides descriptions very, very positive one. We will have not only TDDs and the costs of the relay services, and [is the]basis distributed, isnd a relay service, but maybe,more for surcharge rates which they charge to the telephone importantly, we will have developeda coalition of deaf subscribers.All the filings with the commission shall consumers, hard of hearing consumers, and hearing also be served on the TDD Advisory Council. This isa consumers who have worked together to develop consumer group which serves as a watchdog group to quality relay and TDD distribution services.I think ensure quality services and to ensure that the services throughout the presentations,you have heard the are proVded according to the rule.Both the recurring theme that the coalition, in the end,is really commission and the advisory council willoc able to the important result out of all of theseproceedings. more easily monitor the costs through these tariff This is the group that's going to be able to evaluate filings.I think it was also mentioned earlier that,as a and make sure that the quality is maintained. result of the tariff filings, the local exchangecarriers Although the flexible funding modelcomes closer to will not be able to Abandon this service. promoting long-term financial stability, it still,I believe, The Public Interest Representatives proposed falls short of the most effectivemodel. The Illinois integrating the relay service into the existing approach solves the problem of havingto return to the telecommunications network and opposed,as I legislature for increased funding;a bill which was just mentioned, the establishment of this nohorprofit passed this past spring will enable theIllinois corporation.However, our proposal was not ,e.cepted, Commerce Commission to set the surchargerate based and the 111C, or Illinois Telephone Access upon what it actually co ts to provide the TDD and Corporation, will be acting as the agent for the local relay services.This funding mechanism is flexible,so exchange carriers for the administration of the relay that if the relay programcosts go up and fluctuate, the services. subscriber line surcharge also will have thecapability The Illinois model, like Arizona's and California's, of doing that, Therefore, we won't have togo back to does not provide a service which is equal inquality to the legislature for increases. that which is experienced by general telephone Although Illinois appears to have solvedthis initial customers. The standards of service and funding problem, it doesn't provide sufficientmechanisms procedures for the relay service willnot be the same as which will ensure cost-effectiveness.We all know that, those standards and procedures used fur general really, [cost-effectiveness is] thebasic issue.It' we telephone customers.Unfortunately, it appears as if can't contain our costs, the ability to go back to the the standards for relay set-vice will be lessstringent legislature for additional money is totally worthless. than those required of general telephoneoperators. The hearing impaired community was represented The Illinois relay users will, however,receivesimilar by a coalition of deaf and hard ofhearing groups, the procedural protection as those of the general city of Chicago, Department of Rehabilitation Services, telephone users. The telephone companies,as I and Office of the Attorney General [Public Interest mentioned, will be required to file tariffs withthe Representatives]. We advocated for thefollowing Illinois Commerce Commission; that information willbe cost-effective mechanisms. We wantedto require the made accessible to the advisory council, and will local exchange carriers to file tariffs for relay services enable consumer input through complaintprocedures. with the Illinois Commerce Commission. And we were Illinois has taken steps to promote financialstability proposing that the service be integrated into the and equal procedural protection for relaycustomers. already existing telecommunications system, in a We don't believe these featuresare adequate, however, manner similar to New York's proposedprogram. unless the relay service is managedcost. effectively. Therefore, we would not be requiring the This flexible funding model has the potentialfor establishment of the separate notfor-profitentityfor promoting a "runaway spending" mentality without

78 Panel: Financing Models in State Programs regard to cost containment.If you know you have a decided not to abandon the project.That was because large amount of money, and you know that it can we had a lot of push behind us from such individuals fluctuate with the cos' of a service, unless the program as Paul Taylor from the National Technical Institute for is very closely monitored, there can be that feeling, the Deaf, the Monroe County Association for the "Well, the money is there, let's spend it." Hearing Impaired, and others representing deaf' and Unfortunately, that sentiment has been voiced. We hearing impaired consumers in New York state. And feel that we have set in place a number of safety with their help, we once again went out soliciting mechanismsthe tariffs, the advisory council. We tried comments, except this time the Commission did so in Illinois to bring the relay service as close as we under a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. We asked could to the telephone companies' regular services. questions. We wanted to see if perhaps the second But I think that you will see with our next presenter's time around we could gather some consensus regarding funding model that New York has come even closer to who should operate this service and how it should he actually integrating the relay service into the already funded; but once again, we didn't gather anything that existing telecommunications network, which I believe in was unanimous. Some people thought such a service the longrun will provide the most stable and the most should come from tax revenues.Others suggested a cost - effective and equal service to relay users as that surcharge. Some people thought the telephone which the general telephone customer enjoys. company should run the service.Others thought a human service agency experienced in dealing with the deaf and hearing impaired should run the service. Kathy Woods At this juncture, however, I think it's important to note what the Commission of New York state did, I feel in a funny position at tl. is point.Everyone because what it ultimately did was make two very has been talking about New York.I always feel as if I important findings.First of all, it determined that the should take off my suit jacket and h we a big S on my relay service is part of the basic service obligation of shirt and a cape, but as soon at I th.nk of that I'm the local telephone companies. Second, it determined reminded of the bumper sticker I saw in Vermont not that telephone service should be comparable to that long ago which said, "I'm from Vermont, and we don't provided to the hearing community. Now, if we keep care how they do things in flew York " those two things in mind, then everything else that the Let hie give you a brief historical perspective of the Commission did afterward follows in order.For relay service as it pertains to New York state.It began instance, the Commission established standards. One in March of :1984 when the state advocate for the of the standards was that the service should run 24 disabled, Dr. ',lances Berko wrote to the chairman of hours a day, seven days a week. Another standard that the Con-mission and asked what help the Commission the Commission determined was that the entity could offer in what she termed a priority item of the operating the relay service should be one entity, with Empire State Association of the 12af and the New York experience in telecommunications.This was a very Soc;ety of the Deaf, which was the establishment of a important finding. statewide relay service.The Commission, whose Now, I should note here that our rules said that powers are very, very broad, determined that it could the local telephone companies were responsible for the inst(tute a proceeding; but before doing so, the provision of a relay service.In New York, we were Commission wanted to send out a notice soliciting very, very fortunate because AT&T, in our Notice of comments to ,. 'hot eort of response we would get, Proposed Rulemaking. had responded and said it did what sort of inte wm; in the community. The have an interest in running a relayservice in New notice soliciting comment,~ vent out, and it should York.So the Commission took AT&T and the local come as no surprise to you that we received responses exchange companies and said, "Since AT&T has that ranged from "We think this is an unnecessary offered," (and, 1 might add, AT&T was the only entity service" to responses that said, "This is the most that offered to operate this service in New York state) important thing the Commission could ;tver dc." With "the local exchange companies, at a very minimum, regard to the spectfic questions we askedwho should should sit down and discuss with AT&T what kind of operate the service, how should it be funded, and what system it is proposing."Ultimately, we had a series of system would be best? there was no unanimous contractual meetings between the local exchange response. We received a variety of answers. companies and AT&T. There were meetings with the However, the COMMI651011, at this point in time, PSC and its staff to try and iron out some of the

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differences, and ultimately a contract was presented to travelled throughout the stateto various seminars and the Commission. And the Commission,with some made presentations, minor modifications to it, agreed thatwas the best January 1, 1989 is the big day.It's hard to say contract at that point in time. Oursystem will become where call volume is going to be. Atthis point in time operational on January 1, 1989. our best guesstimate has been 100,000 callsa month. In addition to some of the standards that I have The budget for the firstyear will be $10.9 million.If already mentioned, thereare some other standards that we were doing it on a cost-per-access-line, it would I wish to present to you because they are very turn out to be approximately 9.2 centsa month. We important in keeping in mind that this telephone are estimating there will be approximately 162 relay service is considered a basic operating service.Costs operators for the first year and, as you cansee, should be treated as normal operating expenses to the funding will he recovered from theuser phone bills local exchange companies. Chargesfor calls should be and assessments to the local exchange from point of origination companies, who to point of termination, and will treat the costs as local operatingexpenses.In should be independent of the actualrouting that other words, they will place thecosts not recovered occurs. through the charges for the calls in theirrate bases. Another standard that the commission determined We want to make sire that the standardsfor operators was that an advisory board should be established.The that exist in the telephonesyst.em and the telephone advisory board in our state will assist in providing network now will exist for the relayservice. input advice on operator training, consumer education, As I explained, the telephone companiesare problem solving, and future enhancements. That's a responsible for the provision ofa relay service but in tall order for an advisory board. Right now, we are New York, they have contractedout with AT&T. The concentrating logically on operator trainingand relay service will operate 24 hoursa day, seven days a consumer outreach and education activities. We had week. Users will be charged 50% ofthe tariff rate of a our first meeting just last week. It was a doozy. Keep call placed without the relay.There has been some in perspective that itwas a good dialogue between discussion of that lately, since AT&T, the local exchange companies, New York state already the PSC and the has tariff provisions in place whichallow for a 50% user community. Things w re presented dietwould discount to TDD users.It is the Commission staff's have never occurred to those of us inexperienced in position at this point in time that the 50%rate applies the world of hearing impairments anddeafness. We to any and all cost calls placed through the relay were provided useful information about how billings service.That policy has to be passed through the can be better structured, useful informationabout what Commission for final approval. we need to find in operatorstheir experiencein ASL, The AT&T PBX is a System 85. their ability to type accurately, and Very simply, the to speak accurately. expenses AT&T will incur operating the relay service All of these things were presented and we all have will be allocatedamong all the 41 local operating some tasks in front of us whichwe will have to meet telephone companies in the state, in order to be prepared for Telephone users our next meeting which who use the relay service willpay for part of their will take place next month. calls.The res -the actualexpenses for the costs that The last thing I wantto talk about is a standard in aren't recovered through the telephone which the commission said charges--will be that the local telephone placed in the local operatingexpenses of the telephone directory and bill inserts, at leastonce a year, should companies, and will most logically be recovered contain information on the relayservice so it won't through intrastate services. become lost in the myriad of pages that people get in There /ITC a lot of ways to skina cat, as the their bills. Also we feel that maybe the hearing expression goes, and certainly,as you have seen from community is the community that needsto be the best this panel, different states have educated about this since this will approached the idea of be a very new and a relay service in different ways.I'm very proud of different service to them. Our feelingin New York has New York's system because 1 think it places been that the deaf community has the relay always encountered service where it heiongs, that is tosay as an operating obstacles in their commihicationneeds via the service of the local exchange carriers. The telephone. Most have heard about tL a relay service Commission, as I explained before, has broadpowers. since AT&T and the Public Service Commission have One of those powers says that when theCommission

80 91 Panel: Financing Models in State Programs determines that any telephone service is inequitable or providing as part of its basic service obligation. And inadequate, it has the right to institute a proceeding, as such, the costs are all melded together as part of schedule hearings, and try to do something to make the local operating expenses. that service equitable and adequate.I think that's exactly what the New York Commission has done in Question [Cynthia Norwood]:I have two questions. this Instance.It's not over with yet. First, what do you think about a voluntary system to We are still looking forward to January 1, 1989.I fund part of it?I realize after listening today that we anticipate we will probably see some problems with could not fund the entire amount, but hi Virginia we calls coming into the system and the system being have something in the electric industry where you arc overloaded. That won't be anything new to AT&T.It allowed to put money onto your bill, for example, a has experienced it in California.But it has learned dollar or extra two dollars to help people who need from that experience, and it has a commitment in New electricity in the cold months. My second question is York state.I think that with the help of the how do you know or how do we know that these community and PSC and the interest of AT&T and the costs arc not going to really skyrocket, and if they do, local exchange companies and some patience, we will how are we going to tell the average ratepayer, Well, see a really terrific system in New York. the $3 on your bill, well, it's for these particular types of situations"? Do you think it is going to happen, and if so, what do you think we are going to tell the rate QUESTION AND ANSWER payers?

Answer [Stuart Braclariey]: I am going to respond to Question [Latham Breunig]: How is NYNIDC involved the first part of your question. We looked at that in this? volunteer approach Number one, the phone company, as they participate in that type of approach, Answer [Kathy Woods]: Neu) York telephone Company ended up telling us it was extremely expensive to [NYNEX] is one of the 41 local exchange companies in have customers sign on to contribute an extra dollar New York. As I said before, all the telephone to their monthly telephone bill.They wanted a companies in New York are responsible for the Christmas fund approach where you committed provision of this service.They have all contracted yourself for a full year.The negative side of that is with AT&T to provide this service, that what we have heard about quality and equity of service.The quality and equity of service starts to be Question [Bill Cutler]:I would like to direct my depleted, as the funds are not there with respect to question to Jack [Levesque] and Kathy [Woods]. You hold time for a caller to get in through the system have described two approaches to collecting the money because there is not an operator. without judgment, although Jack wishes "deal" were no part of our surcharge label in California.I would like This is Stu Brackney's opinion: If a relay service has some judgment as to the philosophy or the ethics of a base dollar amount of funds to operate on, but it burying the costs in the bill in New York.It sounds does not match its total fiscal obligation, and it must very slick politically, but is it legitimate? go to volunteer monies, then the fluctuation of the incoming volunteer dollars, if you will, will be Answer [Kathy Woods]: Well, now, I don't consider it directly related to the fluctuating of the quality of bidden, just as I don't consider the company service as it relates to equitable service for the president's salary bidden; we don't have a separate bearing community. In other words, one month you line item, for instance, for the president's salary. We might have equitable service for the relay service user don't have separate line items of a telephone because there were some donations that came in to company's marketing expenses.If their central office cover costs.I know I'm breaking it down into a blows up and they have to replace it before its useful small time element.I think you get my point.The life, we don't suddenly have a se arate line item that quality element goes up and down as the donated says we are now going to pay 25 cents a month for doll irs come in.Then you get the consumer who the next so many months because we have to replace doesn't know a good month from a bad month.I the cemral office.In our opinion, it is just one of the could just respond very briefly to the second question many services that a telephone company should be that you bad in regard to costs possibly getting out of

81 Do Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

line. I think there are a number of thingsthat we about getting those precise figures thatare present on can do. First is to ensure that the local exchange accountants' reports-those things thatare proprietary carriers file tariffs, and that's where they are going to information? How do I go about doing thatwithout be projecting what the cost of theservice is going to spending a year before getting anywhere? be.That will give the commission theability to monitor those costs, and also establisha consumer Answer [Stuart Brackney]:There is an annual report advisory council. You can monitor those costs. of the dollars spent that Iam required to give to the budget committee for the seat" of Arizona,Tbis gives Question: What I have been hearingtoday, is it is you a summary-this is prior to our rate increase-of really a cost per call? If that is true andmore and what our dollars boughtus with the distribution of more people hear about this service andyou have an TDD and relay service.I brought additional copies incredible number of calls coming in, who is to know for the rest of you if you wouldlike some after what that limit is going to be? I'mnot saying there today's session. should be a limit; don't anybodyget excited. Who is going to know how that's going to go? Answer [Pamela Ransom]:In Illinois, we believe that the telephone companies were in the bestposition to Answer: One thing we are going to be talkingabout provide that kind of statistical informationso that later on in the week is the new technology and the the Commission requested that the telephone co,nputer technology that mayvery well be able to companies provide the dollars and cents figures. cut the costs, the manpower, people The power costs. bearing impaired community established the standards of service.There was some latitude, but Comment [Joe Heil]:I would like to respond to the we were more concerned with the actual standards last question. Number tine, I think it's a question of and the specifications. We set up the rules, andthen dignity and rights.I don't think anybody wantsto be a we let them develop the numbers. charitable case. Whenyou start asking for volunteer funds to help those quote, poor deaf people, I think Comment [Jack Levesque]: I'm off the pointnow but there's a complete loss ofperspective and dignity. I've been studying the charts, the Let's go back to your question of organizational the quality. Until the factors, and I heard people talk about advisorygroups deaf person's average residentialcalling rate exceeds and so forth.I'm concerned, where do the deaf the calling rate that I make or any other hearing people, the hard of hearing people, the deafand blind person makes, then I will never be surprisedif the people fit in terms of control of the volumes keep going program that it is up until they reach the same level supposed to serve that population.Are we subject to of using relay and making the same amount of the good will of people whomay truly control those telephone calls that I and therest of the hearing program;,or do we have some clouti' people do. Really, advisory groups have no power. It is up to them to advise, but others make the decision. Where is themanagement in Question [Eileen Alter]:I am responsible for tryingto those programs? Do deaf people have 50% acquire funding for a relay service. control of I have been that? No. I look at the Illinois ITAC.Are there 51% looking at going to the legislaturein Texas.I have deaf people on that? I don't know. already been approached with I haven't seen trying to determine those figures.I know there is a problem in California. specific numbers to explain to our legislature and We want more deaf peopleas managers, and we will explain to other people who will be making a avoid many of those little problems thatwe had before. determination of what our costs willbe as to what In New York, I look at the organizational chart. precisely they will be buying. Where I have been basingmy are the deaf people? They arc all below the top.I'm figures on those costs generatedby you folks up there, very concerned about that. and that does not seem good enough.I was surprised to learn yesterday that Nev' York was able to use Question:I just moved to California, andwe cannot California's figures and get thatpassed.Unfortunately, use our relay services out of state. We resent that I have been asked to explain precisely we what the million have to pay $2.60 a month for theuse of the services dollars that I'm proposing foradministrative costs will that we can't access. So I'm wondering buy, as well as the other $3 if the deaf million. how do yougo community of California has approached thisissue, if

82 Panel: Financing Models in State Programs you will face the same problem there.I don't want to California, although we are hoping to follow the pay for any service that I can't access. model of New York and begin to implement interstate calling within the next year.I would also like to Answer [Kathy Woods]: The $2.60 doesn't truly point out that TDD users in California can, place represent the ability to make interstate calls.To interstate calls on a TDD-to-TDD basis.They are not reuse the phrase that Mike used and Pain used, this is precluded from that in California.That service Is part of "the peculiar world of telecommunications." available to consumers in California. The $2.60 doesn't represent the ability to make interstate calls.It used to be that toll charges, which Answer [Kathy Woods]:I know there is the belief were very overpriced, helped pay for your local access that New York's system will accommodate interstate line, which typically (at least it is in our state and calls.But I would say at this poini in time that I am most states) is underpriced.That means that the not convinced that will happen.The reason is not a access line is priced below its true cost. What the technical one. AT &T could accommodate interstate FCC did was to place the costs more squarely where calls.The reason is an administrative one.First of they belong.Instead of overpricing toll charges to all, there is the issue of filing the appropriate tariffs pay for local exchange access, it is trying to bring with the FCC.Secondly, there is the issue of equity. those costs down where they belong.The $2.60 As you know, what the user pays for a call truly doesn't represent the ability to make interstate calls. doesn't represent the cost of the call. A user may pay three dollars when the true cost of the call was really Comment [Michael Hurst]: That's a reasonable eight dollars.That leaves another five dollars that argument, but the FCC has jurisdiction over that $2.60 has to be assessed to somebody. In our state, it because it is considered interstate in nature, and that's would be assessed to the New York state ratepayers. what gives the FCC the ability to impose that rate. However, assessing that charge to all the New York Where does the FCC get off imposing this fee on state ratepayers for a service that would benefit people who have no service at all because they can't residents of other states is clearly not fair, so I'm not use interstate service?It is like splitting hairs to say exactly sure how we are going to approach that issue. what you said.I mean, the FCC is imposing a charge directly on customers.It has the authority to do that because it is an interstate service. And some of the Question [Judy Tingley]: Because of the comments people they are imposing that charge on cannot use made by the person from Texas, I think it's important the interstate service. to point out that the number of operators showing on the chart is not a reflection of the work force of Answer [Kathy Woods]: Then you could make the operators, but I believe that is actually a reflection of argument that the telephone charges-if they can't use the number of operator stations, given the different that phone service, they shouldn't pay for that either? shifts.I don't know, Jack, do you know how many operators are actually working in the relay services? 'We Comment [Michael Hurst]: There is an argument there, have 120 positions but they work three shifts so the too. total is really more than that

Answer [Kathy Woods]: In all honesty, I think that Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]: At the California Relay there is a pervasive misconception regarding the FCC Service we currently have 225 communication access charge.It is somehow to accommodate assistants that relay calls.The 120 that Judy is interstate calling.It strives to place the calls more referring to, and that Jack showed on his viewgrapb, squarely where they belong instead of overpricing toll represents the number of work stations available for charges like they did in the past. them to sit at during a 24-hour period on a given day; so we have a total of 225 communication Answer [Jack Levesque]: While the legislation that assistants. approved relay service and then created the I).E./ F. Trust Fund and established the system for relay Comment: I've noticed that the interpretation of the service in California, they did not approve funding Commission's jurisdiction is different in each state, and for interstate calling, and that is why today we have that the New York model seems to be far better. The still not gotten under way with interstate calling in 83 94 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

'ICC so his'Ad difficulty in interpreting its was a case that was a very imjxot rat one because it jurisdiction in the aira a relay services. was one that delineated once again here the FCC's boundaries are, and where the states have theirown Answer [Kathy Woods): Yes; I reco,cinizethat they have boundaries.I think the issue of urn intrastate-a had djicully. Actually it shouldcome as ri/1 surprise national ilterstate relay service-is goirwto be a Ocause the FCC has typically bad jurisdiction over difficult one to address, but 1 certainly hopeit will be interstate communications and has leftintrastate [addressed). communications to the states,Louisiana vs. the FCC

Y, A

4. h.

ierembers of the parwl nn FinancingModels in State ProRams, From left, Pant Ramona, Brenda Stansbury (interprcting)aa,kLevesque,Ili g IVOWA. CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICE

111111111111=1111111MI Phyllis Shapiro*

History lines within the state of California.This money was called the Disabled Equipment Acquisition Fund Trust The California State Senate passed Senate Bill 597 in (D.E.A.F. Trust), and management of the fund was 1978.This legislation mandated the distribution of entrusted to an administrative body called the D.E.A.F. fr,:e, loaned Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf Trust Administrative Committee. (TDDs) to all Californians who were deaf or severely The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) was hearing impaired. As this statewide program grew, so required by the new law (PU Code, Section 2881 [b]) did the demand for relay calls.This demand could not to design and implement a program whereby each be met by the local relay services operating in telephone corporation within the state would provide a California at the time. The local relay services were dual party relay system. The CPUC issued an Order mostly nonprofit, obtaining funding from a variety of Instituting Investigation (OH) Number 84.12-026 which sources, and were not operating 24 hours a day, seven requested written comments from the telephone days a week. They had limited access because of their companies and other interested parties.After the filing size and number of available telephone limes. of these comments, the CPUC made decisions regarding Therefore, even with the TDD distribution program, the scope of the California Relay Service (CRS).All access to the telephone network between speech major respondent telephone companies (Pacific Bell, and/or hearing impaired and hearing people was still General Telephone of California, and AT&T) were inconvenient and sometimes impossible in California. required to design a single relay system in accordance The first relay service bill, authored and introduced with these previous decisions.During this design in the California legislature by Martha Reed of phase, the major respondents were obliged to solicit Freemont, California, was S.B. 960.This bill initially the advice, counsel, and physical assistance of was tabled due to some opposition from interest statewide, nonprofit consumer organizations for deaf groups serving the deaf community. One year later, persons. Bill White, a Sacramento resident and first vice The CPUC adopted the relay system design set forth president of the California Association of the Deaf by the System Design Committee, with some (CAD), helped rewrite the bill.It was then presented modifications proposed by other respondents. AT&T, !o Senator Bill Greene (Los Angeles) who introduced it in February of 1986, was directed by Order of the and actively supported its approval. The California Public Utility Commission to implement the Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) Relay system design and to be the administrator of the System Act, now known as S.B. 244, was signed into California Relay Service. law in 1983 by Governor George Deukmejian. The funding for provision of the new dual party relay service was to be the same as that for the TIM) System Design issuance program. Thus, both programs would share dollars collected from the three-cent (with capacity to The system design ordered by the CPUC for the expand to ten-cent) surcharge applicable to all access California Relay Service included monthly call volume

*Phyllis Shapiro, Manager, California Relay Service, 20931A Burbank Boulevard, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 9U 85 Speecb to Text: Today and Tomorrow

estimates, call duration estimates, staffingrequirements, System provides capability for administrative network configuration, reports, customer access capability, relay which include average call holding time,percentage of to called party capability, relay positityn equipment, real busy signals, number of calls handled,positions estate assessment, billing, revenue, and costs.Also occupied, and positions busy. Thesereports, available mandated was the area in which therelay center on the half-hour, hour, period of day, day of week, should be located, and the sizeof the managerial and and/or month, provide invaluable data work forces. for the Specifically, additional CPUC findings of management of an office the size of the California Relay fact included in the Orderwere: Service.The report data assist managers inlong-range, weekly, and daily planningprocesses. The planning The relay would be operational 24hours a day, processes involve estimation of call volumes for each seven days a week, and holidays. quarter hour of each day and then evolveto provide a schedule of work hours requiredto meet customers' Both voice and TDDcustomers would use an calling needs throughout each day. 800 tollfree number to call the Work station.; with video display terminals, relay service. acoustical panels, and modems were installed.Extensive quality analyses involved trialing, testing, andre-testing of Relay access to the called party would be trunks and all equipment until theimplementation team through the use ofa combination of IntraLATA was assured of absolute operability and capability. and InterLATA WATS lines. During this time, newly assigned CRSmanagers began to learn about the somewhat unique task that lay Calls placed through the relay would be billed at ahead of them. They toured several relayservices in the same rate which would apply if the call had the United States and Canada, and beganto meet and been placed without the use of the relay service. interview their future customers to gaina perception of their special needs and expectations. Theyrequested InterLATA call rates would be basedupon AT&T bids for specialized sensitivity training ofthe rates for InterLATA calls. communications assistants, aid compileda training package to include: Revenues received for calls placedthrough the relay would be passed to theD.E.A.F. Trust Fund sensitivity to the cultural and linguistic and used to help offset the relay'soperating differences between the deaf community expenses. and the hearing community;

Impktnentation development of an understanding of how American Sign Language (ASL) and English vary in form; A site for the centerwas selected in Woodland Hills, California, in June of1986.Construction began that month to renovate the development of an appreciation for the space according to plan difference between interpreting and specifications determined byAT&T and the architects. This space included transliterating, and how and whento separate areas for the lounge, the interpret various forms of written ASL foyer, and a public office to equipped with booths and verbal English and verbal Englishto ASL; TDDs available to hearingimpaired customers. Trunk arrangements were made, 800 service and development of abilities to WATS service ordered, and call cope with certain handling equipment ethical or difficult situations that mightoccur; installed.This equipment includedan AT&T System 85 Call Distribution System, which distributes incoming knowledge of the ultimate importance of calls to the longest available communications assistant adhering to the AT&T professional code of (operator) evenly throughout the day.Also, with the ethics and strict code of confidentiality; and System 85, the associated callmanagement system was installed. This has capabilities to collect andreport all knowledge of the fundamentals of call manner of trunk states, such as "idle," "queued," handling, i.e., call types, equipment "connected," and "abandoned." expertise, The Gall Management customer expectations/satisfaction.

86 97 California Relay Service

In July of this implementation period, AT&T At midnight January 1, 1987, as ordered by the began advertising extensively for the communications California Public Utility Commission, CRS began assistant jobs.Letters were sent to all existing relay providing call relay capability 24 hours a day, seven servile :s in California. The Job description, salary, days a week to all California telephone customers. CRS benefits, and available employment dates were included had 60 positions, one manager, eight group managers, in the recruitment package.Results of this effort were and 123 communications assistants. beneficial, and many of the employees came on board with experience in call relay service. Also, during this time, with the help of all the Operation and Call Volume History telephone companies in California, the task of notifying customers of the new service and its future availability The CRS system design was based on estimates that began.Special bill inserts were written and mailed to the service woule handle approximately 50,000 calls all California residents with telephone service. per month.However, in the first month of operation, Newspaper articles were published. Brochures CRS handled 87,511 calls. Demand grew continuously describing the service and instructing customers on until forecasts revealed CRS would not have position how to reach and use CRS were designed, printed, and capacity to handle 1988 busy season volumes. AT&T issued to community agencies, social service agencies, notified the California Public Utility Commission, and, schools, and any and all outreach agencies with with approval, began expansion. Adjacent space in the potential for notifying the public. same building was available for the expansion, so both The first group of CRS communications assistants units were able to share the AT&T System 85 Call reported for training on November 10, 1986.By Distributor, Call Management System, public office, in January 1, 1987, all 123 communications assistants and charge space, and lounge and locker areas.By January all CRS managers were trained and ready to begin. of 1988, CRS had 120 positions, two managers, 16 group managers, two clerks, and more than 170 communications assistants.It handled 200,718 calls.

California Relay Service Call Volume ilistory % Incr. Over % Change Same Over Pre- Month ceding Preceding 1987 Month 1988 Year January 87,511 200,718 229% February 94,932 + 8% 181,715 191% March 124,457 +31% 199,657 160% April 137,656 +11% 198,671 144% Niay 147,084 + 7% 208,690 142% ms 160,402 + 9% 223,838 140% hi/ 171,870 + 7% 246,581 143% August 174,842 + 2% September 173,037 - 1% October 172,264 -1% November 170,043 - 1% December 179,292 + 5%

By year end 1987, calls had increased overall by 205%. From January to July, 1988, calls increased by 123%. 87 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

A lironological history of CRS call volumes and CRS and AT&T percent increase month over month, yearover year, is shown below. The most notable challenge for AT&T throughout the brief 19-month history of the California Relay Calling Patterns Service has been meeting the ongoing increase in call demand while continuing to satisfy ourcustomers with Monday through Friday (business days), call traffic is the highest quality call handling. Along with this has usually busiest between 10a.m. and nocn. Total been, and will continue to be, a commitment to the business day volumes are currently inexcess of 9,000 community we serve.This is a commitment to provide calls, with an average six and one-half-to seven-minute our customers with the quality of service they expect; a talk time. On weekends, call volumes generallypeak commitment to truly know our customers, listen toour from 6 to 8 p.m.These hours do vary, however, and customers, and be visible in their communities; a can be dependent upon activity in the community from commitment to provide the test technological and week to week. We have found many CRS holiday human relay interfaces possible for the benefit of traffic patterns are not comparablenor consistent with communication and, indeed, the enhancement of our those patterns of our traditional operator services. lives. Approximately 80% of the calls at CRSare originated AT&T has been honored in its role of implementing by TDD customers, with the remaining 20%initiated by and administering the California Relay Service, and is voice customers.This split has remained metre or less proud of its partnership with the people of California constant since the opening of CRS. in the provision of the first statewide relay system in the United States.

88 RELAY SERVICE. FOR TEXT TELEPHONE CUSTOMERS IN SWEDEN

Borje Nilsson

The introduction in Sweden of a relay service ORS) extent that technology allows, if necessary with the use for text telephone customers was decided by of provisional solutions."(Statement concerning the Parliament on May 22, 1981.Before that, there had relay service by the Director General, Tony Hagstrom, been investigations and test activities. in a letter to Horselframjandets RiksforbundThe The Telecommunications Administration (Televerket) Swedish Association of the Hard of Hearingdated was ordered to organize the RS. The costs would be February 24, 1987.) subsidized by the state.Televerket located RS in four "Text telephone customers shall, as far as possible, places in the country. A central operational office was have access to the same service as other telephone to be connected to one of them, in Kalmar. The customers."(Objective for the Swedish relay service.) division into four offices was decided after negotiations with the trade unions in accordance with Swedish law Service Offered Today about codetermination. Reasons given included the need foi jobs in certain places and the need for a At present, we offer: better job mix for opc, ators.(Most telephone operators are dealing with only directory service, a Domestic calls. highly repetitive job.) The RS started during the first half of 1982. International calls in Swedish.(Calls in other languages are also handled if there is an operator on duty who can do the job.In most Taw Telepbone Relay Service: Standards in Sweden cases we can offer service in English and German.) Main Rules aCollect calls.(A text telephone subscriber does "Text telephone subscribers should be offered the not have to pay an extra fee for this service, nor possibility to communicate with ordinary telephones. does a hearing customer calling the relay service To the extent that this facility is not provided from a telephone booth.) automatically, it should be provided by an operator in manual center. The operator's involvemLnt should Personal calls. be strictly limited to transmitting and receiving exact messages without any obligation to resolve linguistic Timescheduled calls. difficulties."(From a recommendation given by the European Conference of Posts and Telecommunications Automatically dialed calls to the RS from abroad Administrations [CEPTI in 1980.) (charged in the foreign country, not in Sweden). "When there is a desire for a new service we must try to fulfill that demand as far as possible and to the

.8brje Nilsson, Manager, Telekontoret, Swedish TelecommimicationsAdministration, P.O. Box935, 391 29 Kalmar, Sweden

891 00 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Calls from and to telephone booths,public call the whole country.If a group of cooperating callers is offices, and hired customer rooms. divided into two or more groups, it will normallyresult in lower productivity or a lower grade ofservice to the Phonotelex calls (calling the telegraphoffice to customers unless the first group is very large. send a telex message). To avoid this, all operator positionsare permanently connected to a call selector,which is Telegrams. common to the whole country (see Figure 1). An incoming call is directed via the call selectorto the Conference calls.(This is now offered ona trial operator who has been free for the longest time (if basis, accommodatingno more than three people there is a free operator), regardless ofx.ere the and only one text telephone customer.) operator is located.If no operator is free, the call is directed to a queue. Mobile calls. The to'al number of RS calls handledtoday would require about 100 full-time operators.However, as the Calls to and from :k!-.Ips at sea. operators are dealing with RS for onlya part of their daily working hours, as manyas 300 to 400 persons Emergency calls. (But all alarm centers have text are involved.This is favorable for theoperators, but it telephones.) means higher costs for training and certain problems if we want to introduce so-called chord keyboards, Radio paging.(This helps to alert a subscriber allowing typing at the speed of speech. with such equipment.)

Directory information. Rates and Fees Interception of calls, The costs for the human assistance in theRS, about $6 per call, are totally subsidized bythe state.Thus, Expediting of calls inprogress. the customer never has topay more than for an automatically switched call of thesame duration. Telephone queues. Special services must generally be paidfor by the customer (except for collect calls under certain Absent subscriber's service. conditions).

Wake-up service.(The customer must havea special outfit, suchas a vibrator, etc.) Trends

"Message." (The operator takesa message to be The original planners of RS had projected forwarded later. the It is charged as a call of the number of calls per text telephoneto be about seven corresponding time if ordered froma text per month in the steady state, which was supposed telephone.This is of special value when to the be reacned within two years of itsstart.At that time, customer has no access to a text telephone the number of text telephones would during working hours.) have reached its estimated top level, 5,600, and the numberof RS calls would then be 40,000 per month. "Commission."(This can be ordered only froma However, developments were slower. text telephone. Not until It is like "message," but the now, years later, have we reached those estimated operator will call the ordering subscriber levels of usage. On the other hand,the number of afterward and providea report--for example, calls per subscriber and month do about an appointment.) not seem to level off (see Figures 2 and 3).The increment per yearwas about 15% for a couple of Otganization years. The exact number of text telephones in use cannot be given,as the subscribers now own them themselves Strictly from a practical point and there arc of view, it would have many suppliers.But we estimate the number to be been better if there had beenonly one RS office for near the calculated end level, 5,600. As childhood

90 Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden

Figure 1

RELAY SERVICE FOR TEXT TELEPHONES IN SWEDEN

TEXT TELEPHONES THE TELEPHONE SELECTOR, WIRED SERVICE THE TELEPHONE AND COMMON NETWORK TO EVERY OPERATOR' S CENTERS NETWORK TELEPHONES POSITION (4)

91 10 2 Text TelephoneUse January, April, July,October

T housands 10

0 1 111

3 4 1 1 2 34 1 1 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 2 34 2 3 4 1 2 82 84 83 85 86 I 87 188 Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden

Figure 3 Text Telephone Use January, April, July, October

Thousancs 50

3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1

82 83 1 84 I 85 I 86 I 37 8181

MICalls Per Month

93 104 Speed) to Text: Today and Tome:otv

deafened persons often live together, about8,500 half hour and for weekdays and weekends.We follow disabled persons may haveaccess to a text telephone up by counting the calls per hour during two weeks within the country today. every quarter of the year and make adjustments if There are some reasons why the developmentwas necessary. (The statistics are not yet automatically put slow. Paul Poulsen at the StockholmDeaf together in our provisional system.) Interpretation Centre provided the following The total number of manned stations is dividedso information about the distribution oftext telephones that every service center (SC) gets its share. Wecan within the Stockholm area: do so because our four SCs work togetheras if all the operators were sitting in the same room. Each SC childhood deafened perso-is 65% makes its own duty roster.RS duty is "put in layers" with other operators' service dutyso that the operators adult deafened persons 30% get variation in their daily work. At the central operational officewe also follow up a speech impaired persons 5% the service from the subscribers' point ofview by making calls to the RS every morning and afternoon.If deaf-blind persons 0.5% we find a trend indicating lack of operators, we increase their numbers. Two years ago, 50% of the childhooddeafened The number of operators availableat the SC varies people did not dare call the relayservice, despairing from day to day, dependingon sickness and other about their ability to make themselves understood. factors. We use a computerized conference witha (But they used the text telephones fordirect calls to special program to keep each other other deaf persons and to the deafinterpretation informed about the current staff situation.If the total service.) number indicates a shortage, the offices witha shortage Adult deafened persons often havenot been very must make arrangements to eliminate it. motivated to use the text telephone.One reason may For our calculations, we use tables basedon the have been that the RS system did not, until now, give Erlang loss formula for waiting systems. A problemis them the opportunity to talk directlyto hearing the waiting time for calls thatare not answered persons. Another reason is that most of themarc immediately but are put in aqueue. The average elderly. waiting time for such calls will increase with the Thus, there has been a great need forinformation, average operating time and the operators' grade of training, and encouraging.It also has taken time to occupation in accordance with the following formula trace and persuade older adult deafenedpersons to (evaluated by Erlang): use the service. Now the adult deafenedtext telephone users comprise themost rapidly growing category of RS users. t = s ,where Calls from hearing people totext telephone n (1 E) subscribers through the RS haveincreased from about 20% to about 25% of the total number of relay calls. t =the average waiting time for calls thatare put We have tried toencourage calls from hearing in a queue subscribers in many ways, suchas one-minute television commercials and informationinserts in s =the average operating time fora call, in telephone bills and telephonedirectories. The RS seconds subscribers also have receivedfree printed cards, to be sent to their acquaintances. n =the number of manned operators' places

(the alpha value), the average part of the time Traffic Flow and Handling CallVolumes (less than 1.0) in the stations during which the operators are occupied with work. The traffic flow variesover seasons, weekdays, and hours in the day (see Figures 4 through 6). Once a As every RS call in Sweden occupies theoperator year we calculate the number of manned stations about 500 seconds, the waiting time in thequeue will needed for the whole country.We calculate for each easily get so long that the call will be terminated

94 105 Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden

Figure 4 Calls to Relay Service On Weekdays

Number of Calls 160

140

1 20

1 00

0 0 8 10 12 14 16 18 202224 Hour of the Dc:y NMCalls per Hour

95 106 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

Figure 5

Calls to RelayService On Saturdays

Number of Calls 120

100

80-

I 1 1 1 U 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 202224 Hour of the Dcy NMCal ls per Hour

96 107 Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden

Figure 6

Calls to Relay Service On Sundays

Number of Calls

8 10 12 14 16 18 202224 Hour of the Day =Callsper Hour

97 108 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

before getting answered (about 120 secondsin Deaf customers may use certain abbreviations Sweden). and symbols to decrease the time of writing.The operators If the waiting times should be keptso even that a must know them but should not use them unless the call would seldom be terminated,we would need a customer has done so. cooperating group of operators (n),amounting to 100 or more, in accordance with the formula above. About the Future However, the amount of traffic in itselfnever requires more than 25 at the same time. As mentioned above, weare discussing the One way to level the waiting timeswould be to ponibilities of integrating the RS with other keep the alpha value low, i.e., operator to increase the number set vices. We are also discussing whether or notwe of stations manned and thus givethe operators less to should introduce so called chord keyboards do, but that would in the mean higher costs and other operators' places, which would make it possibleto problems. We are discussing the possibility of write with the speed of speech. However,that may integrating the RS with other operators' service.That imply still more training problems for theoperators and would give us the big cooperatinggroup and even out also reading problems for the the waiting times. customers, as all our text telephones have discontinuous scrolling, meaning that the upward movement of the written linesappears to be instantaneous.Besides, as the operator's typing Training RS Operators time is only 20% of the total time fora call, faster typing would save no more than 5 to 10% of Our RS operators are telephone the time. operators who must Within a year we ordernew operational equipment for have about half ayear of experience before we train the RS, and when doing this them for relay service. As we must consider the a rule, all operators are aspects mentioned above and many others, suchas: supposed to be eligible to workin the RS, but there are some exceptions. We observe during thetraining if simpler charging; a person has the ability to relay correctly.This is the most important thing. Ofcourse, he or she must be a the possibility to break into a call; fairly skilled typist, which isa condition for being employed as an operator today. The need for rapid automatic answer and stored written phrases; typing is often discussed. Ouroperators should be able to type about 700 charactersper three minutes operators' text telephones automatically [about 40 words per minute]. Some disabled persons connected when the call comes froma text cannot read that quickly while others thinkit goes too telephone; slowly. Some operators cannot endure dealingwith the RS queue information t a be sent automatically, because of the most personalmatters that are when convenient, to customers; sometimes handled. We donot force them. There are many others who like the job in the RS. information to the operators about thelength of Today, the special RS trainingnormally takes three the queue; days.During the training we stress thematter of telephone secrecy, which is writtenin the law. statistics automatically put together; and An important thing, from the deafcustomer's point of view, is that during the conversation the operator "storing box," for messages to be phoned by the must not "erase" what he or she has previously written, operator at an appointed time, with "alarm so that the customer can review it.It it absolutely clock," necessary to avoid this if the customer isdeaf-blind. Therefore, we do not require thetyped text to be Of course, the new equipment perfect as long as its content must allow a talking can be uders rood. deaf customer to talk directlyto the hearing partner (and a speech impairedperson who can hear to listen to what the talking partner says).

98 Relay Service for Text Telephone Customers in Sweden

Appendix

Text Telephones In Sweden; Milestones

Inter-Nordic discussions started in 1974 (the "Telemedel" group).

A first field test with "TV phones," made in the USA, was carried out in Sweden in 1975.76.

The first Swedish model, 'Diatext I" developed by the Swedish Telecommunications Administration (Televerket) in accordance with the Nordic specification of requirements, was delivered from 1979 onwards. It is sold in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. (HS technical specifications are: V 21, 300 bits/s.Alphabet CCITT nr 5, ISO nr ESC 2/8 4/8). Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Spain use the same code but 110 bits.Denmark and Holland use a special system, based on DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency).

"Diatext II," the latest and probably last model initiated by Televerket and sold by TEM AB, has been delivered since 1985 to the Nordic countries except Denmark.

Today there is also a privately developed model, "Polycom," subsidized by the Swedish state.

Deaf-blind persons use "Versa-Braille" (there are 24 within the country).

Personal computers now often will be used as text telephones. As PCs get cheaper and cheaper, Televerket will not initiate the development and production of new text telephones, being too expensive, but will promote the adaptation of personal computers for that purpose.

A person who needs a text telephone will get one free, subsidized by the state, but he must pay as usual for the ordinary telephone.If he needs a text telephone for his job he may get one there, too.Deaf people are not specially subsidized for long call times, but most disabled people get a special allowance from the state to compensate for disability-related costs.Authorities, companies, etc, must pay the full price for a text telephone, which is about $2,000.

99 lo Canada Bell iolensky, Robert

GIL OPENING A WORLD OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR DEAF PEOPLE: RELAY SERVICE IN CANADA

Robert Tolensky*

Relay Service Feedback from users is ongoing, and there is no shortage of suggestions on how to improve the service. Relay services provide a means by which deaf and hard of hearing subscribers using a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) can Policy communicate with hearing subscribers via the telephone. Our objective is to treat deaf customers as much as To place a call, a deaf person calls a 1.800 number possible like hearing customers. The telephone, which and "speaks" to a specially trained relay operator via has long been a barrier to communication for deaf his or her TDD. The operator reads the message on a people, has now become fully accessible. No longer computer terminal screen, calls the hearing party to will deaf people be dependent on others to make calls whom the deaf person wants to speak, and relays the for them. Most importantly, the service should open message. up jobs that have been closed to deaf people because The reply which the operator receives from the they could not use the telephone. voice customer is typed into the operator's computer terminal and is transmitted to the display on the deaf person's TDD (some TDDs have a print capability). Service Offering The conversation goes back and forth, with the operator acting as the in-between ears and voice. Access Conversely, hearing persons also can call deaf persons by reversing the procedure -they access the Twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, relay center via a separate 1.800 number. TDD and voice customers can access the relay center Although in Canada the basic service was available in the province in which they are located.During for a number of years on a small scale in various peak calling periods (usually in the morning and early communities (usually staffed by volunteers and evening), the customer may have to make more than operational during limited hours), it is only within the one attempt to reach an operator. The use of 1-800 last two years that telephone companies (telcos) in numbers provides relay service users with only one Canada have begun to provide relay service on an in- number to remember, no matter where they arc house basis.(See Figure 1.) travelling throughout tile province. Deaf consumers and agencies participated in the planning of the service and have helped to formulate Training policies and standards. Their input was critically important to the achievement of a better product. The centers arc manned by specially trained telephone company operators. Many of them were

'Robert Tolensky, Section Manager, Methods, Bell Canada,15th Floor, 313 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario,Canada M5G 1W9

101 1 1 2 ti

CANADIAN TELCO RELAY SERIME COVERAGE

111111isr NEWFOUNDLAND

-moo PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

kNEW 'erNOVA SCOTIA

BRUNSWICK.

TORONTO

Il RELAY SERVICE EXISTS A CENTRES

l/3 114 Opening a World of Communications for Deaf People: Relay Service in Canada long distance or directory assistance operators before Using the Relay Center moving to the service and have had considerable experience providing prompt, polite, and accurate There are no restrictions on the length and service to our customers. frequency of calls. To offer equal access to all users, To supplement their skills, the operators received centers limit the number of calls that can be made sensitivity training from agencies representing hearing each time the relay service is accessed (it varies by impaired persons. They learned about deaf culture and province to a maximum of three). No statistics are were trained in American Sign Language structure and maintained on individual usage. grammar. )f course, they also received technical training on their new equipment. Level of Service Since the introduction of the service, operators have become more fluent at communicating with deaf During the brief history of relay service provided by customers and have developed a special concern for the telephone companies, it has been an ongoing, the community which they serve. unique learning experience fot telephone company operators, administrators, and, no doubt, their Where Can I Call? customers. Call volumes have yet to stabilize, and the average A TDD customer can call a voice party anywhere in call length can fluctuate from a few minutes (averaging the world while a voice customer is limited to calling five to eight minutes) to an hour or more.(Additional TDDs located only in North America. The restriction information and statistics are available in Figures 2 and on TDD connections was implemented because of a 3.) concern about compatibility problems with our relay It is an ongoing challenge to provide a reasonable service equipment and TDDs in other countries. level of service to our customers as new users come on board and additional discounts are introduced which How Much Does it Cost? will generate increased calling.

The cost of installing and maintaining the operation Summary has been absorbed by the telephone companies. There is no charge for local calls; long distance calls are Customers are generally satisfied with the new billed.Because TDD communications take longer than service. They express their approval on a daily basis to voice calls, there has been considerable activity to operators and managers. There is also an ongoing make the cost of a call fairer by implementing special dialogue between agencies representing hearing discounts. impaired persons and telephone companies (Canada Today, hearing impaired customers who provide and the U.S.) on ways to improve the service. medical certification to the telephone company are Cooperation, which plays a key role in ensuring the entitled to a 50% discount on their calls.Plans to success of the operation, will guarantee that we expand the discounts to all relay users are being put in continue to meet the needs of the deaf community place and already exist in some provinces. with the best technology available.

Privacy QUESTION AND ANSWER All telephone company operators are wellversed on the secrecy of communications.It is against the law Question: hi Quebec, are the operators bilingual? for an operator to give out information about telephone conversations. No records of the call are Answer: We have a unique situation in Bell Canada kept. territory. We serve Quebec and Ontario, and our Customers feel more comfortable and free in their federal government has made French and English the conversations, as they don't get to know the relay official languages in Canada. In fact, the majority of operator as they did when they used local centers that users in Quebec are English.They have a bilingual were manned by a few volunteers. operation there. We also have a bilingual operation inOntario, even though the majority of the population is English. All operators must be bilingual to work in our operation.

103 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

Figure 2

Relay Service Information

Date Province Telco Established Population Calls /Months

British British April '87 2,900,000 3,000 Columbia Columbia Telephone

Alberta Alberta Feb, '88 2,400,000 5,000 Government Telephone

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan July '87 1,000,000 Telephone 7,000

Manitoba Manitoba June '88 1,100,000 6,000 Telephone

Ontario Bell Canada May '88 9,100,000 37,000

Quebec Bell Canada June '87 6,500,000 24,500

Notes

TDDoriginated callsaccount for approximately 70to 75% of the calls. Average time of a TDDoriginated call is approximately eightminutes. Average time of a voiceoriginated call isapproximately five minutes.

1.For May, 1988.

1 1 604 i W

RELAY SERVICE OFFERING

TYPICAL RELAY SERVICE CALL GROWTH (ONTARIO) (000) 40

25 20

15 TDD NM 10 5

VOICE 0 APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY

I I 87 TOTAL MONTH I 88

117 118 0.

Paul Singleton, National Associationo 0,e Deaf NATIONWIDE TDD RELAY STANDARDS: PARTNERS IN PROGRESS

Paul J. Singleton*

Ifirst used a local volunteer agency that provided NAD Task Force TDD relay services to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1981.I was given the number by a deaf friend who The National Association of the Deaf TDD Relay told me about relay services. The number was written Task Force was established in 1987 with several on a small piece of paper, and I lost the paper after objectives.First, our deaf consumers advocate for a that introductory call. full-fledged, comprehensive, and accessible nationwide I made my first relay call to my insurance agent TDD relay system.Second, we believe uniformity of because my insurance policy was going to expire in TDD relay services is important when implementing the one week. Because that volunteer relay center limited nationwide relay system, whether the system involves my calls to three within a fifteen-minute period, I interstate or intrastate calling.Third, we want relay discussed only an appointment time with my agent.I services to maintain high performance standards. thought I'd be wasting my time waiting for further relay Fourth, deaf consumers should know of any and all services and that I'd be better off driving to my agent's available relay services. And last, but not least, we office to purchase an extension for my policy. want to work with the telephone industry and/or TDD Six years later, my younger brother told me about relay operators to accomplish the aforementioned his TDD relay experience in the San Francisco Bay objectives through a working relationship or Area. The California Relay Service (CRS) had started its partnership. 24 hour-a-day comprehensive TDD relay service in January, 1987. My brother said he looked up the CRS number in the Yellow Pages. He then called several Standards Development: A Participatory Process life insurance agents in a row, and discussed the various terms of his renewed policy. With this fantastic The development of standards for TDD relay service relay service, he saved ;300 a year on his policy! must involve all of the constituencies in the relay Much was accomplished in developing TDD relay process.Together, these constituencies can arrive at a services for hearing impaired people in the Bay Area mutually agreed-upon set of performance standards. A from 1981 to 1987. Nonprofit volunteer relay TDD relay call involves many constituencies: organizations paved the way for the telephone industry to assume responsibility for its deaf consumers. Now, a deaf person with a TDD; legally, the telephone industry must maintain relay services as a basic right to telephone customers in the a hearing person without a TDD; Bay Area; that basic right also applies to all California resider As. the TDD relay operator;

the front-line manager in the relay center;

°Paul J. Singleton, Vice President and TDD Relay Task Force Chair, NationalAssociation of the Deaf, 814 Thayer Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910

107 120 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

middle and high levelmanagers in the relay participants. center; Also, nonprofit organizations applying for Texas funds must include deaf memberson their boards or advisory boards.This ens aes their input. deaf consumer organizations; In California, a deaf representativenow sits on its Deaf Equipment Acquisition FundTrust Committee that the federal or state governmentwhich might oversees fund expenditures and revenues. The fund the relay service; contractor (AT&T) hires deaf peopleas first-line managers, although improvements could be madeto the general public or telephonecustomers who hire higher level deaf managers. Thiscan be a good might possibly fund the relay service;and input area from within a relaysystem. Because the contractor is a private business, it does TDD manufacturers. not require advisory boards. There isnore in California, resulting in little or no direct input from deaf These constituencies consumers at the can be and should be viewed board level. AT&T has remedied thiswith the as partners in progress. Each playsa role during the establishment of advisory boards in relay process. A participatory New York and decision-making process Alabama.In Maryland, the Department of Health is the most effective approach, and allowing each Human Services will havean advisory board with five participant to contributeto an effective relay service. deaf consumers, four telephone industry representatives, and two representatives fromthe state government. Planning and Maintaining theStandards of Relay Other poss... Service mechanisms for organized input include state government advisoryboards, state commissions on deafness/hearingimpairment, state Competency standards foroperators (e.g., ability to associations of deaf and hard of hearing type 60 words per minute and interpret consumers, American Sign telephone industry advisory boards, andtrust fund Language into text form),system standards (e.g., hours committees. of operation and penetrationrate), and ethical standards (e.g., confidentiality)are key components of a good relay system. Each componentrequires careful Consumers' Perspective on Standards planning. Planning begins beforea relay system is proposed and developed. The National Association of the Deafis in the Input from experienced operators, process of developing recommended standards for relay technicians, TDD relaycustomers, hearing people service. These tentative recommendations without TDDs, and other participants are subject in the relay to change. We welcome comments fromany and all process should be included in designing theproposed parties on the content of these standards: relay system. Once the relay system isestablished, one of its Advisory boards should have major tasks is to maintain the a broad standards established in representation of members and must includea its blueprint. Continuous inputfrom a cross- significant number of deafconsumers. constituency team assists the relayoperators in countless ways as they striveto maintain high standards. To ensure confidentiality, there should beno paper or electronic copies of conversations.

Operators should be able to interpret American Osgassizing Input front Participantsof the Relay Process Sign Language-like text into English formand should be able to type at least 60words per minute. Some examples of organizedinput from participants in a relay processare outlined on the followingpage. Some problems also Operators should be trained in deaf culture and are outlined. deaf awareness as well as in confidentiality In Texas, the RFP reviewteam to award funding for issues such as sensitive conversations. relay projects includeda broad representation of

108 121 Nationwide TDD Relay Standards: Partners in Progress

The blockage rate, or rate of successful pages.Billing inserts with relay service telephone contact with a relay service, should be information should be distributed at least twice equal to standard voice telephone contact with a year. operators. A blockage rate of one in 100 would result in consumer satisfaction when accessing Television and newspaper advertisements should operator or relay services. educate the public about the availability of relay services.Consumers with TDD numbers should The advisory board should be responsible for be included in a separate directory within the consumer evaluations of services.Internal local telephone book for easy identification and evaluations by relay service providers will help reference. with planning any changes in relay operations, utilizing consumer input from the advisory board. The Future Because telephone customers have a toll-free number to access and request operator States across the country vary greatly in assistance, the same should be true for accessing performance standards. Some standards, such as relay services.Users of relay services should pay public information, are uniform, but many are not. only for calls made from the originating point to The challenge for the next five to ten years in the party dialed, and should not be charged for developing a nationwide Tr:: relay system with dialing to the relay center. uniform standards is to implement a participatory decision-making process. We all have a responsibility All states should include interstate calling to see that standards of relay services are planned, provisions in their statewide relay programs. maintained, and decided by a participatory decision- Relay users should not be treated any differently making process. than other telephone customers. And yet, there are still some questions about standards.Should the federal government be Special accommodations such as a time-delay responsible for regulating performance standards? arrangement should be made for tape-recorded Should we plan our planning and maintaining stages of calls such as 976-line calls.If a type of relay call relay system development where we include organized is restricted, it is not considered "equal input to ensure high performance standards in states? telephone service."If any restrictions are placed My five-year observation of nationwide TDD relay on calls, support from a consumer advisory system development in the United States tells me that I board would be necessary. should bet my dollar that such a system will be in place within the next three to five years.I know I will Procedures for filing a complaint with the relay win that bet, and the winnings include that $300 service centers should be similar to those for annual savings on insurance premiums I could have voice calls. A separate toll-free number should had if a nationwide TDD relay system had been in be available for TDD relay consumers and voice place in 1981. relay consumers so they can call directly to file complaints. QUESTION AND ANSWER It is better if one vendor is responsible for relay services because consumers can better address problems with performance to one vendor than Comment [Eleanor Letcher]: I am executive director of to multiple vendors. A regional center serving Contact, which has provided Deaf Contact, a dual party several states would be acceptable as long as relay service, for eight years.I would like to comment there is one vendor in one state. An ideal on the role of volunteers and [nonprofit organizations] situation would be for one vendor to serve the in providing services which heretofore have not been nation's relay needs, making it easier for deif provided by government.I would like to have this people who travel frequently across the country. conference fully recognize the role that volunteers have played in providing Deaf Contact and other relay All local telephone books should have TDD relay services. There are approximately 50 Deaf Contact phone numbers easily identified in the first few centers in the United States, most of which arc

109 122 Speecb to Text: Today and Tomo7row

available 24 hours a day without limitations.Many of Comment [Judi Bauer]:I noticed in the paper, you them arc difficult to access because peopleare on the said there was a separate number for complaints.I phones; but I think thatwe have played a very would like to stress that strongly. Whatwe are finding significant role, and I would like thatrecognized in Ontario is that, because deaf peopleare frequent because thousands and thousands of peopleacross the users of the system and the operators get to know country have devoted many hours to developing these thcm and know their names, theyare quite worried services and also raising a level ofawareness of the about making a complaint to the supervisor in the communication difficulties of the deaf center itself because they feel they won't get as good service. So I think there should be a separate line for Answer: Mucbas gracieu, amigos, complaints.

Moderator: In Paul Singleton'spaper, he did praise the efforts of the volunteer services thathave done exactly what you said-raiseawareness and provide services for the hearing impaired community.

110 Inn PANEL: RELAY SERVICE OPERATIONS*

PANEL:" Bole Nilsson Esther Schaeffer Phyllis Shapiro Robert Tolensky

(Editors' Note: Panelists were asked to respond, from the I don't think there is anybody who would quarrel viewpoint of relay operations, to the standards of service with the fact that people using the relay centers should outlined by Paul Singleton.) have a reasonable level of service, but I think that because relay service is so new and still growing it is Robert Tolensky very, very difficult to put a handle on how many times someone has to call in.I think we will all agree that Just reviewing what Mr. Singleton was talking about something should be done, but I really believe it is before, I guess the item that seems to generate the kind of early in the game to establish how we are most discussion is blockage rates, and what deaf going to set those standards and what those standards people or hearing people expect when they call the should be.That's the item that gets my attention the relay center.I guess what he is meaning here is that most. at times you do have to call through more than once. Another one was typing speed of 60 words per Sometimes it may take two and three times at peak minute.Especially with the [existing TDD] machines, a periods during the day. One of the solutions is you customer cannot read when an operator is typing at 60 bring in more operators, and on the surface, that words per minute, and we have complaints from some seems like a very easy thing to do-except for the fact of our customers to slow down because the operator is you have to train operators.In our situation in going too fast. Canada, we originally put in ten positions. We grew to 20 positions, We are growing to 30 positions.There are problems in getting the space, problems in getting Phyllis Shapiro the equipment, and problems in getting the operators. As we heard before, you want to get good operators, I was also concerned with the blockage as was and you have to bring them in and train them. described in Mr. Singleton's paper.I'm not quite sure

This is a transcript of a panel presented at the conference. Because the conference was captioned, the text could be saved and edited.

"Borje Nilsson, TelekontoretKalmar, Sweden Esther Schaeffer, Telecommunications Exchange for the Deaf, Inc.Great Falls, Virginia Phyllis Shapiro, California Relay Service-Woodland Hills, California Robert Tolensky, Bell Canada-Toronto, Ontario

111 124 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

of what the definition of it is there; however, if I am because we also have the abilityto go back and find interpreting it to mean that 99% of thecalls that come out what happened with that call right then and in should be answered and handled, there. then I guess I If they wait a while, it's hard forus to reconstruct it, would have a problem with that.What kind of rest and it's hard for us to find out what period time do you give the really happened. operators handling the It becomes a lot of guesswork andassumption. calls? AT&T has long been in the business determining However, I would like to add thatwe do have a what average occupied positions should be. You can't formal complaint process. ve havea board of keep someone typing at the rate of 60-plus words a directors and an advisory board. For eacharea that minute or even 35 wordsa minute without just a little we serve, Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, we have bit of rest period built in there, whether it be just to regional advisory councils.If you are a consumer and take a breath or to makeout billing information.It you have a complaint, and you don't choose has been one of our concerns--that to come we don't keep directly to the administration,you can go to your them too busy all the time. We attempt to answer our advisory council, which will discuss the problemat a customers within a ten-second time frame, upon which council meeting, and I don'teven have to ever know they reach the System 85 switchand their call is about who actually brought that complaint. ready to be answered. You can remain anonymous.If the advisory council feels that it One of the other things I was also concerned about warrants attention, they fill out what they calla was the complaint process. In our situation, we have position paper, and it means that I haveto respond. found it very, very beneficialto have the subscribers They forward that paper to the advisory and the users of our service be board, which able to call in then brings it to me.If necessary, if I can't resolve it immediately after having had either a good situation or myself, I can take it toour board of directors.P.it a bad situation.That enables us to identify the must respond in writing, and I must tell themwhat communications assistant that handledthe call and take action I have taken to resolve the complaint. whatever corrective So we or training action is needed at that do have a formal procedure in place,and I do think time rather than wait and get it two or three days later. it's important that there bea real complaint procedure. Then all is lost and its effectivenessisn't nearly as good. Also, we do takesurveys of our customer base and what their reaction is toour service.That's also very critical in determining standards. 138rJe Nilsson

Esther Schaeffer I think I will show you somenotes from our relay service in Sweden. We havesome main goals for our work, and the first is when there isa desire for a new In looking this over quickly duringlunchtime and service, we must try to fulfill that demandas far as looking at Paul's standards, I,too, wot. Id have a possible, and to the extent that technologyallows, if problem with the blockagerates.It's 'rery difficult to necessary, with the use of provisional solutions.[This accomplish that. To really do it,you ncf...t..' very was outlined] in a letter from our director generalto expensive equipment, so there'sa cost involved in the the Swedish Association of the Hard ofHearing in equipment that's necessary to actuallyhelp us 1987.Also, text telephone customers, shall,as far as determine how many operator.we need. Then there's possible, have access to thesame service as other the problem of being ableto get that many operators telephone customers. That isour own objective for and to get them fully trainedand up to speed to be the Swedish relay service. The finalarea is that text able to meet that standard. telephone subscribers should be offeredthe possibility I do, however, want tosay that I think that's a goal, to communicate with people using ordinary telephones. a long-term goal for relays to work towards;but To the extent that this facility isnot provided perhaps it should be augmentedin stages-perhaps automatically, it should be provided byan operator in begin with a [less favorable]rate and then improve. a relay center. The operator's involvement should be The other area that Iwant to quickly touch on is the strictly limited to transmitting andreceiving exact complaint procedure. We,too, encourage people to messages without any obligation to resolve linguistic call immediately after they havea problem with a call difficulties.About typing speed, we have said that about 700 charactersper three minutes will be

112 Panel: Relay Service Operations necessary [Editors' Note: about 39 words per minute', conversation because only one of us is typing, and and that we will try to keep that level. more importantly, you can communicate. You can be For the rest, we have not set up so many emotional. Your attitude-your voice can come requirements, but deaf people in Sweden know where through, and in this respect, it becomes much closer to to turn if there are any complaints. They have their a comparable telephone conversation. So I urge allof own methods, and we have made advertisements so you to keep in mind voice carryover as a feature or they know where to telephone if they have any standard of your relays as you set them up. complaints. We also have a computer conference with deputies from the deaf community. They can ask I predict that as relays and TDDs become more questions and they can leave us information through common, as the incidence of hearing loss goes up, you that computer conference.I think we have good will find that the hard of hearing population will be contacts with our customers so when the various using TDDs more.I can't predict how much, but this complaints come in we very soon find out the problem is going to have an impact on the market, I am and get it in order. confident.

Moderator:I would like to ask any of the people on QUESTION AND ANSWER the panel who might be willing or able to comment on voice pass-through or voice carryover. What is the capacity for providing voice carryover, where is it being Comment [BM Cutler]:I would like to talk about offered and where not? sensitivity training for relay operators (or, as we call them in California, communications assistants, which is Answer [Robert Tolensky]: I would be very interested a little bit more professional).I have not heard in getting more information on bow that would work. anybody suggest that all hearing people involved in a I guess there was some discussion about it a little relay system should go through the process of sitting in while ago in our company. We felt that you really front of a TDD for half an hour and talking with his almost need two lines to be able to do it.If you sibling about their mother having cancer...the process have some information that would be helpful to us, I of typing complicated medical terms, the emotions that would sure appreciate it.(Judy Tingley: Four lines.) are inevitable. That would communicate some We looked at it, and I must admit that our technical sensitivity that only those of us who are hard of people were not very optimistic about it.If anybody hearing and who have tried to use a TDD would has any information-I know you said in California appreciate. they are looking at it.Fortunately, California shares a lot of information with us, so hopefully we will get The main point I want to mayis the relationship of it through Phyllis [Shapiro]. hard of hearing people to TDDs and relay systems. There are many of us who consider ourselves hard of Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]: We can do it today, but the hearing and who have a discrimination problem that way it functions mechanically today is not satisfying amplification doesn't help. Therefore we have to use to all the parties involved.The bearing people and TDD and relays. However, many of us are fortunate to the operator involved in that kind of call, as we use have retained speech.It is important to be able (for it today with conferencing capability, can bear the those who can speak) to speak to the hearing party, TDD tones back and forth so AT&T has agreed to take and have the typed script only for what the hearing a look at the implementation of new technology, if party is saying to you. This process has been need be, to provide the voice carryover service. We mentioned several times during the conference-voice can do it.It is just very awkward today. pass-through or voice carryover.I recognize that in order to make it a smooth operation, there may be Answer [Esther Schaeffer]: I would like to respond to some technology involved.I can't believe that it's that.There is technology in development that's in the impossible to resolve it.I have been using the early prototype stages-actually in a prototype manner technique with three or four of my telephone functioning now-whereby you can have a modem companions who happen to have a TDD and happen with a switch.So that the hearing person doesn't to hear.I have been using it for a year.It hear the TDD tones, you kick the switch so the TDD dramatically reduces the time that it takes for the tones kick in or kick out whenever you want them.

113 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

It also has an added benefit for those at the relay Question: I would like to get back to theIssue about service. Sometimes we get a bearing person calling what is legal and what is not legalover the telephone. us, and they ask us to call a deaf person. We expect There are two areas ofconcern.I know that I would that person to answer with a TDD, but it may be a not know what to do if there were drugs soldover the bearing bourebold member whoanswers the phone. phone. One person stated that usually the Such a modem with that switch operator capability would has enough legal knowledge to decide whatis legal allow us to stay on the line untilwe determined and what is illegal-to the point where whether it was a voice-answer they say [if you or a 7DD-answer, and are doing something illegal] you have to hangup. Do then switch the modem appropriately. operators have that kind of knowledge? I don't think that they have that kind of knowledge,and so I have a Answer [Karin Lindberg]: More than40% of the calls concern about that. relayed in Norwayare relayed with (voice carry- through) and only answered withtext.They are just My second concern is the liability involved great because (the two parties) talk with this. to each other.It What if I don't think that the relayservice should have is much better to relay thatway, and why should the ability io make those kinds of Judgments they u about text-people who can speak? The only whether a call is legal or illegal?I think that they problem is thateveryone wants to speak themselves, should Just serve a relay function and thatshould be (a.4 some cannot be understood).So I refer to my the end of it. yellow book that states that ifthe bearing impaired person wants to speak, be can try two times, and if Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]: The Public Utilities the customer at the other end doesn't understand, Commission in our state indicated that theoperator then the bearing impairedperson has to start typing. in no way should pass judgment We Just have to state it on any kind of call very clearly because that is handled. To giveyou an example, a common sometimes they getangry because they think they can phrase used when referring to curing be understood. But marijuana is "to even if they can be understood cut the grass." Wbo am I tosay that these two people when talking directly to otherpersons, you need a talking are really talking about cutting certain kind of speech to be beard legitimate over the telephone. grass on their lawn? My way of thinking, Imay think that is marijuana, pass judgment,and then someone The fact is that the equipmentwe use is not at all is in trouble. new. It is not up to us to pass that kind of It is very old-fashioned.That's why we can judgment. We are out of the call. provide voice We are just a carryover. And you mentioneda bridge between these two people.I can call anybody problem that youare never sure if the call is by voice because I am bearing and or text telephone. say anything I want of any Well, when we call,we bear the context whatsoever, and no one is listeningto that text telephone so we just switchover to the text on call or passing judgment our equipment, on me. We, in California at least, subscribe to not passing judgmenton any part of the call.It is their call, and it is up to themto Comment: If all ofyou can consider the demographics handle it as they wish. of the deaf and hard ofhearing population, you'll find that there are probably ninehard of hearing people for Answer [Esther Schaeffer]: every one deaf person, and We are not a statewide as the relay system grows, relay service and sincewe serve the Washington area, more and more people will Join in in the future.[With we are talking about three jurisdictionsanyway.It is voice carryover] youare going to see a tremendous difficult to tell when something is legal amount of savings. For example, or not legal. now I think the We only terminate a call ifwe are convinced beyond average length of the relay call is aboutseven minutes a shadow of a doubt that that call is really illegal. and the average cost of therelay call is from $5 to $6. That happens so infrequently So you can see the tremendous because we really are amount of savings that not in a position to judge that; it probablydoesn't could occur if the time of thecall was cut almost in happen two, three times half. Also, it frees a year. You're talking about up more operators so that the something that occasionally happens blockage rate is much less. when we I think it is one of the blatantly know it, but it is reallynot an issue. most important areas for It us to work on. only happens once in a while,so you are not really talking about something that is reallyan issue.

114 Panel: Relay Service Operations

see their jobs go to telephone operators. But we felt, Answer [Robert Tolensky]: Fortunately, it hasn't been and it was the deaf community that felt most strongly, a major issue with Bell Canada either.It is a gray that it should be the telephone company. I'd like to area.If the illegal act involves bodily harm or harm hear some discussion about that. to property, that is an easy decision to make; we are not going to participate in that act. When we go to The second thing is the involvement of the deaf the kind of Wimple that Pbyllis gave us with "cutting community and how to do that When the phone the grass," our operators are getting more experienced. company takes up the service, the big problem, of They do have a supervisor who is supposed to be course, is they don't know anything about deafness, more experienced than the operator when these and they don't have a lot of contact with the deaf situations arise.There is a manager in the office who community. As Bob [Tolensky] talked about, we had is also available to make these decisions when they an advisory committee which helped Bell to develop are in a gray area, and fortunately, we haven't the service itself There was a majority of deaf people encountered a situation where it has become a major on that committee, and it met once a month to develop issue.I don't think there is anybody in this room policy on legal issues like confidentiality and many who would be able to sleep at night if they other policies.It also developed the training participated in an illegal act wbicb would cause procedures. We feel that it is very important-not only bodily harm or (belpJ someone fin] planning a bank for monitoring but to develop policy for the service- robbery. Our operators are human, too, an4 they that there be a majority of deaf people on the advisory don't want to participate in that. committee so it meets the needs of the community.It helped Bell to develop this service as well, and it Answer [Esther Schaeffer]: At TEDI some years ago, wasn't a negative thing at all. we were actually party to a telephone call in wbicb bodily barns was threatened, and bodily harm did Question: How do you initiate a call when you receive occur.It was such a gray area that we, in fact, did a call from a deaf person [calling] a hearing person? not take any action. Ever since that time, we've What method do you use to introduce yourself [to the known that we bad some knowledge about it because hearing person]? Do you instruct all your consumers that call went through our service.Yet we felt at that to type in they are working through a relay operator time that we were bound by the code of ethics not to and this is not them speaking? Or do your relay be able to do anything about it.I would agree that operators have a standard greeting to introduce is really a gray area, and it's an area where a relay themselves and what is going on? service really .'%s to think about it.You have a moral obligation.It's very difficult for us to Answer [Esther Schaeffer]: Some of our operators determine if somebody threatens bodily harm -is that have been with us so long and some of our users a joke, do they really mean it, or are they Just teasing bane been users for so long that we actually know around? And again you could say that is not for us some of the people; we have made calls between the to Judge, but what happens when something really two parties so often that often we know that no happens and we bad knowledge? (In our case) the introduction is necessary.In that case, we Just say, person didn't die, but the person was harmed. Could "This is Telecommunications Exchange for the Denf. I we have stopped it?That's a very awkward position have so and so on the line. Please bold while I get for the relay service to be put in. their message." Su pose we are calling a business, let's say a car dea lersbip or some kind of an Comment [Judi Bauer]:I would like to raise two insurance company or some other place that doesn't issues.I work for the Canadian hearing Society ICUS]. know the deaf person. We tben very quickly tell them Before we had the Bell relay service, CHS provided a that we are a relay service. We are speaking for the volunteer relay service. We now think it's a principle bearing impaired person, and we are going to type that the telephone company should provide the service, back exactly what they say-in about four sentences. if at all possible.It should be a right of deaf people to We try to condense it all because we don't want that have equal access to the telephone, and the only way long pause on the line, becato what seems to us like that can happen is for the telephone company to maybe ten seconds, to the deaf person sitting there provide the service. We had all those volunteers who waiting for the call to go through is like an eternity. worked hard and did a good job and were very sad to Often enough we get transferred and put on bold, and

115 128 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

we have to keep you informed of that. We try to the person to bold a second, and thenwe either make it as quick as possible but alert (thebearing switch that call to another station,or one of the staff party) that the cal is coming through the relay takes that call. But we do, indeed,as long as it's a service.If they ask quest:.ms about it,we ask them legal call, we process it.We have just found that it's to stay on the line after the call is finished andthen going to make better community relationsamong the we explain the relay service, but we do that after the operators if they are not forced to handle something call is completed, not during the call. they don't feel comfortable with, and normallywe have enough people around anda staff person Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]: When the CaliforniaRelay around that tbey can take that call,so we go ahead Service initially opened,we faced the need to educate and handle it. the bearing world about whatwe were all about, and so a:: an overlapping procedure, we would givea Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]: During the interview mini education to the bearing person bysaying that process, our people are told that they are going to tbis is the California Relay Service.We briefly have to translate calls that may be ofan explicitly instructed them that they must remainin the first sexual nature or obscene, profane,or what have you. person, talk directly as if they were talkingto the We really have not had any experience withanyone party, and that we would be typing what they said. who has bad a bard time doing that.They bad that In the meantime, the operatorwas letting the deaf understanding at the outset that that's what theyare customer know bow the hearing person answered. going to have to do and that is part of their job.As The operators are trained.They need to type in, far as 900 and 976 callsare concerned, part of that "Hello.This is Dupont. Go ahead." Theyneed to do order in the state of Californiawas that we would that because our ultimate goal isto just be able to not complete calls for 976 numbers, wbetber they be handle the call as if itwere going from person A to of a sexually explicit natureor are sports lines.If it person B without anybody on the line havingto say, is 976 or 900, we don't call it; however, thereare "We are the California Relay Service." ways that the deaf community and bearing community have found to get around that.There are Sometimes the bearing persongets stuck and confused other sexually explicit lines thatare not 976 and not and maybe hasn't gotten a call from us before and 900, so you still get the calls.Whether you want it or will say, 'You're not John!" Tben we will go into a not, through 976 and 900 what weare talking about brief explanation of whowe are. Again, the call is here folks is equal access. I'm bearing, Ican call kept flowing as we give that brief explanation because wherever I want and say whateve Iwant.That, the ultimate in relay call handling is, in fact, to again, is an ideal portion of relay.That's our handle the call in that way. Thereis a lot of objective, not to pass judgment, education out there needed for thebearing world. Answer [Robert Tolensky]: We also don'tconnect to Question [Cindy Carter]: How would you handle the 976 in Canada, but I do understand thereis some sexually explicit calls thatcome on that 900 line if you very sexually explicit information being passed have an operator who really does not know how toor between couples, and it shouldcome as no surprise want to handle this call? Whatare our legal rights that some operators love handling thosecalls. And about handling calls like that?Can we decline to some of them bate it, but there always seems to be handle them? I feel, if thecontent is not illegal that I someone in the office who is willing to take it! would actually tell the caller thatour relay service is not capable of relaying this call unless theyfirst pay for Question [Francine Lauer]:I am addressing the it.Can we legally do that? question to all of the panelists, but Iguess especially to (Esther Schaeffer of] TEDI because it has already Answer [Esther Schaeffer]: As longas the call is not been answered by some others. Suppose I'm illegal, we can't refuse to place the making a call. We will long distance call, and then the call is relayedand you place the call. Now, if theoperator finds handling explain to the person being called what that call objectionable, for your system is whatever reason, we do doing;I didn't volunteer that information,so does that not force an operator to handlea call that they don't cost me on my [long distance] bill? feel comfortable handling.We ask them to just tell

116 Panel: Relay Service Operations

Answer (Esther Schaeffer]: Our comments last only Question: Do you have just one relay center in the several seconds, at most, and we make a policy of not whole state? (explaining the relay process during) long distance calls. We just get the party. We tell them we have Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]:Yes. youonthe line, and if any explaining has to be done, we let you do itWe don't waste your time Question: So no matter how many LATAs away and we don't charge you. someone is from you, they are muted through their long distance provider? Question:I find the operators are inconsistent. Sometimes they will tell me I have a busy signal. Then Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]:Through the toll-free 800 they put me on hold and the phone is ringing one, service. ringing two, three, four times, and then they say your party is busy.I need to have a feel for what is going Question: And you route the call over your choice of on on the other end of the line. long distance carrier?

Answer [Esther Schaeffer]:When the phone starts to Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]:Which is AT&T, yes, that's ring, it is now built into our computerized system correct. that we bit a button and it starts counting the rings. The reason we do that is oftentimes the deaf person Question [Stuart Brackney]:I have a semi-moral says, 'You didn't let it ring long enough." The system question to ask.in Arizona, the caller has a right to is built in so that it actually counts the ring for you, instruct the relay operator to not identify him or and the minute tbere is an answer, it stops sending herself as a relay operator when the called party that message a; a it stops counting. Our system will answers the phone. So it can be the voice caller also automatically tell you the line is busy. saying, "Operator, don't identify yourself as a relay Sometimes you may find it inconsistent because it service" or it a an be the TDD caller making that may be a new operator, and there is so much for request, and e relay operator must comply. Now you them to absorb.It is like we all say, we haven't have second party on the line, the person called.Is reached perfection yet. there an obligationand I'm wondering if it's done in California or up in Canadais there an obligation to Question [Ed Kirk]:I realize some relay systems inform that called person, person B, that there is a might be able to negotiate volume discounts with long third person involved in this conversation? That is, if I distance providers. But on the other hand, we also have a private conversation, not knowing that someone have equal access requirements in this country. In else is involved in the conversation, I might breathe California and Canada, I was wondering whether you easy with my choice of words. Knowing that a relay decide which long distance company you [use o] operator is in the middle, I might, because I don't care complete the call, or whether your individual caller what anybody says about confidentiality, I just don't presubscribes to a long distance carrier? feel comfortable saying the things I would say because I have a relay operator in the middle. Back to my Answer [Robert Tolensky]:In Canada it is quite easy. question, is there an obligation for the relay service You have no choice (of long distance company]. during some point of time during that conversation to identify that there is a relay operator involved in this Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]:It's possible some of our conversation? subscribers have that access or have subscribed to MCI, Sprint, etc. We have no way of accessing that Answer [Phyllis Shapiro]:No, at least not from network from the relay service.In essence, we are California's act. Remember, it is their call.To give like Canada. They go over the AT&T network right you an example, when we first opened, we bad a lot now. It is a question that has come up before. of trouble with banks. Suppose a deaf man wants to Technologically, I don't have any way to access MCI call and get his balance in his checking account. or Sprint right now or whatever their carrier might Here I am, a female, and I am saying, "I am John be. Jones," and the guy at the bank is saying, 'Wait a second, you are not John Jones. Wbo are you?' I type exactly what the guy at the bank says. And then it is

11730 Speecb to Text: Today and Tomorrow

up to the deaf customer to stay in controlof that and going on?"-is going to be typed.The bearings Ion is say, "Never mind who I am" or whatever be wants to notified that their words will be typed, ifthey ask. say.If be wants to say be is calling through relay, The situation that Stu fBrackneyj haspresented to us, then that's cool.That is my instructionas a relay that is typed. operator:It's the customer's call. Comment [Charles Estes]:I have been listening kw If I called someone and didn't wishto identify two days about the training in ASL [American Sign myself, I wouldn't have to do that. If the person I'm Language] and deaf culture andso forth.I think this calling wants to bang up on me, that's fine, too. conference should make a strong recommendationto That happens at relay also. If a called party doesn't the U.S. Department of Educationto develop a new want to talk unless they know who it is that'scalling, regional training program for relayoperators. they have the option to hangup. And sometimes tbey do, but again it is the deafsubscriber's call or the bearing person's call.Whatever I bear -1 don'tcare if it is, "This person is crazy"or "What in the bell is

118 131 PLANNING FOR STATEWIDE RELAY SERVICE

Joseph B. Heil, Jr.*

This conference provided a forum for knowledgeable introducing and bringing needed legislation to the floor individuals to focus on the various aspects of relay for a vote--and securing its passage.Total dedication is systems, inducting advocacy, legislation, financing needed. Too often legislation is introduced but then options, and performance standards.This paper is flounders without the legislative follow-through needed meant to function as a "check list" or "road map" to to call the bill to the floor for a vote and passage. identify areas the author feels should be revisited or explored further when seeking legislation, designing, planning, implementing, or operating a relay service. Data-A Key Component For this know-how, the author is calling upon experience gained from a long career in the Recent experience has demonstrated that estimates telecommunications industry, more than 13 years of the number and location of TDD users as well as observing the progress made by deaf people to attain estimates of calling rates are vital components of equal access to the telephone network, and four years effective planning.Reliable data must be identified, as an independent consultant to clients involved in accumulated, validated, and translated into call-data communications for persons with disabilities. upon which costs can be projected. Growth estimates or projections are critical to the process. The California Relay Service anticipated Getting Started growth and provided facilities and personnel to handle the projected increases in volumes.California's original Relay service is the major telecommunications projections were exceeded within the first eight months service currently sought by deaf people in the United of operation.First-year projections of 60,000 relay States.Leaders or "prime movers" in the states that calls per month were quickly surpassed, and by August, have enacted legislation or obtained regulatory 1987, (after seven months of operation) volumes mandates have been successful when deaf people were reached 180,000 calls.In June, 1988, the monthly involved and when deaf people provided data to volume had swelled to 225,000 calls. support their obvious needs. Well-designed and Arizona experienced similar growth, with initial thoroughly explored strategies, supported by accurate estimates for its Merlin PBX being exhausted in the data and individuals who are prepared to respond to fifteenth month of operation. Additional funding for inquiries, are paramount to obtaining legislative or more telephone facilities and staff had to be obtained regulatory support. through the legislature. Success does not just happen! Those who have It would be easy to explain the unprecedented been successful have invested many hours in getting to volumes as inadequate planning. A more realistic know the "right" people. Key legislators and their staffs explanation might be that a rapid and unexpected have been invited to meet with deaf people o learn, growth in demand resulted from customer acceptance first-hand, the important role they can play by and satisfaction with the new service, coupled with the

e Joseph B. Heil, Jr., Consultant, 47 Ralph Place, Morristown, NJ 07960 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

sudden freedom to place a call when needed, not only When estimating call volumes, numbers ofusers, when they were able to penetrate thebusy signals or and calling rates, the planner must make these find an interpreter. Several observers, including the projections fromrealisticdata.Reliable demographic author of this paper, thought the original planning information concerning the number of deaf individuals estimates were valid because they were based on the and TDD users in a state is difficultto obtain and volumes of calls handled by the existingrelay centers validate.These data can present wide variations, and included a factor for the number of calls receiving depending on the sources of the data.In the past, busy signals. Both the California and Arizona those seeking funding fora variety of deafness-related experience have demonstrated thatcurrent ...sage data activities and services have estimated the number of and busy signal/line data are essential to identify profoundly deaf individuals ina given state by using calling patterns and, perhaps, time-of-daydistributions; the prevalence rates contained in the but to anticipate growth, National Census new data are needed for of the Deaf Population (Schein and Delk, 1974), accurate projections. Planners should understand that applying them to that state's population. until the deaf users' calling rates match those of other Recently, staff from one state officewere asked how residential telephone customers there is every reason many deaf people lived in that state. The replywas to expect the volumes tf.., expand rapidly,as the callers that their best estimate was about 35,000 profoundly experience a new type of service and availability while deaf individuals in their state. Thesame office experiencing a new sense of freedom to place calls. provided the telephonecompany count of the number Experience in California has yielded data which of households which had applied for theantra- and might go unnoticed, but which should be included in interstate rate reduction. The totalwas fewer than planning estimates: 20% to 25%of the calls currently 800. processed originate from non-TDDusers (hearing Even if there were an average of four deaf people). persons per household, which is probably high, and addinga Relay service is labor-intensive and requires costly factor for deaf people who donot have TDDs, the telephone facilities. Since these costs are directly result would surely be less than the projected35,000. related to projected call volumesand number of users, This is not an isolated happening. dependable data must be available to translate into People who are asked to provide these figures costs. often have only these data available to them.California This planning is essential to avoid the crisis which advocates, testifying at the early TDD hearingsbefore will occur if growth exceeds the planning interval, the California Public Utility Commission (PUC),opined making initial funding inadequate. Fundingshortfalls that the profoundly deaf population in can cause political problems. California was Similarly, an 225,000. A survey commissioned by the telephone overstatement of volumes and costscan adversely affect company estimated that 49,000 people would come legislative support. forward for Cie TDDs. The PUC staff,to be on the Utah provides a classic example of what can happen safe side, estimated 90,000. After fiveyears of when limited or less-than-complete data are presented distributing TDDs (includinga number given to in support of legislation. A bill introduced in Utah agencies), total distribution to date is fewer than mandated both TDD distribution andrelay service. 20,000 units. Using the surcharge currently in effect in Californiaas a Since the start of the California Relay model (at that time the California Service, there Trust Fund had a has been a noticeable increase in the number ofhard surplus), the authors of the Utah bill specified a of hearing individuals whoire requesting TDDs from maximum surcharge of three cents per access line per the California program. Advocates pointto the services month to fund both activities. The stark reality is that which are now available via TDD and theCalifornia Utah has fewer than 700,000access lines, resulting in Relay Service as a reason for thisincrease.Subsequent revenue of approximately $250,000 a year. This planners will want to take note, especially whentheir amount was insufficient to introduce bothprograms at states have a TDD distribution program. the same time. Arizona may provide a contrast.Using the By contrast, the recently enacted bill in Alabama experience of California and the data available from the does not prescribea maximum or cap, but instead California TDD distributionprogram, Arizona developed gives the Public Service Commission (PSC) authority to estimates for the number of TDDs required forits set the amount of the surcharge needed. program. These estimates have fallen within 1% of the number they have distributed.This formula may have

120 133 Planning for Statewide Relay Service some application for those who are attempting to originating and terminating in the same local area) may develop potential TDD user information. suggest serving locally, thus using less costly local access lines rather than costly toll lines to carry messages to and from a more distant center. The Existing versus the New The latter item prompts important questions which should be addressed in early planning: What are the When legislation is proposed or enacted to provide traffic patterns for relay calls and how can they be broader relay services, some relay service providers handled in the most cost-effective manner? view this action as the solution to all their problems: To answer these questions, data (and some good money, which can be translated into additional force guesses and projections) will be needed to determine and facilities.Existing services may even view the number of TDDs and to identify call data by themselves as the "heirs apparent" and contend they region.In most states, the main deaf populations are are the logical groups to operate a statewide relay concentrated in identifiable areas.Proposed solutions service. They describe their services as "personal" and will have to include costs of the alternative. "caring," and state that they know the local people and Equally important will be the need to provide a their needs, thus suggesting they are better qualified to uniform level and quality of service while making the operate the relay serving their community. most economical use of larger team sizes.In less Many existing relay services are subsets or one facet technical terms, there must be a comparison of the of agencies providing a variety of services to deaf costs and savings associated with each proposed clients.Relay services have evolved from an expressed strategy as well as the effect multiple centers will have need of the agencies' clients. A number of relay on achieving standard service performance. services have been established through joint community action. Volunteers are sought to work three to four hours a month or longer. Funding is raised from a The Role of the Consumer multitude of community fund-raising activities. A portion of the funding may be provided by state or Legislation introduced and enacted since California's municipal agencies and United Way organizations. often has included a requirement for the deaf Generally, all are faced with the same problem: less community to be involved in the planning, contracting, money than is required to provide the level of service personnel selection, operational oversight, and control needed. Some report ongoing difficulties obtaining of the ongoing operation. volunteers. While these provisions have their origins in While most local relay services excel at providing a advocacy and a desire by deaf people and their leaders highly personalized service under difficult situations, to control their lives, services, and environment, a few have the resources or expertise to operate a large- strong business case can likewise be made for having scale, statewide relay service.In many Mates, deaf consumer invol iement from the beginning. Obvious individuals have been quite vocal when expressing a benefits are present when seeking legislation or desire for relay service operated by people who are regulatory action.Performance standards must begAi not part of the established deaf community or by the with the consumers' perception of the service.Deaf agencies which serve them. They point to their consumers are in a unique position to provide concern for privacy and insist on the anonymity of the guidelines and even participate in developing training relay clerk. information on deaf culture and deaf language. Many Furthermore, an agency may not have the financial people familiar with the deaf community and its culture resources necessary to provide the capital required for will agree that having deaf people conduct this training rapid growth and expansion, or to cover the increase is a must for a better understanding of the consumer. in operating costs which must be incurred and paid for After five years of continuous effort by major deaf before reimbursement. Existing relay services provide a advocacy organizations and after recent funding lgical starting point for the planner.Frequently, the inquiries, the California PUC has added a disabled question arises:Should we have one or more than person to the board which oversees the Trust Fund. one relay center? The rationale offered for multiple Hindsight being 20.20, this action should have relay centers may range from the desire of existing occurred earlier and should not have required an relay providers to be a part of the final set ice, a ongoing hassle for five years. desire for local control and supervision, or a technical Whether or not an oversight committee is specified concern that the local nature of relay calls (calls in the legislation, ±t is good business to have consumer

121 134 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

representation on the board or committeewhich will Quality assurance procedures to evaluate be evaluating performance, mediating disputes, and intangibles such as courtesy; typingaccuracy; reporting to appropriate legislative andregulatory and manner, attitude, and tone of service groups on the performance, management, and needs of providers. the statewide relay service. Aconsumer advisory panel or committee can provide valuable informationto those who manage the relay service.It can provide a link Financing Alternatives with consumers and can give meaningfulfeedback on the quality of service, basedon the perceptions and Several early relay services (Connecticut, Texas, needs of those who use the service. Aconsumer South Dakota, and others) have been funded bystate advisory committee must have assignedduties with agencies with relay costs shown asa line item in the defined responsibilities. Managementmust reply funding agency's budget. Ofcourse, these budget promptly to the committee's observationsand allocations are subject to the annual budget proposals. process, and sometimes subject to across-the-board budgetcuts. Both the Arizona and California relay services have There are also questions as to whether theagencies established a standard of performancefor relay could provide the immediateresponse and funding services. These standards providea starting place for needed when unprecedented demandor growth anyone planning a new statewide relay operation. occurs. Connecticut initially operated a 24-hour relay, Another bench mark is the policy ofthe New York but its contractor, Converse Communications, hadto relay service to relay interstate calls which originate or cut back hours of operation because of budgetcuts. terminate in New York. Experience in NewYork will Most relay legislation specifies a surchargeon provide new data and information about this aspect of access lines to finance the relay service.Since the relay operations. financial "crisis" related to thesuccess of the California Relay Service, recent legislation has avoided specifying unreasonably low caps on the amount whichcan be Standards for Relay Service charged. A recent bill passed in Alabama directsthe Alabama Public Service Commissionto establish the Consumer expectations and perceptions ofservice amount of the surcharge needed to be collected by the create the standards of performance for relay service: telephone companies, and to implement thedual party relay system within the state. Twenty- four-hour operation, available when A landmark decision by the New York Public needed. Service Commission (NY PSC)may offer a solution to financing of a 24-hour statewide relay, withinterstate Minimum time delays gettinga response from the calls, standards which are comparableto other relay clerk. (Standards on delay should be telephone services, and sufficient fundingto respond to comparable to telephone standardsfor operator rapidly changing volumes. This solution avoids responses.) identifying the charges as a "deaf service"on phone bills.The NY PSC ordered all telephone companies Responsive and skilled personnel and within New York to provide relay services, including management. the costs of the relay in their regularrate base cost recovery system. The PSC authorized the telephone Accuracy in conveying both sides of the companies to contract with AT&T to operate therelay conversation. service. The NY PSC decided that each telephone company would pay a prorated share of the costs, Confidentiality, with no hard copy or based on the company's percentage of totalaccess computer memory maintained. lines within the state. The telephone companiescan provide not only qualified technical and operational Staffing by people who havean understanding supervision of the relay service, but also skilled analysis of deaf culture and language. of the costs. Since this action by the NY PSC, advocates in other Involvement of deaf people in planningand states have sought similar support from their PUCor operational oversight, PSC staffs. When advocates quoted the NY PSCaction,

122 Planning for Statewide Relay Service some staff replied that their states did not have the the system, but provides ongoing technical and authority to order similar compliance by the telephone planning support to ensure the mandated response companies.It may be necessary to seek state while attaining maximum operating efficiencies. One legislation to give the PSC or PUC the authority needed might argue that contractual language with segmented to provide equal access.Prior support or agreement suppliers could ensure their compliance and the from the PSC or PUC could help expedite passage of continuity of the service. Who would assume the the legislation. burden of proof? How long would it take to repair or replace key components of the system or to restore service? Cost differences in the two approaches must Selection of Vendor(s) be identified and compared with "whate scenarios. There may he some justifkation for costs which can When a planner reaches the point where a vendor ensure dependable service. or vendors must be identified and selected, many questions must have been addressed and, hopefully, answered correctly.Scenarios must have been Consumer Involvement in Customer Instructional prepared based on available demographics, call data, Materials projections for growth, and busy hour/busy day volumes. Then this data has to be translated into the Consumer input and review is essential for number of work positions, telephone facilities, number instructional material and information going to the deaf of employees, managers and support personnel, and community. Knowledgeable people can ensure that size of physical facilities.All of this must be specified proposed mailings and advertisements recognize the to achieve the level of service established as an early culture in which relay users participate. Too many goal. people who failed to include this input and review The term "vendor" may convey different meanings. have learned that instructional booklets, press releases Often it identifies would-be providers of components of intended for the deaf community, and other mailings the system, components such as office space, furniture, often have failed to achieve their goals because there telephone systems, network configurations, and a was no understanding of language and deaf culture. contractor to operate and manage the system. Individual suppliers may provide components while a single contractor may be responsible for the entire Conclusion operation.If the bidding is done by components, there will be a need for someone with the expertise Planning and implementing a statewide relay service and experience to pull all of these individual contracts is a big undertaking.It is more complicated than just together to result in a successful system. Care must be moving from a number of individual relays :o a larger exercised to fully evaluate a potential supplier's ability system.The budgets forecasted for California and New to perform.Staff must understand and evaluate the York demonstrate that relay service is a big business. stated capacities of telephone PBX equipment, so as to As such, specialized knowledge, skills, experience, and avoid underpurchasing equipment which, when training, which may have no relationship to existing outgrown, must be replaced at a potential loss of the relays, will be needed. value of the original equipment. By no means is this paper the only way or the last Some planners believe there may be cost savings word.If it has you take a second look at a problem inherent in a local "do-it-yourselr approach. One area, pose additional questions, or gather better data, planner was forced to go this route because the initial the author will have achieved his goal in the limited Level of available funding did not permit contracting space available. with a large telecommunications company. If there is any bias in this paper, the author's almost 42 years of experience in the telephone industry QUESTION AND ANSWER causes him to look skeptically upon a system which would attempt to hold a number of suppliers and contractors responsible for the overall operation and Question [Sheila Conlon.Mentkowsld]: You talked efficiency of this type of system. about the increase in the number of TDDs distributed California and New York have contracted with a in California [after the relay service began operating]. major telecommunications firm which not only operates I point out that there was a 12% increase.In

123 136 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Maryland, one of the members [of the Commission for (or TDDs as everyone calls them), but who don't the Deaf and Hearing Impaired] dida study of a advertise in (1w Atone book that they have one. When medical center that she worked with in the city of we talk about the relay services, and we talk about Baltimore.I think that you might find these statistics blockage, how much of a responsibility do we have,as true of any metropolitan area in the United States. advocates for improved communications for the cleat This medical center served 400 deaf people.It was to encourage people who do purchase TDDs for their found that, of the 400 deaf people,a very small businesses to advertise that number? It's a great: percentage, I think only 40% of those people, had source of dissatisfaction to find out after so much time TDDs. They were asked why, and 60% [of those that you have wasted, that [the person or business] has without TDDs] said it was because they couldn't afford a TDD and it's not listed in the book.I am wondering them. Maryland does not havea TDD distribution if we can think of some ways to encourage people to program. We tried to set one up. The legislature :aid list their The numbers in the phone book it was too expensive. Answer: Before divestiture, in some states, a number Answer: You raise a very good point, Sheila, andI of the local telephone companies permitteda deaf almost overlooked it.When you start comparing individual to put in the phone book that the listing California against other states,you have a couple of was a TDD number, or TDD-and-voice number. unique variables there.I don't know bow you California was the leader in this.The only caution quantify them, but you have to recognizethem. When that the telephone company offered at that timewas, relay started, California bad about fiveyears of a if you list yourself as a TDD owner, thatyou don't program of distributing TDDs, and people bad had list your address in the book.There is no sense in five years to learn of their value. In anotherstate advertising for somebody to break into your house. that did not have such a proliferation of TDDs,the It's currently in vogue to ask the companies to puta volume of calls in the relay service mightnot be the separate section in the phone book on TDDs. I think same. that is going to be a tough idea to sell.You can make sure that the telephone company will put "TDD" Sometimes people seeking the legislationare required by peoples' listings at no charge. to distinguish between giving TDDs toeveryone versus giving them to people who cannot afford them.I When you advertise in the Yellow Pages, I can't think Charlie (Estes) faced that in Oklahoma;they imagine anyone investing in a TDD that wouldn't bad a rider that says there must bea sliding scale. advertise it.I know of a major department store that In Oregon, their TDD bill was a milestone. One of put in TDDs and sent notices to the deaf community the big objections by a lot of low-incomedeaf people and then wondered why they never got any calls.I is they cannot afford the $100or $120 to put the said to them, "In your ad in the paper, didyou say, telephone in in the first place.They may be able to 'TDD users, call this number'?' And be said, Wo, my afford the monthly charges.Oregon said that the advertising people won't permit that." (Members of( fund could pay for the installation ofa service.I the deaf community are the best people to influence don't think the discount system identifiesall potential this.I could say to a person, "Put a TDD in," but if TIM users, but it's a starting place forquantifying the deaf community goes to tbem...youare the what you don't know. numbers. Question: A part of the issue thatwe have not addressed here is regarding people who dohave Ms

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For some of the conference topics, leaders in the field Question [Barbara Chcrtok]: You were stressing the spoke but papers were not written.Included here are involvement of deaf people in the relay service, and questions and answers following Esther Schaeffer's you were talking about feedback, and possibly serving presentation. on your advisory board. Can you give us other suggestions as to deaf involvement? Esther Schaeffer President Answer: Yes. And I would like to give credit to Telecommunications Exchange Barbara fCbertokJ.It was actually Barbara who for the Deaf, Inc. called me up one day and asked to have a private meeting with me behind closed doors.I agreeto (Editors' Note: Ms. Schaeffer spoke about operator training that meeting, and she gave me a list; she said the and community relations.] operators should do this, not do that, and so on.I wrote those things down, and I got to thinking about them. I thought, You know that's a good idea, a Question: You mentioned that there is some quick little list of dos and don'ts." I took what she information that you tell your operators they can give gave me and expanded upon that and added a list over the phone-information about the organization, for for the users. So that's really involvement right there. example.If your operators are requested to give their Involvement in training, involvement on our boards, names-for example, if they are making a call to the committees. Our newsletter editor is deaf Our telephone company and the telephone company insists treasurer is deaf We have deaf members on our that they have that person's name-do you allow them board. All of our advisory council must be deaf I to release their anonymity? I've found from experience would suggest that you read the paper I wrote that the operator is then pulled into a personal [available from TEDI at the address provided on the involvement; a few days later the person from the List of Conference Speakers] on getting involved with telephone company calls back and says, "Well, I just your local relay service.There are just unlimited talked to you a few days ago.Don't you remember ways to be involved. And there are actually paid what we talked about?" How do you handle that one positions you can get into.Allthe positions are not when a name is requested of the operator? in a volunteer capacity.

Answer: Some deaf people have also asked us to have Question:If a deaf person wants to speak [for himself our operators identify themselves when they take a or herself], and just have a relay operator type what call.We don't do that because the minute we give the hearing person says...I don't understand how that our name it takes away from (the deaf person being works. Second, where there are illegal phone calls or in control of] the call.Each of our stations at each activities taking place over the phone, how do you of our offices has a code name.That name is a keep away from the legal liability for that? name tbat can be female or male. Like Ray/Rae-Ray can be a man's name or Rae can be a woman's Answer: To answer your first question, there is name. If the operator is asked to give his or her technology now in development that would allow us name, be or she merely gives the code name for that to take a modem, and with a switch box, actually station. We know who sits where at what time, and push a switch, and it would kick the line back from if a follow-up call comes in we can trace it back, voice toTDD.Itwould allow us-if you want to

127 140 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow speak for yourself-to click the buttonand tie in the The minute we bear any of those code wordsor two lines.Technology is there for that. Wecan anything that implies that it isa call of that nature, actually do that. I am strongly in favor ofthat as an operator we cut in and tell them this is an because I really believe it will speedup the processing illegal transmission, andwe terminate the call. We of the call. And it also allows thatpersonal touch to don't cut them off We tell them they haveto get off, get across. and what we tell them is, what they do istheir own personal business, just don't do it through the relay In answer to your second question, aboutillegal because it is illegal. You are not supposed to do that calls. We get illegal calls, too.Usually they are in over the phone anyway. There are certain things that the form of drug pickups or dropoffs. They try to are just plain illegal over the telephone lines.So make buys over the phone. Believeme, in my eight that's the way we handle it. years I have learned all of the terminology for drugs.

141 128 Carl j jensenza, Gallaudet Research Institute 1."1 OWN,. Yr1.11014WWW0110ASEMMY

14 Section II

REAL-TIME CAPTIONING

Carl J. Jensema, Ph.D. Session Chair

143 -1

Malcolm Norwood, Formerly of U.S.Department of Education

4 CAPTIONING FOR DEAF PEOPLE: AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Malcolm J. Norwood"

September 1988 marked the 30th anniversary of the the Lexington School for the Deaf:This was made first truly successful captioning undertaking for persons possible by an initial gift of $5,000 from the Junior who are deaf Public Law 85.905, which created the League of Hartford, which later gave another $2,500. Captioned Films for the Deaf Program, was signed by The films circulated by this nonprofit organization were President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 2, 1958. the first truly captioned films, as the captions were As a result, deaf Americans once again had access to etched directly onto the film. the motion picture, which became inaccessible with the Much credit for the progress made at Hartford goes introduction of sound in 1927. One other to J. Pierre Rakow, a deaf man and supervising teacher extraordinary event also took place that year.This was of the Vocational Department of the American School the broadcast of a rough image of a dollar sign by P.T. for the Deaf. An extraordinary person of many skills, Farnsworth. Rakow not only learned how to caption films, but The sound motion picture, or "talkie," quickly pushed, hauled, persuaded, and goaded people in the became the true "silent film" for the deaf population, industry into recognizing the need and their which could no longer completely follow the action. responsibilities to provide an opportunity for deaf Interestingly enough, it took approximately 30 years to people to once again have access to the motion provide deaf persons with a captioned film program, picture. and another 30 years after television became As with Emerson Romero's efforts, it soon became widespread around 1950 to have access to captioned quite clear that the corporation was too small to television. adequately meet the needs of deaf Americans. Early efforts to overcome this lack of entertainment Consequently, Dr. Boatner and others decided to were instigated by Emerson Romero, a deaf man, who approach the Congress of the United States.Precedent acquired some sound motion pictures and spliced in had already been set by the Talking Books Program for the dialogue or explanatory text in the same fashion as the Blind, which had been established in 1933. Why the old "silents." Commendable as this effort was, it not a similar program - -a loan service of captioned films had no real chance of succeeding due to the lack of for deaf persons? Thus, in 1958 the cultural, adequate funds for acquisition, preparation, and educational, and general welfare of this population was distribution.Nevertheless, Emerson Romero was a true greatly enhanced by the creation of the Captioned pioneer, and his attempt to overcome this dilemma Films for the Deaf Program. A part of the United States should never be forgotten. Office of Education, the program began operation with The next effort, which was more successful and its first appropriation of $78,000 in 1959, and since proved to be the forerunner of the current federal then has contributed greatly toward bringing deaf program, was the creation of Captioned Films for the persons into more direct contact with the larger social Deaf, Inc., in Hartford, Connecticut, by Dr. Edmund B. environment. The Hartford corporation was dissolved Boatner, superintendent of the American School for the and its library of 29 captioned films was donated to the Deaf, and Dr. Clarence O'Connor, superintendent of federal government.

Malcolm J. Norwood, Ph.D., Retired Chief, Media Seivices/Captioned Films for the Deaf, U.S. Department of Education

133 145 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Although the initial purpose of the CaptionedFilms about a French Canadian boy andan Irish setter, and Program was to provide subtitled Hollywood films for "Bear Country," a documentary about NorthAmerican deaf people, educators were quickto recopize the black bears. The results showed that approximately potential of captioned films and othervisual media as 70% of the 229 viewers were not bothered by the tremendous untapped educationalresources. captions, and it added to some people's enjoyment. Consequently, the Congress amended theoriginal law Approximately 25% to 30% of the viewerswere several times. Themore significant amendments, for bothered to some degree by captioning. The the purpose of this article, survey were Public Law 87.715 also showed that while 17%to 29% of those (1962), which authorized research, training, responding indicated that captioning of themore production, acquisition, and the distributionof popular programs (news, primetime movies, sports, educational media; and PublicLaw 89.258 (1965), evening sitcation comedies, etc.) would bother which authorized the distribution them, of media equipment. only 10% expressed a negative reactiontoward the As a result, Captioned Films for theDeaf became notion of general captioning. When the involved in designing educational respondents materials to meet the were asked what their general reaction would beto unique learning needs of deaf students.Very briefly, captioning only selected television the expanded authority resulted programs, 47% said in a number of field they would react favorably, 43% saidthey were neutral, services and projects, which includedat one time four and 10% had an unfavorable reaction. regional media centers for deaf people, each with a Although program staffwere encouraged by the major emphasis. New Mexico State University focused study's degree of positiveresponse to captioning, it on programmed instruction; the University of was understood that commercial networksare intensely Massachusetts on audio-visualtechnology; the competitive. University of Nebraska Staff members believed the networks on film; and the University of would not risk losingeven a fraction of their hearing Tennessee on instructionaltelevision. While these viewers. Also, no firm data centers no longer exist, they played on the number of hearing a major role in the impaired persons who would beviewing captioned program's development. Currently,there is a programs were available. nationwide distribution Statistical data varied from system which includes 58 approximately two millionto 20 million. Program captioned educational filmdepositories and an personnel felt the networks would calculate evaluation and selection that the system to determine which 10% who reacted unfavorablyto captioned television in films, educationalor theatrical, are added to the the study would be larger than the program each year. deaf population. This was based at that timeon an estimated hearing The program's work with themotion picture television audience of 200 million. industry during the 1960s provided It seemed extremely insight into unlikely that the networks couldor would compensate problems that would haveto be faced in the captioning for any loss of hearing viewers. of television. This conclusion For example, it was learned thatforeign intensified the determinationto pursue various movies are generally dubbed rather thancaptioned developing forms of technology that would because many viewers do permit not like subtitles.It was also captions to be displayed onlyon the screens of learned that dedsions in themedia industry are based hearing impaired viewers whose on market statistics. sets were specially Convincing television net worksto fitted to display captions withoutinterfering with the caption would require data aboutthe numbers of reception of hearing viewers. hearing impaired persons whowould watch captioned The next major event in the evolution of television programs. captioned television was the First National Conference In order to ascertain the acceptability on of captioned Television for the Hearing Impairedin December of television to hearing viewers andto obtain data on the 1971 at the Southern Regional Media potential market, the Center for the program contracted for a research Deaf located at the University ofTennessee.This study with HRB-Singer, Inc. of State College, conference brought togetherpersons from across the Pennsylvania. The most significantfinding of the Singer country who were interested in making television study pertained to theacceptability of captioned accessible to hearing impaired programs to hearing viewers. A persons.Participants survey was conducted included hearing impairedpersons, parents, producers, to monitor responses of hearing viewers to two represent,,tives of federal agencies, and,most captioned Disney movies shownwith special permission significantly, representatives of the major over a cable television station in Centre netwoA ks. County, The conference featureda preview of the open- Pennsylvania. The movies were "Big Red," a story captioned version of Julia Child's "TheFrench Chef,"

134 146 Captioning for Deaf People: An Historical Overview which was captioned by WGBH of Boston under the cost of captioning a program; contract with the program.It also included a presentation of two possible technologies for the cost of equipment to broadcasters; and captioning television that would limit captions to specially equipped sets. One system, developed by the the cost of the decoder. HRB-Singer Company, transmitted the captions in a portion of the video signal that was normally received In order to accomplish these goals, a network had off the edge of the picture. One of the major networks to be involved,Since Public Broadcasting Services criticized this method of presentation on the grounds (PBS) is quasi-government and because interest in the that it might intrude on hearing viewers' pictures due project was firm, the U.S. Department of Education to variations in reception and that use of sets to contracted with PBS to do a feasibility study.It should receive captions in this manner might reduce the life of be mentioned that among the commercial networks, the picture tube. Another system, developed by the ABC continued to support the project from its National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to carry time and inception by providing technical assistance and advice frequency information, transmitted captions in a as needed.In brief, closed captioned television portion of the video system that was unused in normal resulted from the following milestones: transmissions. This portion of the signal is known as the vertical blanking interval.This system was Fall 1972 A contract was signed with PBS to exhibited with the cooperation of ABC Studios in New begin development and testing of two York with a captioned presentation of the program Line 21 concepts--one from NBS and "Mod Squad." one from Hazeltine Research, Inc. The conference provided a unique opportunity for (NBS was ultimately selected.) informal discussions among deaf persons, representatives of deaf organizations, parents, and Fall 1974 PBS began development of prototype television industry representatives.Conference decoders under contract. participants concluded that the programs should inform the broadcasting industry of the 'technological potential Fall 1974 The Federal Communications for captioned television and should pursue the Commission (FCC) provided development of the NBS system of captioning. temporary authority for an over-the- During January of 1972, program staff met with a air test of the Line 21 system using subcommittee of the National Association of prototype decoders at 12 selected Broadcasters to discuss the feasibility of captioned PBS stations nationwide. television.This subcommittee studied the issue, and in June of 1972 indicated that this type of captioning was Nov. 1975 Testing results led PBS to petition the technically feasible, but said certain steps had to be FCC for permanent authority to taken before such captioning could become a reality. broadcast captions on Line 21, Basically, the steps were: Dec. 1976 The FCC approved permanent an effective decoder would need to be petition. developed; Fall 1977 Under contract, development began a single system would need to be developed; and on a self-contained adapter and the built-in decoder for home television extensive field tests of the entire system, sets. including receivers equipped with decoders, would be necessary. Fall 1978 Under contract, development of caption-editing consoles began.

In addition, other questions to be answered included: March 1980Closed captioning officially began on ABC, NBC, and PBS. the cost-effectiveness of such a system; There are two things missing from this chronology. the length of time required to caption a program; These were purposely omitted because some discussion

135 147 Speecb to Text: Today and Tomorrow

is necessary. The first of these is the creation of the including the then-popular National Captioning Institute; the second centerson children's program, "ZOOM." why Sears was the only decoder retailer when decoders were made available in 1980. 1973-81 Following an experiment to caption During the development of the closed captioned President Richard Nixon's inaugural system there were two issues that needed to be address in 1973 (which proved the resolved: the cost of captioning aprogram and who feasibility of taking an event off the would supply the captioning. The cost of captioning air and rebroadcasting it with had been a point of contention between the networks captions), funds were provided for and the project, and was an issue during the FCC open captioning of ABC's evening hearings in 1976. PBS had estimated captioningcosts news on the PBS network. Although at approximately $1,500 per hour while network the captioned rebroadcast was estimates were much higher.Finally, ABC raised the televised approximately five hours idea of a nonprofit, free-standing captioning instituteto later, this was the first time deaf supply captioning for network programs ata low cost. people had access to a current This led to further discussion, which ledto certain national newscast. conditions to ensure participation-one of whichwas captioning at a rate of no more than $2,000per hour. While the federal government provided funds for Thus was born the concept ofa national captioning start-up costs of the National Captioning Institute, it institute to be located in the Washingtonarea because was anticipated that the system would ,./entually be of the proximity to PBS-trained personneland self-supporting. The implementation of the closed equipment. A west coast office in Los Angeles would captioning system, with commitments from ABC, NBC, later be established to handle the needs ofprogram and PBS, seemed to support this contention. However, producers concentrated in thatarea.In the spring of sixteen hours of closed captioned programming per 1979, Joseph Califano, secretary of theDepartment of wcck and the unstable state of the economyat that Health, Education and Welfare, announced thecreation time had a profound effect on the sale of decoders, of the National Captioning Institute. which, after a fast start, slowed down. The resultwas Another issue to be resolved at thattime was the a "chicken or the egg" situation.Larger decoder sales manufacture and sale of decoders and televisionsets would mean increases in quality volume, and variety of with built-in decoding equipment. Followinga lengthy closed captioned programs. Peoplewere hesitant to exploration of manufacturing and distribution sales purchase decoders because the number ofprograms which were generally negative, Sears, Roebuckand was limited.The networks were hesitant to increase Company was the only firm consenting to become their commitments because the number of people with involved. Sanyo, the company that manufactures decoders was limited.Increasing one would clearly television sets for Sears, would produce the decoders increase the other. The question was whether to wait in Arkansas and Sears would market them throughits for "the other" to happen. To do so wouldmost likely catalog.Today, closed captioned decodersare endanger a considerable federal investmentas well as available from a variety of retailers. the continued existence of the system.It was At this point it should be noted that while the determined that the major factors for thepoor sale of closed captioned systemwas being developed, the decoders were: desire for some captioned TV programmingresulted in experimentation with open captionson the PBS the depressed state of the economy; television network. Program stag contactedWGBII of Boston. The following resulted: the lack of a captioned prime time nationalnews program, which hearing impaired persons cited 1971 Funding was provided to open caption as top priority; Julia Child's "The French Chef'on an experimental basis. The contractwas insufficient numbers of closed captioned expanded to caption the series. programs; and

1971.78 Funds were provided foropen an unrealistic expectation by some purchasers captioning of a variety of programs, that decoder prices would decrease in spite of

136 Captioning for Deaf People: An Historical Overview

the fact that the retailer mark-up was slightly a modified stenotype machine linked to a computer above the actual production cost. with a cable, On October 11, 1982, the first real-time closed Making use of the statutory authority which allowed captioning took place with the broadcast of ABC's support for captioned film activities and other projects 'World News Tonight."Since that time, real-time that led to the development of captioned television captioning has been applied to other situations, appeared to be the best solution to protect the federal including classroom experiments at the National investment and to encourage the purchase of decoders. Technical Institute for the Deaf, the Supreme Court to The program began to issue Requests for Proposals allow a deaf attorney to understand the justices and (RFPs) to increase the number of programs available, to other attorneys, and at numerous local, state, and assist in reducing the cost of decoding equipment, and national meetings of deaf people, to encourage more private sector support. The result This author has made every effort to cover the has been an exciting blend of public and private overall development of captioning. Because of the support. RFPs were issued for: magnitude of this effort, it is possible there are some omissions, unintentional as they may be.The major closed captioned prime time movies, specials, events are included, and it would require a major and regular program series; effort-a book, in fact--to cover everything. This effort has been mainly directed toward television, which the manufacture of decoder chips (thus perhaps is more appropriate to the conference, Speech providing a subsidy to assist in reducing costs); to Text: Today and Tomorrow, Obviously, deaf people can still dream of what is yet to come. real-time captioning of national newscasts in Tomorrow, if and when the problems (and there are prime time; many) are overcome to the point where speech can accurately and conveniently be converted to print, closed captioned children's programs; captioned television will be a complete reality, as will the telephone and other, communicative devices.It will closed captioned syndicated programs; happen; and when it does, the doors of communication will he opened wider than ever, bringing a new closed captioned. sports programs; and dimension to the lives of hearing impaired people.

closed captioned local news programs with seed funding for up to three years to encourage local community support for permanent captioning. Bibliography

As early as 1978, the program began to fund Block, M. II. & Okrand, M. (1983).Real-time developmental work in real-time captioning with the closed captioned television as an educational tool. objective of making it possible to caption live programs, (Computer assisted research and instruction for the i.e., news, sports, the Academy Awards, space shuttle hearing impaired.) American Annals of the Deaf, launches, and other live events.This developmental 128 (5). work, however, did not result in the system finally used. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Was Boatner, E. B. (1981). Captioned films for the deaf. exploring a system which would allow the spoken word American Annals of the Deaf, 126 (5). to appear in printed text. As it turned out, a private concern resulted from the CIA project, Stenocomp, Crane, D. (1985). Writing for closed captioned which marketed computer translations to court television for the hearing impaired. IEEE reporters. The Stenocomp system relied on a Transactions of Professional Communication, PC mainframe computer and was thus too cumbersome. 28 (4), However, when Stenocomp went out of business, a new firm developed-Translation Systems, Inc. (TSI) in Norwood, M. J. (1976).Captioned films for the Rockville, Maryland. Advances in computer techaology deaf.Exceptional Children, 43 (3). made it possible to install the Stenocomp software ini,o a minicomputer.This made it possible for the National Norwood, M. J. (1976). Comparison of an Captioning Institute to begin real-time captioning using interpreted and captioned newscast among deaf

137 140 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

bigb school graduates and deaf college graduates. developed for closed captioningper se. We bad to Unpublished doctoral dissertation,University of make use of the system Maryland. we had available to us, and the best way togo at that time was to developon Line 21.That's the only answer Ican give you. Norwood, M. J. (1980). Justdon't scramble the wrong egg. In B. Braverman & B. J. Cronin(Eds.), Question [Charles Estes]: You said Captioning: Shared perspectives. that Teletext was Rochester, NY: developed at thesame time line 21 was but that National Technical Institutefor the Deaf. was the NBC and CBS system,which is a dead format. We know that today the World Proceedings of the First National System Teletext [WST], Conference on which European countries Television for the Hearing use, is a much more Impaired (1971). dependable format And Southern Regional Media we know that there are as Center, University of many TY sets with World System Teletext Tennessee. built in as there are line 21 decoderstoday. And we also know that the ELIA [Electronic Industries Root, R. T. (Ed.). (1970).An analytical and Association] is supportive of the WST format.Is it feasible to convert experimental investigation ofmeans of enhancing the whole system to the value of television a WST, or what is the reason for as a medium of continuing with Line 21 only? communication for the bearingimpaired. Study done by HRB-Singerunder contract to Media Answer: Some of you willrecall that CBS was Services and Captioned Films,U.S. Office of pushing for a Teletext Education, 1970. system in this country. Captioning is only one smallpart of Teletext.If you have a complete Teletextsystem in this country used Schein, J. D. & Delk, M. T.(1974). The Deaf by all the networks, fine. Population of the United You cent have closed States, National captioning and Teletext. Association of the Deaf. But Teletext did not catch on in this country. Where is it?It's not being used in this country,so what do we have? The alternative is on Line 21. If QUESTION AND ANSWER we bad sat back and waited for Teletext to appear,we wouldn't have any closed caption TV today. We wouldstill be sitting here waiting for it.That is the best Question: Whenone is developing a new technology, answer I can give you. you can take existing technology andadapt it to a special populationor develop a separate technologyfor a special population. In Switzerland Comment (Jeff Hutchins]: TheWorld System Teletext and in Europe, cannot provide real-time captioning. they took one technologyand adapted it to various At least not in the communities. Coul.i way we have seen it [during theconference].It is a you comment on the United limitation of the 'Wgrld System States' approach to developing Teletext decoder. Also, entirely separate it cannot work with home technologies for the deafpopulation? videotape. Even if World System Teletext were adopted bythe networks and other program suppliersand even if &coders Answer: Well, whenwe first began to develop Line 21, were a Teletext system was being readily available, I don't thinkthat in the foreseeable developed roughly about future the system of Teletext the same time. I thinkTeletext is a wonderful is an answer for the system. needs of the deaf community.I agree with you that No question about that.It doesn't matter tome what system we use. When Zenith has mademany Teletext TV sets available and we selected Line 21 we made they are out there right use of the system thatwe bad available. For now, but they are not being used to receive captions.Even if World System axample, I was invitedto Australia back in 1981 to Teletext took off andwas successful, too many services Ldp convince the Australiangovernment to support now enjoyed by decoderowners would be lost. captioning for deaf people.The system in Australiais Teletext.It's not a question ofTeletext.The simple fact is that in thiscountry, Teletext never caughton. If we don't have Teletextin this country, bowcan we provide captioningon Teletext? Teletext was not

138 1 5 REAL-TIME CAPTIONING: THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY

Jeff Hutchins*

As with all successful technologies, the state-of-the-art Stenotype is the system of shorthand notation used of real-time captioning has been guided more by the by, and most frequently associated with, court needs of those applying the technology to changing reporters.Court reporters must transcribe precisely situations than by pure engineering marvel. the proceedings in a courtroom at rates up to 300 The uses to which companies such as American words per militate.(Except on rare occasions involving Data Captioning have put real-time captioning have deaf participants in the court, court reporters are not established the goals to which the engineers must required both to transcribe and translate the aspire.Basically, our demands for improved systems proceedings. They record the dialogue in real time, have fallen into three categories: then later translate the shorthand into readable English, correcting any inaccuracies before delivering a written more economical machines; transcript.) Unlike conventional typing strokes, each shorthand faster machines; and stroke can represent many letttrs, sounds, or even complete words and phrases. The stenotype keyboard, more accurate machines, with 23 keys, is not based on characters-such as "A", "7", or "$"--but on sound combinations called This paper details the ways in which these "phonemes" and on shorthand substitutions. The improvements have occurred and the steps yet to be shorthand machine allows the stenotypist to press taken. multiple keys at the same time, thus providing thousands of unique combinations, each of which can equate to different words or parts of words. Basic Concepts Stenotypists can easily look at the notes of their transcriptions--which, to the average person, resemble Real-time captioning refers specifically to the some unpronounceable foreign language-and read simultaneous creation and transmission of captions for them.For a machine to read the transcription and display purposes. In most cases, real-time captioning determine its English equivalent is far more difficult, occurs during live, unscripted, or partially scripted especially in real time.The key to successful and events-television programs, classroom presentations, accurate computerized translation is the look-up courtroom trials, panel discussions, hearings, meetings, "dictionary" employed by the system. A dictionary is a and the like. table of steno entries and their English equivalents,All Those in the captioning business would gladly use stenotype translation systems use one or more any system or technique that would help convert dictionaries.Since every stenotypist has a unique style speech to text in the fastest and most accurate way. and special entries for certain words and phrases, no For the past decade, the method that has worked best one dictionary can serve all users.Each user must has been computerized translation of stenotype create and constantly adjust his or her own personal "strokes" into English. dictionary.

'Jeff Hutchins, Vice President, American Data Captioning,312 Boulevard of Allies, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

A stenotype reporter is trained to listen carefully This lag time, as it is most commonly called, and to break words into phoneticcomponents, while resulted from several factors.First, the reporter, in considering the context in which the word is spoken, listening to the speaker, would generally pause so that the reporter can distinguish word boundaries between one half and two seconds before making an and differentiate between homonyms suchas entry.This pause allowed the reporter to hear the "there/their/they're." These concernsare not critical entire word or phrase correctly and determine if any for the court reporter who has the opportunityto special entries were needed to facilitate accurate review his or her work before sharing it, but ina real- translation.Second, the computer had to collect, or time environment, such conc. :rnsare of tremendous "buffer," enough strokes to allow it to makean importance. Unexpected names and unusual words accurate translation.Since some entries required as also pose a hazard in real-time reporting. Thecare many as five strokes (and few required less than two) with which reporters prepare their dictionariescan no translation would begin until either eight strokes eliminate many problems. had been entered or until the reporter hita special key The real-time reporter minimizeserrors by to force the translation of all strokes in the buffer. anticipating for the job at hand.Researching the Finally, the computer spent a fraction ofa second topic(s) of discussion is the primary step. Common accessing the disk and looking up the English words remain in a permanent dictionary andrarely translation of the strokes. need attention, butproper names and special terms, InstaText's most pronounced weakness was its lack such as technical jargon, are generallyput in temporary of software to help reporters update their dictionaries. dictionaries to be used only on specific jobs. Editing was done using a routine wordprocessor, which was slow and clumsy by today's standards and which offered no function keysor other tools specific Technical Development to the reporter's needs. For example, reporters could not just input entries directly from the stenotype The first real-time system, designed by Teledyne machine; and, from the disk file created duringa real- Geotech, used a large mainframecomputer to perform time session, reporters could not automatically select the translation of stenotype strokes. Thecomputer was and incorporate into the dictionary those strokeswhich expensive, not portable, slow to translate, andrequired had failed to translate.Although this weakness did not a great deal of effort to prepare a personalor special inherently affect InstaText'saccuracy of translation, in job dictionary.It was clear from that first effort that practice it was a hindrance, especially for shows which several magnitudes of improvement wouldbe needed needed last-minute dictionary preparation. before real-time translationwas ready to go "on line." Another distinct disadvantage of InstaTextwas the The breakthrough to the first usablesystem came price of the hardware. While much less expensive than when the National Captioning Institute contractedwith the mainframe computers, anew J-500 cost about the now-defunct Translation Systems,Inc. (TSI) of $15,000, and the hard disk drive needed for Rockville, Maryland, toconvert TSI's off-line dictionaries added many thousandsmore. Repairs computerized translation system intoone which could were also costly. A replacement CPU board for the J. accept steno machine input during translation.That 500 cost at least $5,000. machine, dubbed "InstaText,"was first used on the air For several years after its introduction, TSI's in 1982. InstaText was the only real-timesteno translator on the InstaText was revolutionary in severalways.First, it market, for captioning or otherpurposes. But other used a mini-computer the JacquardJ-500--which could companies that marketed systems to the shorthand be located in the sameroom as the user.It employed reporting industry were busy developingmore a removable hard disk (replaced twoyears later by a advanced computerized translation systems, andtwo of high-capacity Winchester-style hard disk).This feature those companies became interested in the challenges of made it possible for severalreporters to share the same real-time data entry and translation. system with no more than a few minutes neededto Jerry Leffler, a California shorthand reporter, swap dictionaries, which were housedon the hard became interested in creating a new theory of disks. InstaText's "throughput"--theamount of time shorthand, and, with several others, developeda from the reporter's stroke to the English caption's translation system which adopted thename of his output--averaged between four andseven seconds, theory-Digitext.This system relied on the same depending on the speed of the speaker,but was keyboard as the well-worn stenotype theory, but deemed acceptable. revised the way in which wordsare formed,Digitext-

140 152 Real-Time Captioning: The Current Technology the system, not the theory - -was developed on a more Captioning served as a Beta test site for the Xscribe modern computer than was used by the original Captioning System and today uses the system with great InstaText, and improved on the performance of the success for all its real-time captioning. The National older system. For example, Digitext's lag time typically Captioning Institute has recently bought the Xscribe ran no more than four seconds, and the need for job system and is in the process of converting to its dictionary preparation was much reduced. The exclusive use for real-time. The WGBH Caption Center hardware was more compact and less expensive than chose to go with the new InstaText system, also with TSI's system.Digitext had the look of a winner. good results, while Captioning Concepts, Inc, continues But today, about four years after Digitext's to employ Digitext. Among users other than introduction, the only captioning company using it is professional captioning companies, Gallaudet University Leffler's own Captioning Concepts, Inc. The reason and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf use has more to do with the shorthand industry than any Xscribe. particular weakness in the Digitext system or theory. Schools still teach standard stenotype as the prevailing theory for shorthand reporters, and cross-training a Pros and Cons stenotypist to use Digitext theory has proved to be difficult and time-consuming. Users can spend hours extolling the unique features About the same time that Digitext first appeared, and strong points of their chosen systems. There are, another California company-Xscribe-decided to add a of course, price differences although these seem to be real-time capability to its successful steno translation trivial in the long run since the manufacturers are system.Like Digitext, Xscribe's system works only on a attempting to be competitive in the very narrow customized microcomputer made in its own factory, captioning marketplace. There are also obvious and it also improves greatly on the performance of the hardware differences, the importance of which vary original InstaText system. Xscribe lag times average with who analyzes them. The WGBH Caption Center, between two and three seconds.Unlike Digitext, for instance, has expressed a strong preference for however, the Xscribe Captioning System, as it is known, using a system which can operate on standard off-the- relies on standard stenotype theory for its input, shelf computers.Users of Digitext and Xscribe systems making it more quickly compatible with the writing have not found using custom hardware to be a styles of most working reporters. problem. TSI, meanwhile, was running into financial It is clear that all three systems are only as good as difficulties and ended up declaring bankruptcy, the skill and the degree of effort put forth by the throwing the future of InstaText into grave doubt. users.In the proper hands, each system is capable of When the Maryland courts divided TSI's assets, a newly producing highly accurate captions with minimal lag formed company called Advanced Technology Concepts times.Each provides its users with tools which can (ATC) bought up the rights to TSI software, including optimize their efficiency and shorten the time they InstaText, and began work on a PC-based version of must spend preparing for each new real-time program. the system.By using new translation algorithms and Each system also comes with utilities for handling faster microprocessors, ATC made the new InstaText prescripted captions. vastly outperform the original while retaining certain Those persons contemplating the acquisition of unique features.In 1988, Stenograph Corporation, one their first real-time system will find that no easy of the oldest companies servicing the shorthand decision awaits them, and that no one system is clearly reporting industry, acquired InstaText and now sells ahead of the others. The choice will boil down to the system under its name. personal preference for hardware, perceived availability of reporters for the chosen system, and the deal they are able to make with the sales representative. Cutrent Status of Technology

So today there are three viable real-time captioning Future Development systems for sale.Each system's marketers regularly release software upgrades which add new features and What does the future hold for real-time captioning? improved performance. Many of the features enhance Systems based on using shorthand technology will the user's ability to create and update dictionaries, thus continue to make modest improvements in their improving the accuracy of translation. hardware and software, progress which will be Each system has its proponents: American Data significant to those of us who must use these systems

141 5 3 Speed, to Text: Today and Tomorrow

daily and who wish to lowerour operational costs If there is a weak link in today's real-time through less expensive equipment and lesstime- captioning method, it is the human one. Theuse of consuming preparations. But these improvements will people instead of machines to input the sounds and have no major impact on the end product-thecaptions words to the captioning computer does not,as some viewed by the audience. The simple fact is that the people have believed, hurt the accuracyor lag times of systems cannot become much better; theycan only captioning. To the contrary, the human factor almost become cheaper and more reliable. certainly enhances those two measures of captioning It is almost blasphemous in this high-tech to quality because of the human's infinite ability to adapt suggest that a technology like that now used for real- and be flexible.But people weaken the chain because time captioning- -a technology based on such low-tech they are fallible - -they have bad days; they get sickor :ools as a decades-old shorthand machine,a simple (by take vacations or resign, leaving the captioning today's standards) microcomputer, anda human being company to spend weeks or months preparing manually entering data--cannot become better.But the replacements; and they demand to be paid. shorthand-translation-based systems have left themselves The next generation of real-time systems used by little room for improvement. Professionalusers captioning companies will be strictly machine-based, regularly achieve 99% or higheraccuracy rates, employing speech recognition techniques.But, given meaning that they are making approximatelyone error the high degree of accuracy and short lag times in every 100 words typed.Lag times cannot, as a enjoyed today, it is likely to be well into thenext general rule, drop below two seconds becauseno century before speech recognition systems are accurate translation can occur until some data beyond economically or qualitatively a viable alternative. the current word have been received. Even ifsome genius manages to cut the lag time by 25%, thehome audience is not likely to notice the one-halfsecond improvement that results.

154

142 REAL-TIME CAPTIONING: TRAININGAND EMPLOYMENT

William Oliver*

Capturing speech as it is uttered so spoken words The area of captioning is a highly specialized and can be read in printed form is a skill that can be technical area. The captioning reporter has a whole traced to the fourth century B.C.Manuscripts of the new area of specialized education that must be Egyptians and Greeks displayed "shorthand notes" in mastered. the manuscript margins. Marcus Tullius Tiro of ancien; Even though there is no formally designated Rome developed a system by which he could record educational process for captioning reporters, they must speeches of the orator Cicero. The purpose was to have advanced training, which usually is attained preserve history and, equally important, to have a through an internship. To become a reporter, one printed document for general reading or future study. must attend college for two to four years. The As the years passed, different systems of "shorthand" reporter becomes either degreed or certified after were developed and used specifically in legal settings. completing formal training. A reporting student must Recorded speech has been used extensively from the develop excellent English and grammar skills. Roman senate to the modern day courtroom. Additionally, a reporter must learn to write on the The "reporter" who has performed this service stenograph machine at a minimum rate of 225 words through the years is a professional in much demand, per minute. Upon reaching such speeds, a reporter is demonstrating great skill and knowledge. During the then striking the keyboard of the stenograph machine past fifteen years, the shorthand reporter has continued four to six times each second, with great accuracy. to develop academically. The skill of capturing speech The stenograph machine has 22 keys and a number has merged with computer technology to produce the bar.By touching one or more keys, the reporter greatest proficiency available in our space age. One of captures all words spoken. The spoken words are the technological advantages of computerized reporting written on the machine in a sort of code that is is the advent of captioning. Other advantages have phonetically based. The stenograph machine has the been demonstrated in the courtroom of the future.In technical ability to interface with a computer that will that legal setting, courtroom testimony is presented to eventually translate the code into printed English. The hearing impaired individuals immediately. Additional computer contains a dictionary of English words. The technological advantages are available. average has between 70,000 and 100,000 words. The While the reporter has been a highly educated stenographic "code" is entered into the computer, individual, academic requirements continue to grow. which searches the dictionary for the English word that Computer technology demands that reporters increase matches the code and then prints the English word. their educational development and knowledge. As a When a reporter is captioning a live television program professional, the reporter interacts with all professions. or a live public presentation, he or she connects the The reporter is required to have knowledge in such stenograph machine directly to the computer. As the areas as law, communications, technology, finance, reporter is writing, the code goes instantaneously into medicine, engineering, government, manufar the computer, which finds the English match for the transportation, and business. As reporters ...ove into code and displays the English word on the television more technical areas, they become more specialized. or display screen.This process takes about two

William Oliver, Ph.D., Immediate Past President, National Thorthand Reporters Association, Stenograph Institute of Arkansas, 350 Union Station Square, Little Rock, AR 72201 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

seconds from the time the word is actuallyspoken. Question: Do you see this coming to the universities This technology is identical to theway the in the near future? courtroom of the future functions, displaying the actual testimony as it is occurring. An additional featurethe Answer [Bill Oliver]:Yes, I do.It's difficult to get the courtroom offers is an instant printedcopy of universities to believe that it needs to be there, but I everything as it appears on thescreen during the think by doing these testswe will be able to show proceeding. There are unlimited possibilitieswhere that it is occurring. I talked with awoman in this technology can be used to assist the deaf Kansas City, Missouri, yesterday. A freshman inone community: the classroom, public conventions, church of the universities there had been introducedto services, courtrooms, television, legal meetings,or just captioning in his senior year of high school. He took about any place speech is used forcommunication. that concept to the university, and the university As a professional court reporter who hasa strong literally worked his schedule around the schedule of involvement with the deaf community, itis with much the captionist.There is a captionist who follows that professional and personal pride that Ipresent our one individual to every classroom, and it is my enthusiasm for this technology. The National understanding that this has beenvery successful in Shorthand Reporters Association pledgesits support in the short period of time that it has been working. the continued 'mut concerning thedevelopment of this type of technology. We further pledgecontinued Question: What is the hourly cost for this? involvement in training and training methodsfor real- time captioning. Much of our involvement focuses on Answer [Jeff Hutchins]: If your question is whatis the legal system, which is understandable since that is the cost per hour to real-time caption, then itdoes our natural professional environment. Weare proud to vary from company to company, and situation to have played a major role in literallybreaking the legal situation. For example, a company that is sound barrier in both federal and captioning state courts. the same program every day of the week allyear long can obviously do so more cheaply than a company which has to go to one location,set up, bring in a QUESTION AND ANSWER staff, caption there, then pack it allup and go somewhere else.Captioning conferences like this is Jeff Hutchins actually more expensivenow, using today's American Data Captioning, Inc. technologies, than an everyday kind ofcaptioning. and The costs range anywhere froma few hundred dollars William Oliver an hour to maybe a couple of thousand dollarsan National Shorthand Reporters Association hour to do real-time captioning.

Answer Mill Oliver]: I would like Question: to say one more I found it interesting that captioning thing.This is a good place for our graduatesto do technology can be used to helpa deaf student their internship. Dependingon what we find, this integrate into regular classes. Howis that being may be very successful. If it is successful, it would funded? certainly affect the cost thata college or university would be paying. Rightnow, it's my understanding Answer [Bill Oliver]: Inour particular instance, the that the captioner for the University of Missouri organization that I am associated with,EDUCORP, student is being paid $15an hour.That's a totally Inc., has two schools in Texas andone in Arkansas. different concept from what Jeff just talked We are doing part of the funding, about. the University of But I believe it is something thatwe could merge into Arkansas is giving us advice and counsel,and the the captioning community. school for the deaf is furnishing thestudents, At this point, it is costing no one, except our school, Question Uudy Tingley]: We talked about the anything. cost of If you are interested, I would liketo get captioning. In a classroom ina university, is it possible that information so the NationalShorthand Reporters to centrally locate the equipment and the Association can decide which projects would be its stenographers in one location, and then pipein the priority. lecture to that location, and then pipe back the captioning, to save the cost of moving the equipment around?

144 Real -Time Captioning: Training and Employment

Answer [Jeff Hutchins]: Technically, it's possible to do would think in the next 20 years we will find that tbat. Ross Stuck less is very well aware of efforts to automatic computer systems will be able to do ai achieve that at NTID (National Technical Institute for least tbat well.Getting only 50% for broadcast the Deaf]; you have to be aware that if you have captioning and news captioning would be just awful, maybe 50 or 60 different classrooms in operation on but perhaps in some situations 50% would be quite a campus at one time, the cost of routing the video acceptable. and baying a camera wherever you might need it would be very high indeed.It would depend on the Question: Could you explain a bit about the process size of the campus and the composition of the the stenographer uses in building her dictionary? students as to whether that was a cost-effective thing to do, At a campus like Gallaudet or NTID where all Answer [Bill Oliver]: I'm not a computer expert by or most of the students are deaf, that might work out any means, but stenographers usually do it the way I I would guess in a campus situation like at the built my dictionary.I wrote tbe words the way that University of Missouri, it might not be cost-effective they're created on tbe stenotype machine. I sent tbat because the miles of cable that would have to be run to the stenograpb company after I did this big list of or the microwave systems that would have to be set words, and they sent me back a dictionary.It is a up to transmit video from the classroom to a central joy to be able to add words as I go aTong.There are location would be prohibitively expensive. some that put in the stenotype word and the English word. Some of the computer companies build their Question [Judi Bauer]:I am from the Canadian dictionaries just as they go along, putting in tbe Hearing Society.In Canada, we have Insta Cap, which stenotype and English words, creating the dictionary uses a regular computer keyboard for putting captions they need. up, so any skilled secretary can use it.Obviously, it is not the same as this system. You can't get everything Question:I wonder if a future decoder could possibly but you can get quite a lot with a skilled secretary, and have both Teletext and Line 21 installed so we can it brings the cost down significantly because you are have both? talking about a clerical person. For classrooms, small conferences, even in board meetings, is this kind of Answer [Jeff Hutchins]: I bave worked with TDI technology being developed in the United States? Can [Telecommunications for tbe Deaf] to establish a task you comment on the utility of it for situations where force on captioning to promote exactly these kinds of we couldn't possibly afford the type of equipment you issues.Charles [Estes] in the audience is the chair of have here? the task force, and I an cbairman of the technical subcommittee of the task force.That certainly is an Answer [Jeff Hutchins]: Yes, I think it is.I have seen issue.It came up [at the National Conference of Deaf basement built-type systems that do this type of thing. and Hard of Hearing People] in El Paso. Zenith, the In fact, the very first real-time captioning that was only company that is producing decoders in a done in the world was done in England, and not in Teletext format and making them readily available, the United States,It was done on the type of system says they have no plans to incorporate a Line 21 you just described.I believe it was for the royal decoding capability.The TDI task force will probably wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and it adopt a resolution, but it's early and we haven't bad was dreadful in the words of most [people] who a chance to:udy it or take a position.I believe the watched it.They really felt like they were being left position of the task force is going to be that we out. Normally the typist was a good typist, but they would like to see Teletext decoders automatically bad problems.The point is that there are systems.I decode captions regardless of the format in which understand what you are saying.There are certainly they were encoded.I mean that if the captions were situations where something is better than nothing. on Line 21, the Teletext decoder would find them and decode them, Or if the captions were in Teletext, the I think that for certain situations, the kinds of decoder would show them, too. situations my company is involved in captioning, we must have the kind of technology we have here. On The consumer sbould not have to know anything the other band, where I would hope the technology about the different technologies by which captions are would go in 15 or 20 years would be to the kind of delivered.It's not fair to ask the consumer to know system you described-using a good typist, producing that much about how these technologies work, perhaps 50% of a transcript accurately.Certainly, I Hearing people are not required to know that much

145 5 7 Speech1..M.toText:Today and Tomorrow about any of the technologies usedto deliver services Question [Bill Cutler]:I Iv we been impressed with the to them. When deaf people walk inioan appliance number of people whose fixes tookon a look of panic store ten years from now, we don't expect them to when the captions failed for mechanicalreasons. Jeff, know that NBC broadcasts this kind ofTeletext and can you give me the incremental costs of adding the the captions are on Line 21 and CBS doessomething photo image, as compared topure captions? Is it 10% different and only this decoder will workwith CBS or 25%? In other words, if you had been presenting and this one works with home video. You don't want nothing but captions as compared to the fullscreen to know that and you shouldn't haveto.The task with the video image. force is going to address those issues.If you have ideas or know someone who has ideasabout these Answer [Jeff Hutchins]:Of course, we could have issues, I would recommend thatyou send them to gotten something smaller and cheaper but the rental TDI-address them to Charles Estes-andlet TDI know of this size screen and projectorwas about $2,000 for your feelings. the week.

15s

146 Real-time captioning of a .speaker's presentation.

I S

`ftsilloner

CutlerS'elf Help for hard of Hearing People, rnc, CAPTIONING AS AN INTERPRETIVE, MEDIUM

William Cutler*

Some people probably think I talk too much about churches, and infrared in some theaters and assistive listening devices (ALDs).But 1 don't apologize auditoriums are helpful--but only partially, for people for it because I feel very strongly that we should use like me. So I'm always delighted when these are every available means to cope with our hearing loss. supplemented with visual assistance, such as slides or Of course, depending on an individual's hearing other illustrations by the speaker, or a note-taker's characteristics, assistance "beyond the hearing aid" may abstracts on an overhead screen. The SHHH not be critical.Those with a mild or moderate loss do convention in Rochester offered these to varying not require as much help.But some of us with a degrees of satisfaction. At the International Federation severe and profound loss need it badly.For instance, of the Hard of Hearing (IFHOH) Congress in because of my poor discrimination, my electronic Switzerland on July 11, 1988, all papers were verbally amplifying gear provides only about 20% of my interpreted into English, French, and German. But understanding; lipreading (under good conditions) more valuable, considering the difficulty of hearing and might add 30 to 40%; but I have to guess at what I lipreading an accent, the papers were projected on a think I heard for the remaining 40%. screen (again in all three languages) dt,ring each It is that last, very imperfect part of my presentation.It improved everyone's understanding. understanding that drives me--and those trying to Perhaps I am stretching the definition of captioning ammunicate with me--crazy.So, I always welcome yet by referring to the simple overhead projection of a another ALD. More specifically, I mean any medium script although it is one of the earliest assistive that uses my eyes to assist my ears. Advocates of sign listening systems using the eyes. And it is available language and cued speech point out that they are now, on a real-time basis for about the same hourly excellent assistive understanding devices, and some cost as a sign interpreter (if not by a lay volunteer). hard of hearing individuals have been sufficiently Its constraint is that thspeaker must closely follow his motivated to learn to use these language assists.Many or her paper. The next step, closer to real-time more of us are able to utilize existing-or even newly captioning, is the Kodak overhead projector integrated acquired-typing skills plus our eyes for the printed with a personal computer, permitting typing of the words of TDD phone calls, especially with the advent notes with instantaneous projection.With a good, fast of more relay services. And certainly, those who are typist on the console, the readability of the notes is not taking advantage of closed captioned television and dramatically improved. video are missing a very valuable eye-assisted "listening" Some people might not accept my next example as device.Even my hearing wife enjoys the PBS "Mystery" either captioning or interpreting, but it fits my series far more when she can read some of those definition of both.Further, I consider it a basic strange British accents. communication access which could be available as Most of us have enjoyed the benefit of assistive soon as society sets a high enough priority.Several listening systems (ALS) in various public venues. Audio technologies already exist for screening of loops at most SHIM chapter meetings, FM systems in transportation information, both routine and

*William Cutler, President, Self Help for llard of Hearing People, 2590 Marshall Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94303

149 Speed, to Text: Today and Tomorrow

emergency. While a TV monitor would serve nicely (as or her shorthand, and the computer to translate it into it does for the listing of flights in terminals) forstatic, English using its sophisticated dictionary) is sometimes detailed information, a more importantservice would annoying.If I can lipread the speaker, I ignore the be large type translation ofannouncements, probably captions.But they are always there for me to check as a flowing array, wherever they occur on ceiling on something I don't quite comprehend. speakers, including the transportation vehicle. Real-time captioning on all three networks makesit However, I must confess some pessimism aboutthe possible for me to make sense out of the national prospects. After a year of promotion,we finally evening news. No longer do I have to askmy wife persuaded management of the Bay Area RapidTransit (after a "voice-over" segment when the announcer's system in the Bay Area to do an engineering study, face wasn't available to lipread), "Whatwas that all only to have the concept rejected whena cost estimate about?" The service is being expanded with the of $3 million was submitted. captioning of local news in about 20 metropolitan Another recent development will, inmy opinion, areas. One develoi .1! which is accelerating this become a pop alar caption interpreter.Ultratec has movement is called "script captioning" in which special, announced a large visual display for its TDD,which, I affordable ware converts the usual teleprompterscript think, will prove more popularas an interpreting into a closed caption broadcast signal. The captioning device than as its intendeduse for deaf-blind therefore becomes a byproduct of anothernecessary individuals.Connected to the TDD printerport, it is a activity, rather than requiring a special, expensive foot-long, free-standing, movablescreen with 20 flowing stenographer and computer system. Ofcourse, the characters ten times larger than thoseon the standard captions do not cover spontaneous remarks, but the TDD.I envisage it facing the hearing impairedperson important facts become available to our assistive at a reception counter and serving far better than listening eyes. shorting or scribbled notes.Or, picture it in front of Another byproduct may, in the not-too-distant several hard of hearing peopleat a conference table or future, provide a critical interpreting service through in lecture seating. The under $1,000cost (TDD and real-time captioning. One of themost serious ancillary display) is less than othercaptioning deficiencies in communicationaccess occurs in hardware, and an alert, skilledtypist will be able to courtrooms across the land, depriving hearing impaired provide meaningful abstracts ofa discussion. We hope defendants, plaintiffs, attorneys, jury members, and to try it for committee meetings of the newly judges equity in the justice system. A growing ',lumber reorganized California Telecommunicationfor the Deaf (half in California) of court reportersare using real- and Disabled Program, with professionalnote-takers time hardware and techniques for computer-aided funded by the programas are sign interpreters. transcription (CAT) in place of the traditional, Both the SHHH and IFHOH meetingsalso provided laborious, time-consuming transcription of their another useful visual medium byprojecting on a large stenotype tapes.They find the initial $20,000 cost of screen, viewable from anywhere in the hall,a 1V close- the special computer and softwarea good long-term up of the speaker.This facilitated speechreading, investment in terms of the expense and time for which otherwise wouldnot have been possible except manual transcription, not to mention faster service for those in the front on row.I found, by the way, that requested copies. The good news is that thissame some cameramen insisted on the traditional (admittedly computer can feed, once more as a byproduct, closed more photogenic) upper torso view, at theexpense of captions to courtroom TV screens wherever needed. a bigger picture of the face. A (In this context, I am little delayed, and not letter perfect (aswe have more interested in lips and eyes than Iam in neckties observed in broadcasts), the captions providean and bosoms.) adequate, meaningful, and legally accepted translation At the SIIIIH convention in Rochesterwe had the of what has been said. ultimate visual ass:stance of real-timecaptioning (such But notice that superior interpreting--whether sign as we enjoyed at tt,is conference) provided by the language or some form of real-time captioning- -still National Technical Ir.stin. te for the Deaf(NTID), which requires expensive human skills, effectively denying developed the system for classroomus'.Just as in their being commonly available. That is whyI have broadcast TV captioning, the speaker's we rds appeared emphasized those approaches which providecaptioning on the screen below his or ..er ojeo.:.d face.I must as a byproduct.In suggesting that, even though admit that the commendably brief delayof real -time imperfect, they are better than nothing, Imay be in captioning (the time it takesa stenotypist to enter his conflict with those who are concerned that

150 162 Captioning as an Interpretive Medium imperfections discourage acceptance.But I don't think Many people who have a bearing impairment are that will be true for the millions of us who need any bearing garbage all the time.Youare used to kind of help we can get. extrapolating and interpreting in between that stuff Ultimately, there will be speech-directly-to-print that is going around in your head.It is nothing new devices. But it is one of the most challenging goals in for me to try to figure out what is really meant.It is science, and those who have worked on it for a nothing new for me to in the lines of what is decade expect it might requ .e another fifteen years to being typed on that 50% volume device.That's not a develop a viable product.I must confess little ve,y specific answer, except that I will take anything I optimism for the recently announced $100,000 can get.I will even take 30% because that's better competition for a hand-held speech-to-text transcriber than nothing.Obviously, the more volume and the design, although I would love such a miracle.(Editors' more accuracy, the easier it is,I don't want to feel Note:This refers to a competition to develop a band -held shot at the end of the day from trying to understand speech recognizing device for communication between what I beard, but I am willing to feel sort of shot bearing and deafpeople.The competition was sponsored and require only one martini instead of three if I by the Executive Audial Rehabilitation Society of Corpus have some help from captions. Christi, Texas.)In the meantime, real-time captioning serves well -where it can be afforded (a competent Question [Charles Haines]:I am interested in the 50% captioning stenographer earns up to $50 an hour).It question but I have another one. Opera performances can be used by everyone who can read; no special now have subtitles over the arch of the stage. We language skills are required.This is a major advantage heard this morning that some hearing people, I think over sign interpreters with an equivalent labor cost entirely unreasonably, object to captioning on the (about $50 an hour for a two-person team) who are of bottom of films.Is there any activity that people hcrc value to only one-quarter of those with a severe or know of to put subtitles not only over opera but over profound hearing loss. performances of live theater, and perhaps over films? For those of us who don't hear well, "the EYES Can the use of subtitling spread? Who is in charge of have it!" it, what is the future, or what are the possibilities of subtitles?

QUESTION AND ANSWER Answer:I certainly don't have an answer to that.I should have mentioned it is a worthwhile text device, Question [Jeff Hutchins]: When wc talk about "50% except that it is not spontaneous.It is not real-time. being good enough," do wc mean 50% of the volume They have worked hard to come up with that or 50% of the accuracy? There is a difference. The relatively minimal text describing what is happening difference is this: We can caption accurately 50% of on stage.I am not aware of anything involving everything that is said or wc can caption 100% of theater.It may be because they ad -lib too much, but everything that is said with 50% accuracy. When you I don't have that answer. I don't know whether say that 50% is acceptable to you, arc you talking anyone in the audience would have it. about 50% accuracy or are you talking about just accepting 50% of what is said? Question [Nancy Connors]: You were mentioning what your priorities arc with technology, perhaps what many Answer:I guess I bad been talking about a mix.In would call low-tech over high-tech. Now, a lot of the case of local news script captioning, I'm talking technology results from research funds. Would you about the volume, I'm being denied the spontaneous advocate having hearing hnpaired and hard of hearing remarks in weather and sports.I am getting people more involved in the process that distributes accuracy because it is a script that has been written. research monies so that the technology suits the I am getting 100% accuracy with 80% of the volume consumer? that is coming on the air.In the case of (we haven't come up with a name for it) large print interpreting, Answer:I certainly would agree that using aisabled you are missing some of the volume because the peopleonreview panels would be appropriate for typist has bad to abstract, we hope intelligently.We grantsinvolving disabilities.Of course, Mac may have some typos.Incidentally, I will be happy to Norwood, who gave away a lot of grants when he was accept less than that 80% accuracy. at the Department of Education, might answer that better than me.Whether or notfoulto what extent

151 163 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

they used disabled advisors in theprocess, I don't which she would then transfer to the manufacturers. know. I do know that many of the grants of which I Certainly I would agree that disabled peopleshould am aware include disabled people-consumers, ifyou participate in the process.Wben I was in education, willthe results.I mentioned that I was involved a review committee of peers was typically involved in in one of Judy Harkins' projectsa couple of years ago the preliminary decisions involving in which she was contacting disabled a grant award. I bearing have been out of that racket forten years and I don't impaired people around thecountry to obtain input know if it is still the patternor not.

152164 REAL-TIME CAPTIONINGIN EDUCATION

A presentation by E. Ross Stuck less*

During the late 1960s and early to mid-1970s, a projection, captioned materials, workbooks, textbooks, number of research investigators examined the relative compositions, written tests, etc." amount of verbal information--the kind of information A second answer is to say that print, unlike the that is transmitted through language of one kind or reception of speech through listening and another-that deaf children and adults are able to speechreading and the reception of signs and receive and process visually through print, fingerspelling, does not lend itself to communication in speechreading, signs, and fingerspelling. The general real time.Print (and writing) is something we record weight of these studies supports print. for later retrieval. At least that is the way it always has To me, the most satisfactory explanation for this been. observation rests in the fact that, unlike the other But technology is beginning to change all that. receptive language modes, print has a unique spatial Under conditions such as we have [at the conference], quality which makes it amenable to processing through it is now possible to convert continuous, unrehearsed the eye and its associated neural network. The other speech, such as I ant using at this moment, into print. language modes have in common a temporal-sequential This technology became available to us in 1981 as a "on again, off again" quality more amenable to auditory spinoff from other communication applications aimed at than visual processing. speeding up the process of transcribing spoken Considering the dependence of deaf students on material into hard copy text.Court reporters had a their vision for the intake of verbal information and the particular interest in eliminating the laborious process compatibility of print for visual processing, it is of typing legal proceedings from the phonetic reasonable to ask why print is not used with greater shorthand they entered on their stenographic machines. frequency for communicating with deaf students in the ht wever, it was left to those of us interested in educational setting.I believe there are two answers to applying this technology to the communication needs this question. One answer is to say, "It is."That is to of hearing impaired persons to begin to exploit the say, print is, in fact, used extensively in the classroom real-time potential of the system for use in live with deaf students. situations.There have been three major applications In a letter to the editor which appeared in the of this real-time speech-to-text technology to our October, 1979, issue of the American Annals of the particular interests. What you are seeing today is one Deaf, I presented a position that most, if not all, the of these three applications-notably the large screen TV major definitions of total communication ignored the projection of a live speaker, with his or her speech role of reading and writing in the process, suggesting being superimposed in caption form while it is being that educators of deaf students tend to regard reading spoken, for the benefit of hearing impaired persons in And writing more as skills to be learned than skills to the audience. NTID began to do this in its theater for be used.However, I continued by saying, "Any general deaf students and staff in 1984, and in the same year description of communication in the classroom must was able to demonstrate its portability in Oregon at a include the use of the chalkboard, language slot charts, convention of the A.G. Bell Association for the Deaf. pictures and their verbal lanels on the walls, overhead

IE. Ross Stuck less, Ph.D., Director, Integrative Research, National TechnicalInstitute for the Deaf, One Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623

153 16 Speed) to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Since that time, it has been used with some or two. frequency at national meetings involving considerable A colleague, Dr. Alan Hurtwitz and I have been numbers of hearing impaired persons.I might add that doing this for deaf students enrolled in various colleges it has been particularly well received by organizations of RIT with hearing classmates and regular instructors where most members do notuse sign interpreters.Self (not NTID faculty) since early in 1983.Parenthetically, Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. (SHIM)is a I should add that interpreters, note-takers, andtutors good case in point.I must add, however, that most have continued to be available to these studentsas communities do not have equipment and expertise for part of a research and development program. this, and, like the other applications of thesystem, it is Another colleague, Dr. Michael Stinson, and I not without cost. developed a questionnaire which has been A second application of the system is probably well- administered routinely to deaf students incourses known to most of you. This is its applicationto closed using the real-time system. About seven or eight weeks caption television.It was introduced in 1982 by the into the course, we ask the studentsa number of National Captioning Institute in cooperation withABC questions, such as whether they understandmore of and its evening news department. Today,"ABC World tl,c instruction through the interpreteror through the News Tonight" with Peter Jennings continuesto be real-time print and what percentage of the actual captioned in real time with essentially thesame instruction they believe they understood through each. technology used in this auditorium today.It has since Actually, the questions aren't asked in quite thatway, been expanded to real-time coverage ofmany nationally but for those of you interested in more detail,an televised special events, and isnow being adopted by article accepted for publication by the Volta Review increasing numbers of local television stationsto c;: ,ter will provide more information. their local news and other events. Results based on 121 different students in 29 I would like to turn now 10 its third application,its courses indicated that most of the students believed use in the classroom.In 1982, NTID acquired a system they understood more from the lectures when for use in mainstream classes.Unlike the display [used presented through real-time print than through during the conference], the classroom display doesnot interpreting and that the difference in magnitude of feature a TV picture, but simply theappearance of understanding was substantial. Without elaboration, I twelve lines of print andup to .2 characters per line. can tell you that these differences were statistically This enables the deaf student in the classto read a significant beyond the .001 level of confidence. lecture and discussion verbatim,as it is occurring, and These same students also had trained, paid note- to be able to look away and look backto the screen takers in their classes. Whenwe asked whether they without losing anything. preferred the hard copy printoutor notes, significantly Another feature is that the graphicscan be stored more students chose the printouts than the notes. and printed out at any time.For a more polished When we presented them with the hypothetical version, this can be edited on-or off -line.The result is siLuation of being able to choose onlyone support that the student has accessto the same information in service, 35% chose the real-time print, 30% chose the real-time printed form as hisor her hearing classmates hard copy printout, 21% chose the interpreter, and have through listening, with the added benefitof a full 15% chose the note-taker. transcript of the spoken information whichwas I don't want to give the impression that students presented in class. were unanimous in their opinions. We were interested Typically, we identify three to sixcourses in the in characteristics of students whose opinions and regular colleges of RIT [Rochester Instituteof preferences differed.For example, significantly more Technology] each quarter for thisactivity, which we graduates of mainstream programs at the secondary call Real-Time Graphic Display,or RTGD. The courses level than graduates of schools for the deaf selected may be selected from almost any of the kinds of real-time print.children of deaf parents selected the courses offered at the undergraduate level in the interpreters more frequently than children of hearing typical college setting.Most of the courses we choose parents.This information will be published shortly in arc in the liberal arts and business areas. An important the Volta Review. [Editors' Note: Thepaper was consideration in the selection is the numberof deaf published in the Journal's December 1988 issue.) students enrolled in thecourse.Obviously, we prefer Now I must say that in spite of these promising to cover a class in which theremay be four or five results, the system at NTID has experienced virtuallyno deaf students overa class in which there are only one growth in the classroom.Essentially this is for reasons

154 166 Real-Time Captioning in Education of cost. We are talking about two major costs. The of English reading and writing skills on the part of deaf first is the cost of the stenotypist. A well qualified students, and lead to opportunities which so many deaf stenotypist is likely to cost substantially more than a people today are denied because English does not well qualified interpreter. A skilled stenotypist can come easily to them. command $40,000 or more a year in the legal and business environments. As you know, few interpreters in school settings make anywhere near this kind of QUESTION AND ANSWER income. The second major cost is that of the equipment and its software. Although costs have dropped appreciably since we acquired our first Question:I work as a sign language interpreter, and system, a ballpark figure today for the system (actually, most of the deaf people I know prefer captioning, there are several) might be around $25,000. especially on television and in films, and I can Where do I see us going in terms of classroom understand that My only question is about the applications?I certainly see us continuing to do what undergraduate students who wanted to have real-time we have been doing, partly because from a research graphic displays instead of interpreters in the and development standpoint we have more to learn classroom. What was the mechanism for them to ask a about the processing of print in real time.This will question? take on increasing importance in the future when automatic speech recognition and conversion into print Answer: Let me surprise you a little.I have observed become practical for applications by deaf children and a lot of undergraduate classes.Most deaf students adults, and assuredly, this will occur. in mainstream classes, even with good reverse I see us moving along two additional paths in the interpreters, do not ask a lot of questions.The fact is future: one the "high tech" path, the other the "low that most deaf students in mainstream classes, at tech" path. The high tech path is in the direction of least at the college level, tend to be reluctant to automatic speech recognition.If we settle for now participate in class (discussions].That is one with automatic word recognition, the state-of-the-art is response. A second response is that if a deaf student at the point where some limited classroom applications has little or no speech, be or she should be may be feasible today, especially with young deaf encouraged to use the chalkboard and write the children.For automatic continuous speech question or comment down. When it comes to recognition, practical classroom applications may be ten activities like seminars and discussion groups, I do years or more away. But its time will come, and it not think there is a good substitute for interpreting, behooves us to be watchful and ready for it when it given that the deaf student is able to use one. arrives. Then there is also the low tech path, to which for some reason we have not paid much attention. Question: Do you think real-time graphics are more There are a number of personal computer software popular among the students from mainstream high packages-Quickey, Gregg, Speedwriter being three-- schools because they arc more comfortable using their which are designed to enable a typist to gain eyes? appreciable speed in transcribing material through the use of abbreviations.Cost-wise, this represents Answer: No, they are more comfortable using English nowhere near the cost of the real-time system we are or perhaps I should say less comfortable using signs. now using.While these systems would not have the Conversely, many students with deaf parents, for sophistication of the system presently under use, it is example, will acknowledge that they understand more possible that they can be highly cost-effective and from the real-time print but still prefer the interpreter. feasible for use with deaf students beyond NTID. After all, if signs constitute their first language, it Let me say in closing that I have great faith that follows that this would be their language of choice in what we are calling real-time captioning today will lead the classroom. to much improved mobility in communication for deaf people in the future. As I recently heard a deaf man Question: Have you looked at whether getting the say, "I can't carry an interpreter around in my pocket. hard copy has been a factor in the kids cutting classes I need a pocket device that translates speech into or playing during class time? something I can read on the spot." I have confidence that this development will, in Answer: If they cut class, they don't get the bard turn, lead to major breakthroughs in the development copy.Actually, absenteeism has not been identified

155 16 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

as a problem. But that raises another question.flow terms of the value of the large screen for do the Rif faculty take to having thissystem in their speecbreading. The notion is that thereare a variety classes and distributing the transcriptsof their of communication media thata bearing impaired lectures? I tbink we have involved50 or 60 different person can select:interpreter, speecbreading, and so instructors in this program and onlyonce has a forth.Relative to speecbreading, letme give you an faculty member refused to participate.Some students analogy.If a person were ten feetaway from me may disagree, but, by and large, most professors take speecbreading me directly, another person 100 feet a sincere interest in their students, whether deafor back should be able to speecbreadme from the screen bearing, and are willing to extendthemselves within just as well.That is the major enhancement of reason. a large screen.It makes speecbreading accessible to everyone in the audience. We have data on that. Question: You have mentioned thatmany of your Further, we need a large screen display here whether classrooms feature captions withoutprojection of the we have camera pictures or not. Much of the expense speaker's face.I gather you did that for economic is for this screen.The camera is virtually free reasons. compared with the cost ofa screen of this size. We need it to make the captions visibleto everyone.It's Answit: We wouldn't be ableto get this system fa quite different from a small classroom. nine by twelve footscreen used at the conference] into a classroom. I would liketo add, however, that we have done a little bit of work on speechreadingin

156 166 MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON REAL-TIME CAPTIONING

For some of the conference topics, leaders in the field me that the decoder device was very small. The spoke but papers were not written.Included here are TeleCaption 3000 had some new features and it cost questions and answers following presentations by about $200.I was wondering if we could come up several of these speakers. with a smaller device without any features other than the captioning, and place it within the television set and reduce the cost of this caption feature by $35 or Linda Carson $40? Right now we are raying $200.1 Vice President of Production National Captioning Institute, Inc. Answer:The decoder moduleinthe TeleCaption units is a ten- or a twelve-drip module.There are twelve chips to be placedintoa television system. We are /Editors' Note: Ms. Carson spoke on real -time captioning in working to come up wily a one-or two-chip module television.] that can be integrated into a television setata nominal cost.The problem is the development of that Question [Wayne Bennett]:I have been listening to one-chip module is expensive, probably somewherein your comments about live captioning. One of the the neighborhood of a million dollars to get it down problems that many deaf people have with getting local to one chip.It is something that we are looking at stations to caption is the cost. The high cost can't be seriously, and the television manufacturers themselves denied. Our local Tv station is trying a different seem receptive to the idea.Atleast a few of them do, approach. They are going to plug into the teleprompter computer system. The man who is the director of the news told me that this works for Question: Sometimes when we arc watching captioning prescripted news, but 10% of the time you can't count on television, the captioning just disappears. We don't on that. What is your feeling of that approach as a know what is going on. What do we do? I have talked more economical means for a local station to do their with the local television station about the missing news? captions after a commercial, and they say they don't know what is the problem t.The feed is coining from Answer: A teleprompter isan economical way of the network in New York. Sometime in the past we captioning. Some stations haveanelectronic talked with some people at Na [National Captioning newsroom where you canplug inthe Line 21 Institute[, and they blame the local stations. So there encoders and allow the captions to be created,The seems to be some conflict, anti we get a run around problem, as you said is with unscripted versions,In on that.I think NCI should have something like a some markets that may be 10% andinother markets, hotline where we can contact them immediately to find 20%. Usually the sports and weather are not out if it is a local thing or nationwide so there could prescripted.While [hearing impaired people) see most be a call made from NCI to the local station of the news, there would be big chunks of captioning immediately. missing. A little bit is better than nothing. As an economical way to caption local news, I think it is a Answer:We don't have that kind of hotline now, I'm good one, not sure it is possible, At NCI every evening we monitor all of the prime-time network telecasts that Question [Fred Weiner' A few weeks ago I saw a are captioned to make sure that captions are TeleCaption 3000 on top of a television, and it struck broadcast properly.If there is a network problem, we

157 nfl Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

will call the engineers there immediatelyand they it becomes impossible. For example, did the correct it. viewer If it's a problem in which thecaptions watch it on cable? If it wasa cable signal picking up won't appear for the rest of theprogram, we can a local 7V station, and the local TV station is picking generate a caption at NCI thatsays the program won't up the signal from a network thereare so many be captioned. if you are having problems with the places that problems can be introduced.It is a very captions, please remember thatwe are monitoring the difficult thing to track back.It's impossible to trace program at NCI, and if we say it isnot a network it during the program. So it'sa process of getting the problem it is becausewe can see the network captions consumer to call or write to the local station after the and we place the responsibilityat the local level. problem has occurred and educate the local station. When they get near their local news at about 11 p.m., There are people watching captioning, butmany of the local stations have a tendency to switch things at the local stations don't even think aboutit. their master control. Captions That could delete the captions. just pass through their signal, and they aren'taware Local stations are learning to bemore responsive to that they can affect it.Educate them that you are the deaf community, and I thinkwe Just have to keep watching it.Educate them that there has beena encouraging them to listen to your complaints. problem. Most stations will not throw the blameon NCI or even the network. Most stations will pick Question: up I was talking withsome people at a local the phone and make the call themselves.If you don't station about installing a TTY in theiroffice so we can get that kind of satisfaction, go bigber in the station call them directly. But they continue to blame things because by the time you get to the stationmanager on the national network I think something hasto be they know that it is not up toyou to find the done to solve the problem immediately. problem.It's up to them.

Answer: If you can give me thename of your local Question: The problem is the loss of captions. We station after this meeting, I will make sure that our need someone to callsome sort ofhotlinesomewhere engineers talk to them directly andsee if we can in the United States, you know. A station straighten it out in your goes out in area. I would like to add another part of the country, they oughtto be able to that from the day that NCI first went on the air, this call a central place like NCI tosay, "Hey, it has gone enforcement has been a problem.It's impossible for out."I mean, it would solve a lot of problems. When NCI or any other entity like NCIto monitor all you are talking about calling and writing a letter and broadcasts of all captioning. We do rely very much everything, it Just takes sr, much time.If hearing on the audience to give feedback to their local people arc missing their audio, they just stations. I have talked to engineers simply call at many local their local station and start to complain.We can't do stations, and they try to bounce theproblem back to that. We should have some sort of the national level. Most of the a hotline, maybe at time they don't realize NCI, so we have a way of contacting the station.We the many different things theycan do to affect the could tell the hotline what station in what caption part of the transmission. town and There are over say, "Hey, look, the signal is gone." Somebodycan call 1,000 television stations in thiscountry and 18,000 and alert them to that fact. cable companies.It's impossible for NCIor any other national company to be able to watch the signal of Answer: NCI tried that in the beginning, andit was every program everywhere it is transmitted.For impossible.The information that we were getting example, we captioned one of the 1988 political from consumers made it impossibleto trace the conventions recently.It was on CBS and NBC, and problems. Sometimes it tookas many as two or three NCI captioned it on ABC.Simultaneously, there were weeks to trace the problem,so a hotline that deaf about 700 television stationscarrying the convention people could call will not solve that problem. with captions. We did receive It's an a complaint after the educatinn problem. We have found thatthe stations, convention that one station had donesomething to and especially cable companies lately, affect the captions. are affecting It took us almost a day of the signal.I understand your frustration.It is also talking to engineers to findout where that problem very frustrating to those of us who spend many hours bad occurred, and it bad occurredat the local level. preparing the captions only to learn thatyou don't see them. Or that something is introduced that The local area is almost always the problem,. but makes our captions have mistakes, andyou think when we want to find out why thecaptions don't that we don't know bow to spell. work, we haw to find out In the early days so much information that NCI tried to set up a hotline, and it solvedalmost no 158 10 More Questions and Answers on Real-Time Captioning problems.It's a very, very tricky thing.The thing Question Uack Levesque]:Is NCI nonprofit? What is that has cut down the number of problems is your total budget? What perca.t is federal money? Do educating the local stations and cable companiesas you have a board? What percentage of your board is to what their responsibilities are. deaf?

There is a slightly different angle to the answer to Answer:I think we have 12 full board members, and your question. We were part of a project involving three of them are deaf: Frank Sullivan, Johan Yeh, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Roz Rosen.I don't know the total budget.I know National Association of Broadcasters to develop that between about 40 and 50% of our programming is televised emergency messages for deaf persons across funded with government money. We are nonprofit. the country.It would tell them whether there was going to be a tornado or the bridge was out or Question [Elise Burke]: What do you think is going to whatever the local or national disaster was. They be happening in the near future with respect to would be able to put up an emergency message in captioning of programs? ASL and captions that would tell the audience W stay tuned.7 bat sounds like a simple thing but in Answer: Until the audience for captioning is of addition to that, each station made a commitment to sufficient s1where it makes economic sense to make any information that was told to the bearing support v.ore dosed captioning, we may not go much public available visually to deaf members of their further tban we are today. Thank goodness we have audiences.That commitment involved an a lot of federal funds available to put more captioned educational experience on the part of management. programs on the air, but it's difficult to sell more They needed to know what to tell their engineers in sponsors than we have now on the whole idea of order to make the information come upon a captioning because the audience isn't of sufficient size character generator or printed on the screenor for them to justify that investment. But with the whatever. But it was for emergency situations. We recommendations by the Commission on Education of were able to reach a lot of stations that bad, up to the Deaf and the bill in Congress called the Americans that point, not been reached by the concept that they with Disabilities Act of 1988 (both of those bodies bad deaf audiences, and that emergency situations recommending that all programs be captioned), I could be critically important. Interestingly enough, think, depending on the strength that those bills and the project was developed by a blind gentleman,a recommendations carry, it will have a significant deaf producer here at Gallaudet, and several bearing impact on the willingness of broadcasters to engineers.I think it helped add to the educational participate more. environment. Every time there is an opportunity to explain that the audience is there and that there isan opportunity to communicate with the deaf, we will Daniel Hinton have more stations behind us in understandinga Senior Communications Engineer little more of what is happening. Science Applications International Corporation Question:I don't know how many hours NCI is pro viding captioning for television programs, including 11110 and all those networks. How many hoursa week (Editors' Note: Mr. Hinton addressed the topic of deaf-blind are you producing? access to captions. ,1

Answer: We a, :malty produce about 60 hours of live Question: The TeleBraille is basically a Try with a captioning a lveek and about 70 hours of pre- Braille machine? recorded captioning a week.That's bow much we produce. How much is broadcast dependson bow Ans. cc Yes.It was done by Telesensory Systems, many repeat movies HBO wants to sbow that week or Inc. ITSI1 in California,They took the Superphone that montb. But I think you could probably look at 200 hours, depending if you are on cableor pay cable or not.

159 171 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

(made by Ultratec), added a computer chip or two record your telephone calls with a TDD very and outputted it to a Braille display unit which they inexpensively. Radio Shack sells the microphone for had developed. about $5, and the tape is even cheaper. You have a balf-duplex system, which means you transmit to the Question: Is there an internal modification that could other system and they type back to you. You don't be done for the Tele Braille which would allow a have both sets of tones going at the same time. Sc Baudot-to-ASCII conversion? there is no reason why you can't record your telephone conversation. Answer: The bottom line here is cost. We fat SAKI could make an internal modification but it would Question:It can be used as a two-way communication mean bringing in each one of their sets to be system then? modified. If we do anything to it, it costs $600every time it has to be repaired.It would cost more for Answer: No, we are developing a two-way repair than it would to buy our whole system.Yes, communication system.The Braille TeleCaptioning our system is slower because it's only 45 bits per system only takes the information from the second but it is still fast enough for the audiencewe TeleCaption decoder into the computer and gives it to are working for. We encourage them to buy their the person. We are now working on a system that own computers because they can get them cheaper if will allow the TeleBraille to actually two-way we don't have to handle it.We just modify the communicate with the computer. We have a grant for TeleCaption decoder and provide them with the that from the National Institute on Disability and telephone handset and the cartridge. Rehabilitation Research.

Question:I was wondering, can your system also be modified to record phone conversations?

Answer: The best way to do a phone conversation is Notes just to record your 77Y phone conversation. Buyone of those little telephone microphones. Record iton a regular tape recorder, and then if you want to play it 1.Cost of the TeleCaption 3000 is presently $179- back later, you can.(The 77Y message is just two $199. tones coming out of your tape recorder.) You can

172 160 Section III

AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION

Judith E. Harkins, Ph.D. Session Chair 41'

TuICE TECHNC

t ' ,

1111b, ih

James Glenn, Entropic Speech, Inc. AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION: THE BASICS

James Glenn"

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) is often cited as Vocabulare The words or phrases to be the "most natural" human-machine interface.In a very recognized by a recognizer.Distinctions should broad sense that is undoubtedly true.After all, spoken be made between the complete set of all words language developed before written language. However, and phrases that a recognizer has been trained neither current knowledge of human speech perception or programmed to recognize, sometimes called nor the capability for automating that process is the total recognition vocabulary, and the sufficiently developed to support the implementation of (instantaneously varying) subset of these that true natural language interfaces with computers.It is may be active at a given time because of an possible to "talk to computers," but not in the sense imposed task grammar or other syntactic that you would normally converse with another human constraint, called the active vocabulary. being. The "conversation" must be limited in both scope and style, and requires significant discipline on Syntax*-Structure by which grammatical word the part of the speaker.Given these constraints, sequences are specified. currently available ASR technology still has practical and beneficial applications. Enrollment*--The process of constructing The goal of this paper is to introduce the representations of speech, such as template sets terminology used to describe ASR technology, explain or word models, to be used by a recognizer. what can (and can't) be done with today's technology, Also referred to as "system training," as distinct and indicate probable evolutionary trends. from "user training."

Utterance- -A word or multi-word phrase spoken Terminology continuously as a single unit.

The lack of standardization of terminology is an Articulation -- Movement of the speech acknowledged problem in the emerging field of speech articulators -- tongue, lips, teeth-to produce technology. One reason for this problem is that specific speech sounds. workers in the field come from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds, e.g, Coarticulation-The overlapping of articulation engineering, linguistics, mathematics, medicine, and a lsociated with adjacent sounds. psychology. The following are some basic definitions used in discussing ASR technology.Items that are starred are Categories of ASR Technology definitions that have been proposed by David S. Pallett of the Mtional Bureau of Standards in an attempt to ASR technology can be categorized in two establish uniform terminology (Pa llett, 1985). dimensions. One relates to the manner of speaking,

'James Glenn, Manager, Development Programs, Entrnpic Speech, Inc., Washington Research Laboratory, 600 Pennslyvania Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20003

163 175 Speech to Text;Today and Tomorrow

the other to the method for accommodating the Speaker dependent recognition population of speakers. The following usually implies that definitions have enrollment samples are collected foreach word or been proposed as standardterminology for discussing phrase to be recognized. speech recognition technologies. However, some large vocabulary systems are ableto adapt to a new user on the basis of an enrollment sessionthat only covers a Manner of Speaking subset of the total vocabulary. Adaptation is also used in anothersense in some Three distinct methods ofspeaking have been currently available products to add identified: a sample to an existing template or word model basedon the most recent utterance. This form of adaptation.permits Isolated Words*-Words spokenwith pauses system training to continue beyond the initial (typically with duration in excess of 200 enrollment period into operationalusage. milliseconds) before and after each It is a word. potentially powerful techniquefor accommodating changes in voice patterns due Connected Words * -Words spoken to fatigue, stress, or a carefully, but varying acoustic environment. Adaptationmay be key with no explicitpauses between them. to achieving accurate performance via highlyvariable telephone channels, Continuous Speech*-Words spokenfluently and rapidly, as in conversationalspeech. Possibilities for Error its MR Discrete utterance recognizers havea throughput limitation of approximately one utterance per second. These are some of the things that A connected word recognizer can go wrong may be able to process during ASR Deletions and insertions speech at up to three wordsper second. are problems that are particularly serious in connectedor continuous The most frequent abuse ofthis terminology is to speech recognition. characterize a connected speechrecognizer as a "continuous speech"recognizer. The difference between connected speech Deletions-An instance in whicha spoken word and discrete speech isa is ignored, and for which the recognizeror high degree of "coarticulation."True continuous system provides no response (e.g.,in speech recognition isan extremely difficult task. recognizing a string of digits, if therecognizer returns one less digit than has been Accommodation of Speaker Population input),

There are also three methods False Acceptances-An exampleof failure to of accommodating the reject properly spoken input population of speakersThese are: utterances that are not part of the active vocabulary,resulting in selection of a word in the activevocabulary. Speaker Dependent Recognition*-Aprocedure for speech recognition which depends on Insertions-An instance ofa recognition enrollment data from theindividual speaker who is to use the device. occurring due to spurious noiseor an utterance other than those thatare legitimate on syntactic considerations.In the former case,some input Speaker IndependentRecognitions- -A procedure other than an utterance (typically for speech recognition some ambient which requires no or electrical noise artifact) is not properly previous enrollment data fromthe individual who rejected and the system is to use the device. response indicates that some utterance in the recognition vocabulary occurred.In the latter case, a word that has AdaptationsThe automaticmodification of been uttered (but which is existing internal machine not part of the active representations (e.g., recognition vocabulary because of template sets, word models, current etc.) of specific syntactic constraints) is falsely accepted utterances and/or noise. as an utterance from the active recognition vocabulary.

164 Autom, 'tic Speech Recognition: The Basics

Rejection * --The property of rejecting inputs. dependent." Systems that are preprogrammed to There arc f'hree general classes of system respond to a general populat;an of speakers without response involving rejection:i) noise rejection, specific training by individual users are termed "speaker ii) rejection of improperly spoken input independent." utterances, and iii) rejection of properly spoken Speaker dependent, discrete utterance recognition input utterances that are part of the active technology is economical in cost and fairly robust in vocabulary, sometimes termed false rejection. performance. This is the most widely used technology to date.Speaker dependent systems capable of Substitution*--An instance in which one word in recognizing "connected" words are also available. the recognition vocabulary is incorrectly Connected speech recognizers do not require a gap of recognized as another word in the recognition silence between utterances.Therefore, they allow vocabulary. more rapid input of spoken commands (up tothree times the rate of discrete utterance recognizers). In spite of all these possibilities for error, there are However, connected speech recognition systems may many ASR products that perform successfully the require an extended training period to build right application. coarticulation effects into the word templates. Connected speech recognition systems also tend to be more susceptible to noise interference,and they are Strategies for Speech Recognition more prone to "insertion" and "deletion" errorsthan are discrete utterance recognizers.The decision to use Existing strategies for automatic speech recognition discrete, or connected, speech recognition technology range from fairly simple pattern-matching devices to ultimately depends on application requirements, e.g, rather complex speech understanding systems that nature of the vocabulary, throughput required,and incorporate natural language models in their decision noise environment. strategies. Speaker independent systems have found Two classes of speech recognition systems ace application in some telephone-based information described in the following sections.Each class utilizes retrieval systems, and in voice dialers-particularly for different sources of information (or "knowledge") in cellular telephones. Vocabularies, however, are usually making recognition decisions. restricted to 20 words or less, and often to ten digits plus a few control words. The state-of-the-art of speaker independent technology has not advanced as Wbole-Word (or Utterance) Template - Matching fast as speaker dependent technology. Figure 1 summarizes the performance characteristics The simplest ASR systems accept a limited repertoire of word recognition products currently being marketed. of single words or short phrases spoken in isolation. Figure ?. is a functional block diagram of a typical Each utterance is bounded by silence at both speaker dependent speech recognition system. The beginning and end. These short pauses of silence, various processes performed by the system are often termed "word gaps," make detection of the unit described in the following sections. to be recognized quite reliable.Also, since each utterance is considered as a unique, cohesive event, coarticulation effects are isolated within the recognition Signal Processing and Feature Extraction unit.Systems that perform recognition in this fashion are termed "isolated word" or "discrete utterance" The speech signal input to the system may be recognizers. One or more reference templates are supplied directly from the output of a microphone or used to represent each utterance that can be may be received as the output of a communication recognized by the system. The vocabulary capacities of channel, e.g., a radio or telephone link.Signal such systems range from a dozen or so items to over processing typically includes a filter to shape the 1,000 words and phrases. resulting bandwidth, and amplification to a nominal Discrete utterance recognition systems may be either signal level. Then the signal is subjected to a "trained" to respond to an individual speaker or may be transformation producing the features desired for programmed to respond to a limited vocabulary, pattern matching. The two most frequently used indepen lent of the individual speaker.Systems that transformations arc bandpass filtering and linear are trained by each speaker arc termed "speaker predictive coding (LPC). Both model the spectrum of

165 17fr'i Speecb to Text:Today and Tomorrow

S/WORD, NOISE' TRAINING' VOCABULARY

DISCRETE/DEPENDENT 1-15 90dB+ 2-8 pass 200.1000

CONNECTED/DEPENDENT 20-50 90dB 2+ + 50-100

DISCRETE/INDEPENDENT 50+ ? (100 +) 20

Figure 1: Typical ASRPerformance Characteristics

' Cost for board, peripheral,system products. Component costs may be less than$1/word,

2 The 90d0 noise level shown is somewhat arbitrary.The important point is recognition algorithms have that discrete proven more survivable in highnoise environments thancon- nected technologies.Because speaker independent recognition is most commonlyemployed in telephone applicationsusing exisiting handset should be expected. microphones, a high sensitivityto noise

' Although speaker independent systems requireno training by individualusers, their reference templates are typicallyderived from a large may be a high "training" sample population ofspeakers. Thus there cost involved in addingvocabulary to sucha system. Automatic Speech Recognition: The Basics

Training Algorithm

Template Memory

Speech Signal Feature Correlation Signal Processor Extractor Process

Decision Output Strategy 110.

Figthe 2: A TemplateMatching Speech RecognitionSystem

167 179 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

the acoustic signal, thus including information about is essential that the system obtaina good estimate of the configuration of the vocaltract.Either method the full range of variation of each typically produces eight user's speech. to 20 "features" roughly 100 Refining the training process has hada significant effect times a secor d.The resulting features are then used on the robustness of recognition performance, andon to determine the presence ofutterances, to develop the acceptance of the technology by reference templates representing users. the vocabulary of Operator voice templates,once established through words and phrases to be recognized,and to determine the training process, typically the identity of unknown are stored on some utterances produced after nonvolatile memory medium,e.g., disk or bubble "training." Most contemporaryspeech recognition memory. The templates are then available for products utilize digital signal processing components to immediate loading at shift sign-on,or whenever the perform the feature extractionprocess. The seemingly operator needs to use the system. Speaker dependent low sampling rate required for speech processing is technology has the advantage ofproviding an audit trail due to the fact that themass of the human articulators via the template set of the individual constrains the rate at which the operator. resulting acoustic "Speaker independent" recognitionsystems actually signal can change. rely on a similar template-matching In discrete architecture. The tterance systems, a word boundary difference is that the templatesare derived detector is typically employedto determine the independently of the individual speaker. beginning and end point of each An off-line utterance prior to training procedure is used to builda generalized set of processing for trainingor recognition. The word patterns based on tokens collected from boundary detector a large may be very useful in eliminating number of speakers of thesame language (or even non-speech signals prior to thetemplate-matching dialect). process.In connected word speechrecognition systems, boundaries can only be determined by Recognition Operation continuously correlating theinput signal against templates for permissible vocabulary items.This Once reference templates increases the processing workload are loaded for an significantly, and application, the recognitionsystem correlates patterns also increases the probabilitythat the extraneous noise from new utterances with the unintentionally will be classifed templates in memory to as spoken input. determine what was spoken by thecurrent operator. This process is often refined byemploying a "syntax" "Training" the Recognizer processor to limit the search of the templatememory to those templates that bear relevance Input signals that to the operator's pass the decision criteria of the immediate task.For instance, if the operator is being ward boundary detectorare processed for training or asked to enter a numeric quantity, recognition, depending the system needn't on the mode of operation correlate the spokenresponse with a list of descriptive selected. The training algorithmbox is shaded to terms for reporting quality defects. indicate that the training process may be off-line with The correlation result is passed the recognition process carried to a decision out in day-to-day process to determine whether the result is sufficiently operation. During training, the system forms one or positive and unambiguous to produce more reference template for each an output.If a vocabulary item. low correlation results, theutterance may simply be This is accomplished by elicitingtoken utterances from rejected as not relevant the user and recording either to the immediate task.This is the feature pattern itself the desired result if either or some estimate of the distribution of environmental noise or such patterns in irrelevant speech is entering thesystem.If the the templatememory. Available speech recognition correlation, value is high fora particular relevant products typically requireone to three "training" tokens template, and if no other templates for each vocabulary item produced a similar prior to recognition high value, an immediate decision operation. Most systems also may be output.If provide a mechanism for the correlation result is unclear,either because of a updating the templatememory with additional tokens moderately weak correlationvalue, or because twoor in order to better representthe total range of variation for the speaker. Some more templates produced similar correlation values,the systems provide an automatic system may request more information from template updating mechanism the speaker. that is invoked during The system may ask the speakerto repeat the input in recognition operation wheneveran interesting variation this case. Another in pronunciation strategy employed with considerable occurs. Whatever the mechanism, it success in some recognition systems isto respond to

1 8 6168 Automatic Speech Recognition: The Basics an uncertain correlation result by asking the operator, Linguistic Processor "Did you say x?" where "x" is the highest scoring vocabulary item.This strategy seems to help reduce Recognition results are hypothesized based on the operator frustration, which can build up if the system observed acoustic labels output from the acoustic produces too many heartless "rejects." processor. The estimated probability that aword has occurred is based on the acoustic label sequence, a phonetic model for the word, and the probability of Recognition Using a Statistical Model of language that word given the two preceding words, as specific' in the language model. Each word in the vocabulary is Whole-word pattern-matching is an effective represented by one or more strings of symbols from a recognition technique for applications requiring phonetic alphabet. Each phonetic symbol is vocabularies limited to a few hundred words or less. represented by a hidden Markov model that is "tuned" For very large vocabularies composed of thousands of to the speaker on the basis of the initial training data. words, the requirement to provide training samples for Thus, both the acoustic processor and the linguistic each word is considered untenable. Furthermore, a processor are adapted to the individual speaker. language model is required to resolve ambiguities The language model, which was designed to between the many acoustically similar candidates for support a memo-dictating task, was derived from a data the system output. base of over 100,000 business letters and memos. The Figure 3 illustrates the general architecture of a present 20,000-word vocabulary represents a substantial well-known large vocabulary speech recognition system increase beyond the 5,000-word vocabulary that was developed at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research utilized in a 1985 version of this system. Center (Hoskins, 1985; Jelinek et al., 1985). Whereas whole-word template-matching recognizers ASR Strategies Summary rely strictly on acoustic information in their decision process, the system shown in Figure 3 incc:porates The two strategies for speech recognition discussed language statistics as well as acoustic information in the above differ significantly in the amount of information decision process.Furthermore, this large vocabulary utilized in tneir decision processes. They are also at recognition system does not require training tokens for very different stages of development. each word in its vocabulary. The system estimates Whole-utterance template-matching systems utilize speaker-specific characteristics based on a training only the acoustic information in the speech signal. sample consisting of several carefully constructed Because these systems make no explicit assumptions sentences. The individual processes in the system are about language, they can, with proper vocabulary described in the following sections. selection, be op 'rated by speakers of almost any language or dialect.Within their vocabulary Signal Processor restrictions, these systems arc easily adapted to new applications. A wide range of template-matching Signal processing includes preamplification of the speech recognition products are available.In fact, microphone output, followed by low-pass and high-pass most speech recognition systems used in operational filtering to band-limit the signal to the range between environments to date are of this type. 200 Hz. and 8 kHz. The large vocabulary "dictation" systems utilize both acoustic and linguistic information in their decision Acoustic Processor processes. The linguistic information encompasses phonetic models and word transition statistics, but Twenty acoustic features are sampled on a stops short of semantics. These systems are centisecond basis. Using vector quantization, each language-specific.Products are just beginning to be sample is assigned the label of one of 200 speaker marketed.however, these systems require speaker dependent prototypes formed during the training adaptation for accurate operation, and are not session. The 200 acoustic prototypes are derived by designed for use with telephone input. automatically clustering the set of all acoustic events that occur during the training operation. This is a pattern-matching operation. Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Training Algorithm

Acoustic Language Prototypes Model

Speech Signal Acoustic Signal Linguistic Output Processor Processor Decoder

Figure 3: Recognition System with LanguageModel

18 Automatic Speech Recognition: The Basics

Implications for Relay Service Application References

Three of the critical technology "frontiers" for ASR Hoskins, J. (1985).Large vocabulary speech are: recognition-today at IBM. Speech Technology, 3, pp. 16.21. Large vocabulary recognition (currently limited to approximately 5,000 words in products). Jelinek, F., et al. (1985). A real-time, isolatedword 'speech recognition system for dictation transcription. Speaker independence (currently limited to very Proceedings, ICASSP 85, IEEE International Conference small vocabularies). on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, pp. 858 861. Tampa, FL. Robust operation over the dial telephone network (currently limited to very small Pal lett, D.S. (1985).Performance assessment of vocabularies or known speakers). automatic speech recognizers. Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards, 90 (5). It is likely to be a long time before the speech industry can offer speaker independent recognition of very large vocabularies continuously spoken over the dial telephone network.Significant advances on all QUESTION AND ANSWER three frontiers are required to completely automate relay services.However, it is worth considering what Question: Are any languages other than English better can be done with existing technology.For instance, is suited to speech recognition? it possible to handle a significant percentage of calls automatically while routing others through human Answer: Yes, Japanese.The Japanese language is very operators? In a high volume application, such a phonetically regular-it's consonant, vowel, "skimming" strategy can be highly effective even though consonant, vowel. And so, for speech recognition a total solution is not available. technology, it is an easier language. Also, there are A high percentage of telephone calls originated or very few non-native speakers of Japanese, whereas in received by most individuals do not involve strangers, our country we have a significant group of our but known parties.Thus, it may be possible to use population not native in English. So in that sense, speaker dependent recognition for some volume of some languages are probably easier to automate. relay service. The vocabulary required is also a There was a Swiss researcher who years ago invented function of the party called (or calling), so it may be a language especially for speech recognition.Ile possible to employ smaller callspecific vocabularies for used to send me Christmas cards written in it:"tee, many calls.(One does not need to discuss tax matters ta, tow, zee, zoy.' It didn't catch on. We will have to with the Kennedy Center, and one does not order solve the problem for English. theater tickets from a lawyer.)Also, most recognizers ermit vocabulary "overlays," permitting piecewise Question:I wanted to ask about looking at things expansion of the total application vocabulary as a from another side. What about going from text to function of the current syntax. speech, like a TTY to voice? A plug-in board for a personal computer, capable of automatic telephone signaling, touchtone decoding, Answer: The good news is that speech synthesis is a speaker dependent ASR, and high quality text-tospeech much more available technology. We have pretty synthesises can be purchased today for less than good text-to-speech systems today. In many of the $1,500 in single quantity. The addition of some recognition systems I have worked with in automobile creative software might provide a partial solution to the plants and so forth, I used texttospeecb synthesis to problem of automating relay service. generate the prompts and verification to the operator.

171 183 Speed to Text: Today and Tomorrow .11110111101111. ..M The quality is not perfectly human, but good enough Unfortunately, we have somemore fundamental to be intelligible. And I think thereis great hope that problems.It isn't just a matter of finding will improve. a big That area will becomen -e natural enough lever anda place to stand to move the earth. sounding in the verynear term I'm ve ) hopeful We don't know much about bow peoplerecognize about that possibility, speech, and it is the fundamental lack of understanding about bowwe do it ourselves that is Question:I didn't hear you say very muchabout the more of a limiting factor t) m the computer impact of background noise. I would assume that it is processing power. Some peoplesay that speech as much of a problem for speech recognitionas it is recognition systems, even with for speech discrimination with computer processors on a hearing aid. them, are pretty simple-minded whenyou compare them with what a humancan do,Better processing Answer: Yes, in fact, itmay be more of a problem. will help, but it won't solve the problem. The solution today largelyis the noise cancelling microphone. The one weare using on the stage is the industry standard. Question (Nancy Connors]: Does pitchmake a The Shure Brothers SM10 difference in the ability of the machine microphone will allow to understand you to work in an average speech? [Glom Areyou talking about the difference room up to 90 dB, which is pretty loud.It is much between males and females?] Yes. louder than a normal officeenvironment. The nature of the background noiseis also very important. If the Answer: There is a lot of mythology aboutthat.I background noise is speech,the problem is that this find that most of the recognizers microphone only works if it is within half I have dealt with are an inch of not really biased on the basis of maleversus female. your mouth, which is whyyou need the headset. You They don't have a sexual bias. can't wear it on They are all your tie.It is quite effective in developed in laboratories by males, and they reasonably high noise environments. have a It's a problem little male bias and so forth, but Ihaven't seen much that I think in mostcases can be solved. The worst cuidence of that, case is probably the telephone line because I put a system in textile mills in the typical Georgia, a system thatover 300 people a year use, telephone handsets are bugs, andthey pick up noise More than half of the users There are, in fact, noise cancelling are women, and we don't microphones that see any difference in performance between thewomen can be applied to the telephone. But ifyou want to and men. Now, just two weeks open the system to a worldwide ago at a conference network, most of on the west coast, there was a person from Smiths your telephone handsets will not filter out the noise, Industries Aerospace and DefenseSystems in England an, you will have a lot of noiseto deal with.That who presented a paper will be the determining factor on what happens to helicopter in working through he pilots.It turns out as the noise gets telephone system. very high-like 120 or 130 dB-pitch may actually double.They showed the pitch changing from 150 Question:I wonder if you would look in cycles per second your crystal to 300 per second just trying toscream through the ball and speculate whethermore powerful processors, noise, I guess. parallel processing, and faster That certainly does affect performance. processors arc really One of the worst effects of thenoisy environment is going to help the performance ofthese systems,or that noise affects the whether you think other way a person speaks.If a limitations are more limit'ng? person is going to work in a noisyenvironment, the enrollment needs to be done in that Answer: Technology is environment. If changing very rapidly. By the environment is cham'ng, thenyou are going to having faster computers andparallel processors and have to have some form for that so forth, why can't we build better adaptation. A very speech recognizers? dramatic change in the pitch of the In fact, most people who individual are working at the forefront speaker is a function of tensionor noise or of this research are countingon those technologies.It something, I would think, is the kind of thing that will The difference between, help you move faster say, the average pitch of males and females isa red from discrete recognitionto connected recognitionto herring. continuous recognition. Youneed a lot of processing to find out where the word began. (Moderator: Please mention theconcept of "sheep and goats ",

172 Automatic Speech Recognition: The Basics

We should mention sheep and goats.I bad a slide on production, who may not be able to use a machine sheep and goats but I didn't bring it with me.I think like this.The simpler machines-the template we can attribute tbis term to George Doddington at matchers-don't care whether your speech sounds Texas Instruments. Sheep are people for whom speech normal or not. recognizers work. Goats are people for whom they don't, and George Doddington will admit that be is a I think there may be some hope here for people with a goat. Now in this textile plant application, out of the bearing impairment if you can speak consistently. 300 people that used this system in several plants, Even though it doesn't sound, quote, "natural" to there may be some people who have a terrible case of someone else, it may sound Just fine to the machine. "mike-fright" or someone who stutters or who is If you have a synthesizer on the other end, it would spastic or who has a random kind of speech be able to produce speech also,

173 185 jutiiih II', Harkins, Callaudet Researchfris,.itule .14.9.11.4 APPLYING ASR TO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEAF AND HEARING PEOPLE

A presentation by Judith E. Harkins*

In talking about applications of speech recognition time the words appear on the screen.Depending on technology, I'd like to begin by reviewing some of the the processor and depending on the. complexity of the basic concepts that Jim Glenn presented, that is, the utterance, the lag con'.d be significant. variables in speech recognition systems that we need to Perhaps more significant are the errors that keep in mind as we look toward the ienure and think recognizers make.This is an area that has been. about the applications that are of interest. studied somewhat. There have been studies of First of all, the manner in which the hearing person recognizers at current performance levels or cutting- has to speak in order for the speech recognizes to edge performance levels and how they might be used work properly: isolatedword speech with despite their limitations.There have been studies of significant...pauses...between...words, versus connected how displays for these systems can be designed so that speech spoken clearly, versus continuous speech where perhaps some hearing impaired people could use them all the words run together as they do when people talk even though the systems do make errors. naturally. Different kinds of errors cause different kinds of Second, the accommodation that's i squired of the problems. When recognizers make substitution errors, speaker population:how much time the hearing the substitute word sometimes doesn't look like a word person has to invest in training the speech recognition that is phonetically similar to what the speaker actually system on his or her voice before the system will said.In real-time captioning, for a fairly large recognize speech. Some systems require training; to a percentage of the time, the error at least can be particular speaker's voice before they will correctly "sounded out" so that often, depending on the skills of recognize words. Others are speaker independent and the person reading the text, it is possible to guess what can understand anyone's speech (current systems of was actually said. A speech recognition system is more this type are limited to very small vocabularies). likely to present a word that is confusing because its Adaptive systems can improve in their performance on pronunciation doesn't give any clues. a person's speech just by having that person use the Last year, Carl Jensema, Al Sonnenstrahl, and I system more and more over time, so that the system travelled across the United States and held discussion becomes more aware of the person's speech patterns, groups with deaf and hard of hearing people. We idiosyncrasies, and changes. were talking about technologies that make use of the Another variable is the size of vocabulary.For the person's sense or sight and sense of touch. We were applications of interest to us, vocabulary size is an not talking about hearing aids or issistive listening important issue because we want to have systems because of the nature of our grant. With this unconstrained conversation between hearing impaired limitation on the topic we found that among both deaf people and hearing people. and hard of hearing people, speech recognition Then there is the question of processor lag.You technology popped up again and again in their will see in the demonstration ei a largevocsbulaay requests for future developments. We were surprised eystem that, as with real-time captioning, there is a little at the level of awareness that people have shout the bit of delay between the time a person speaks and the particuisrs of speech recognition technology.

4,14ditit E. Harkins, Ph D Director, Technology Msessme.lt Prognirn, Gailaudetsamearch Institute, OallautL. University

175 1.87 Speech to Text: Today and Thmorrow

Sometimes the information about speech recognition not require the hearing person in the conversation to was wrong or slightly of base. Sometimes the have any kind of device.This means that you can't expectations were a little high because of some things have a special microphone on the hearing person's consumers had seen on television.But there was a phone. The speech recognition system will therefore clear indication that people are attemptingto track have to understand the voice as it is transmitted by the speech recognition technology because the appeal isso telephone system, which is a degraded form. Because strong.It is very important that we-the consumers the hearing person would have no visual display, that here and people from universities, from telephone person will have to give the hearing person feedback companies and other businesses-continue to track this verbally if the system is having problems with the technology.It is important that we examine it speech, or if the hearing person needs to press a key critically, with a spirit of hope for ingenioususes, but on the touch-tone pad. at the same time evaluating it in light of the Captioning is another possible application for environment. speech recognition technology. Of course, we have In a focus group discussion where people are free become used to how nice captioning is for hearing and to throw out any ideas they have, there is a tendency hard of hearing and deaf people to be able to follow a for people to project far into the future for the most lecture. To be able to automate captioning even to a convenient device. One of the main ways in which small extent might make it possible to improve the hearing impaired people would like touse automatic amount and the quality that is available. speech recognition is in face-to-face communication We need to keep in mind some questions as the with hearing people. People envision something they technology continues to mature, and as we continue to can carry around that would understand the speech of see product announcements about new forms of the the hearing person and print it out.There is no technology.By the way, if you look on the back of mention of possible encumbrances that mightgo with Jim Glenn's handout, he has listed some organizations it.Most people ,Ion't seem to think, "I would haveto and some publications that will help you keep up with carry a microphone that I would put in the person's developments in speech technology. Some of [the face the way you do with an assistive listening device." publications] are not terribly technical. Speecb Face-to-face communication is one of themore Technology, of which Jim is editor, deals with demanding applications of speech recognition applications of speech technology, and is quite technology.Settings such as gas stations, restaurants, interesting reading for a wide audience. So I would and stores where you have a wide variety of speakers recommend that you look into that. and noise conditions, are the kinds of environments We have *.o consider, first of all, for any given that hearing impaired peoplearc very interested in. application and for any given product, who is the They're also interested in using speech recognition for bearing person in the communication?Is it someone family gatherings and meetings, for employmentas well like a relay operator who could be trained, who would as home life, lectures, and theater to be able to wear a headset, who is a cooperative hearing person improve communication. because the person is being paid to do a job well? Or Yesterday we mentioned instructionas another is it a gas station attendant?(I just had some face-to-face situation where you havea single speaker experiences recently with some rude gas station or a limited number of speakers, and you want to be attendants near my home so that's why I use this able to caption what is being saidto a larger audience example.)The hearing person may be someone who of which hearing impaired peopleare part. is not likely to cooperate in speaking in a particular People want to be able to use speech recognition way; or may just be flustered by the situation and for telephone communication. Telephone unable to respond. So the different types of people communication seems like an Ideal application.In interacting with a hearing impaired person would be face-to-fact communication thereare a fair number of one important consideration. substitutes that yo.1 can use -note-writing, lipreading, Another factor would be the deaf person's things that people do already.But for telephone use, characteristics.Here we get into things like speech recognition seems especially appropriate motivation, reading ability, the extent to which you because the two people ca not see each other and become frustrated when communication breaks down, cannot resort to other forms of communication if the which is a natural reaction.The deaf person has to heating person doesn't have a TI)D. cope with a lot of weaknesses of the system. Deaf Of course, the goal is to havea system that does

176 Applying ASR to Communication between Deaf and Hearing People people vary a lot in their willingness and ability to do it would be intelligible to a hearing person. This is that. what Jim Glenn alluded to at the end of his talk where The environment in which the system is used is an he talked about recognizing speech of a deaf person, important consideration:Is it a system that is in place whose speech is not understandable to hearing people, where it is noisy (like a restaurant or gas station)?Is it and then reconverting that into synthetic speech so a place where the environment can be controlled, such that it can be understood by the hearing person on the as a TV studio? Is the person-the entity involved with other end. the systemsomeone who has a real motivation for Synthetic speech is an interesting issue.I haven't using it?It gets back to the hearing person again. had a lot of experience in demonstrating synthetic What are the alternatives available to the system? speech to hard of hearing and deaf people; but the Before we had TDDs, if speech recognition in its experiences I have had indicate that we need to work current form had come on the scene, we might be on how better to demonstrate this technology to willing to tolerate a lot more than we are willing to people who are hearing impaired.If you demonstrate tolerate now, given that we have a reliable way for speech synthesis in a group of hearing and deaf communicating by phone.Relay service offers a certain people, what you will often see is the display on the level of intelligibility and accuracy. We are going to screen and you hear a synthesizer speaking the words. have to consider the introduction of speech All the hearing pecple go charging over to it because it recognition technology in that kind of environment. is really fun to listen to a speech synthesizer. The more we get used to high levels of performance Meanwhile the deaf people are left out; they are from our human systems and existing technology, the standing there saying, "Well, it's just a display on the less willing we might be to accept the limitations of the screen." When we did a demonstration of Bellcore's recognizer. system here a couple of months ago, we used two The question of who is buying is an important one. interpreters, one for the synthesizer and one for the This is where I think the current developments and the person in the demo; but still, people were having technologies we have been talking about this week can trouble understanding when the synthesizer was talking be very useful. They create a business interest in and when the person was talking.Some of the converting speech into text.Relay service is a multi- hearing impaired people seeing the demonstration had million dollar enterprise already, and will be growing. concerns about the quality of the synthetic speech, As it does, there will be a business incentive to whether it sounded natural, and so on. This is an area automate the service to make it more cost-effective. we need to investigate more carefully and to find out This may encourage more creative speech-to-text what kinds of characteristics of synthetic speech would technology.Otherwise, we might have depended on be important to deaf users.I would imagine they the individual deaf person to purchase the system in would be the same as those that are important to which case, the system would have to be a lot cheaper hearing users of synthetic speech. and a lot easier to use than it would have to be in a In summary, we need to bt thinking about these relay service. Some of the people who have been technologies and about applia.tions we might be able working on speech recognition for deaf people, such as to develop in our own areas, and at the same time ask the people at Bellcore and SRI, have been attempting some realistic questions about their real-world uses. to look at the relay service as a logical location for implementing speech-to-text and text-to-speech.I hope this will continue, and I think it is promising in light of QUESTION AND ANSWER the things we have talked about this week., There are many possible forms of expressive Question:I think it is just great about this technology communication for use by deaf people when and the hatidouts that were given out to us. Some of conversing with hearing people.There is the person's the technology related to going from text to speech is own speech; writing or typing text; typing to a speech now on the market. That's good; I didn't know that. synthesizer and producing synthetic speech.For deaf Now my question:First, I'll ask the interpreter right people whose speech can't be understood by hearing now, would you understand me if I talk like this and people, it might in the future be possible to have do not sign? The interpreter says no, she would not "speech to speech." In this case the deaf person would understand without the signing So if I was speaking speak into the recognizer, which would recognize that to a computer that was trying to recognize my speech, speech and then pass it on to a speech synthesizer. would that computer be able to recognize my speech? The speech synthesizer would respeak the sentence so And another example, if I called my mother and my

177 189 Speech to Text:Today and Tomorrow

voice was not accurate would the machine be ableto don't allow them to use the keyboard. Doesanyone recognize my 'hello" and change that into the correct among the consumers have any interest in fax? speech "hello,* which would be sent tomy mother? And then in turn, could she speak and then the Comment [Bill Cutler]: There was a mini fax at the message would come back to me? Is that kind of thing exhibit last night, at the HARC exhibit. possible? Answer:Right.There was a small fax-like machine Answer:If the speech recognizer has been trained to that allowed impressions from the pen to send understand your speech, it will recognizeyour "hello" messages back and forth, and that was selling for regardless of bow it sounds,as long as you say it the about $375. same way time after time. Now, the question is whether the recognizercan understand your speech Comment [Bill Culler]: Something like that. better than bearing peoplecan. When you're speaking in a sentence the bearing person hasan advantage Question [Bob Mills]:I wonder if you would comment over the computer because the bearing personcan about human acceptance of technology. My experience understand more from the context of thesentence. is that some people are very nervous about using By the way, Gloria Carlson, Jared Bernstein's things and are slow to use them, even though they colleague on studies of recognition of deet, speech, would really serve a purpose. came to Gallaudet to collect some samples ofour students' speech; so we havea personal interest in Answer:I think all of us have had some experience that study, too. Their work is aimed at trying to do with that.If the technology, again, is in an what you want the computerto do-to recognize your environment where the user is som'one who hasa speech and then use a speech synthesizerto produce a motivation for using it-and here In not talking more understandable version of your sentence. about the bearing impaired person necessarily but the captioner or the relay services operator-you still Question [Steve Billotte]:This is unrelated to speech might have some resistance on the fob site, butat recognition. There is a verycommon method and the least you have a better situation than whereyou cost has come down, and that is fax [facsimile might have the general public havinga direct machines].Is the community aware of it?Is there an interface to a speech recognition system and education process that needs to beaware of it, responding to synthetic speech. Even I bang up the because it is very common inbusinesses.It is a way phone when I bear digitized speech saying, "Hi, thisis to communicate with businesses.I would imagine the Bob." prices are down now to the $500range at the lowest end.I haven't heard a mention of it hereor seen it in If, by centrally locating the speech input/output any of the exhibits. system, we can eliminate the need for the end-user to deal with the technical part of it, the system will have Answer:The fax's low-end cost ismoreor less at the a better chance of success.That's why I'm hopeful high end of TDDs rightnow. We have been using fax about relay service and captioning, a lot with this conference because of the international component, and it has really helped us greatly with Ross Stuckless mentioned yesterday about the communication. Fax is used asa TDD in Japan vocabulary of an elementary school teacher being because the written form of Japanese doesnot lend small enough that they might be able to implement itself well to keyboarding,It is sold at half price to something like a Dragon Systems speech recognition deaf people, with local governmentspaying the other hoard. here you get into a situation whereyou half It is rather slow, and it is a product of could have some real user probk'ms if the teacherwas necessity there because they can't do whatwe can trying to use the system for coninmnication and if the with a DD, which allows fora lot quicker response students were baying to cope with tbe errors- back and forth for shortmessages. You can type 'yes" elementary school students having to cope with the and "no" very quickly, for example,rather than errors that recognizers make. I would love to see baying to send a wholemessage back and forth via more human factors research on speech technology fax. But because fax is becomingso common here, I and hearing impaired people. As the technologygets think it is worth looking into, and it could be ready, we will have more information to build into especially helpful for people with disabilitiesthat new systems.

178 1O0 Applying ASR to Communication between Deaf and Hearing People

Question:I want to take myself back to 1964 when I image processing technology like that used in visited the World's Fair in New York. There was some teleconferencing to make it possible, perhaps in the technology there called the TV phone. Maybe I'm future, to be able to implement the technology for wrong about the name but there was a [moving] communication among bearing impaired people. picture with a telephone. You could communicate, with the picture on the phone giving the expression as Again, here is a situation where you would have to well as the voice.I wonder if that might be a have a terminal at both ends of the conversation.To technology that could be useful to have, like a TV be able to see the face of the bearing impaired picture showing the person's face for communication. person's father or sister or friend, there would have to Why aren't we using that kind of technology today? be a terminal in the other person's borne.It could also be implemented, perhaps at a higher cost, in Answer: The early trials of that technology showed relay service.If we bad people who were skilled in AT&T that it wasn't a commercially viable technology communicating with bearing impaired people as relay at least at that time. We bad a little conference on operators, they could (carry on] an interpreting this topic back in May of this year where we brought function for bearing impaired people. in scientists who have studied this question.They try to reduce the amount of information that must be There is a lot more ongoing study of this application sent across the wires so that it could be sent over of technology in Europe than there is in the United regular telephone lines in the future. Sign language, States.Our program will he involved with a new and even lipreading to a lesser extent, move so fast research project at DuPont Research Institute in that it really has pretty high requirements for data Delaware to develop some of the software for this transmission. So they have been trying to work with application.

179 191 ,Jared Bernstein, Sid Intemaional Me 1.11. .mm...r-gormymm APPLICATIONS OF SPEECHRECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY IN REHABILITATION 11IMEMIE, 1E11=1=11 Jared Bernstein*

Introduction What Goes On Inside a Speech Recognizer

Speech recognition engineering produces many A device that performs "speech recognition" things.Beside produdng systems and devices, the responds to acoustic signals and produces a engineering enterprise produces algorithms, representation of the linguistic content of the signal. subassemblies, and research. There are, of course, That is, a signal is detected by the device and the systems like voice typewriters and devices like device generates some texta string of words. recognizers or synthesizers, but algorithms like stack Although any given device may not exactly transform decoding or the discrete Fourier transform, and the incoming signal into the series of representations assemblies like signal processing boards, and even shown in Figure 1, the figure suggests some research topics like lexical search strategy are real intermediate forms that might be estimated on the way products of speech recognition engineering. to text construction from speech. This paper first discusses the component Speech recognition itself can be used to overcome technologies that comprise speech recognition, then disability in environmental control and in text discusses some disabilities that speech recognition generation, but the key idea in this paper is to show systems and subsystems can help with, and then lists how information tapped from intermediate stages in the examples of rehabilitation applications, giving some complete recognition process can be used to information about places where such work is being ameliorate disability in circumstances where speech done and references to the related literature. recognition is not yet adequate.

micro hone Processes and intermediate representations in speechrecognition Signal Feature ....ponetic Lexical Syntax/--op. nalysla etector nalyels-4°Access emantic \ \ Waveform Acoustic Speech Phonetic Words Sentences parameters features segments FIGURE 1

Jared Bernstein, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Speech Research Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA94025

181 193 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

Six points at which speech recognitionprocessing could be tapped /1 SIMMER, Signal Feature Phonetic Lexical orntax/ nalysis etectorl+AnalysisI Access 4mantic 4 Non* Hearing Speech Trainers, Upton VidVox Automatic Automatic Aids Implants, Eyeglasses Telephone Captioning Hearing Aids Relay Service FIGURE 2

Figure 2 illustrates that sensory aids for deaf sometimes Just functionsas a vibro-tactile stimulator, persons have used displays basedon almost every which can be a considerable help intermediate stage of speech in speechreading.) recognition. The various An accurate running display of whatis being said is displays named in Figure 2are discussed below.Oth,..e systems that aid disabled "verbatim captioning," and would probablybe a very persons can also be seen to desirable automatic function for thosehearing impaired utilize algorithms andprocesses of speech recognition persons with adequate reading skills.However, speech independent of the strict serialarrangement of Figure 2. recognition, as available in thenext several years, will not provide an error-free orthographictranscription of the continuous speech ofany arbitrary person. The question then becomes: For whatspecial sets of Disabilities That SpeecbRecognition Technologies Can Help circumstances can hearing impaired peopleget useful information from recognition technologies?The intermediate data streams potentially Disabilities that speech available from recognition technologycan speech recognition become lessreliable but more easily help Include deafness, blindness,motor impairment, readable (if reliable) as and inability to speak. There you progress to the right in are also special needs Figure 2.It turns out that almost occasioned by common combinations every possible tap of these, e.g., point in speech recognition has been deaf/blind, deaf/nonvocal, tried in a speech and severe cerebral palsy reception aid for hearing impaired people. (motor/nonvocal),among others. We will review research that has been reported in the recent literature Motor Impairment with applications primarilyto deafness, motor impairment, and inabilityto speak understandably. People with severe motorimpairments have difficulties with basic self-careactivities like eating, Deafness getting to the bathroom, dialinga telephone, controlling lights and appliances, Hearing impaired people have or holding a book varying amounts of and turning thepages. Many such people have difficulty understandingspeech, even with hearing aids and a clear view of the suffered spinal cord Injuries thatleave them without speaker's face.Hearing the use of their hands but with impaired peopleare the group for which the largest clear, ordinary speech. number of speech Speech allows them togenerate many di..tinet acoustic recognition-based assistivesystems signals that can be translated have been designed, Typically, (via speech recognition) a speech reception aid into control signals for various for a hearing impaired electrical and person transforms an acoustic mechanical switches. This is theoldest and best signal into S0111.! other modality,such as vision or established application of speechrecognition in touch, although themost common speech reception aid is a hearing aid, which rehabilitation; voice-operatedwheelchairs have been normally just amplifies the prototyped since the mid-1970s,and several voice- sound and presents itto the ear canal.(F01 Severely hearing impaired individuals, operated environmental controlsystems are on the it seems that a hearing aid market. Applications of Speech Recognition Technology in Rehabilitation

Nonvocal Tap the Acoustic Parameters

Some people do not have intelligible speech.This Acoustic parameters that are commonly calculated is the circumstance of some persons with cerebral palsy from signals without reference to any model of speech and some persons who are hearing impaired from an include amplitude, periodicity, zero crossing rate, and early age; their speech is only intelligible to their Fourier spectrum shape. The most developed use for families and close associates.Recent research by these signals is in devices for training and/or Carlson, Bernstein, and Bell (1986) has shown that the maintaining speech skills in hearing impaired people. speech of many of these people, too, may be distinct Nickerson and Stevens (1973) give a particularly clear enough to be recognized by a machine. For the presentation of a research project that attempted to person with limited use of hands and feet, voice can train and monitor the progress of students using visual be used to control the environment and generate text representations of acoustic parameters. A flexible (in letters, reports, etc.).For motor impaired or deaf display with memory is available that allows students to people whose speech is only marginally intelligible to see patterns of amplitude or fundamental frequency most people, the generated text can then (in principle) over time as produced by the teacher or by the be converted into intelligible speech using a text-to- students themselves on a previous occasion.Several speech synthesizer. such displays are available as well as voice-operated games designed to exercise conscious control of voice properties. Rehabilitation Applications for Spoech Recognition Many of the best papers on speech training for deaf Systems and Subsystems persons are reprinted in Levitt et al. (1.980, pages 349- 424). More recent reports include PLkett and Trybus The following research projects deal with sensory (1983) and Bernstein et al. (1986). aids for hearing impaired people. There is an excellent book of collected papers entitled, "Sensory Aids for the Tap Phonetic Features Hearing Impaired," edited by Levitt, Pickett and Houde (1980), and an issue of the Journal of Rehabilitation Phonetic features could be understood to be Research and Development(January 1986) is devoted acoustic features that are chosen or scaled with the to articles that review several approach2s to particular purpose of differentiating speech sounds. supplementing or replacing hearing. For example, the ratio of zero crossing rates in two The six examples listed below each tap the speech frequency bands (one high and the other low) can be recognition process at a different point. At each cf the used to track the presence of a fricative sound such as six taps, a description is given of at leastone /s, sh, z, zh/. An ingenious application of phonetic rehabilitation application. feature tracking is embodied in the Upton eyeglasses, which were developed almost 20 years ago by Hubert Tap the Signal W. Upton, a hearing impaired electronics engineer at Bell Helicopter in Texas. A small analog processor Speech recognition, broadcast engineering, and about the size of a pack of cigarettes and worn in a teleconferencing have promoted considerable research pocket or on the belt transforms a microphone signal on noise cancelling automatic gain control and on the into a series of signals that actuate one or more lights localization and tracking of sound sources. These in a light emitting diode (LED). The lights correspond developments in signal manipulation (close to the to various phonetic features that are in the speech microphone) should find application in hearing aid and signal.For instance, one light pattern signals the cochlear implant design as the microphone andsource presence of the feature "voicing," another signals tracking technology becomes more widely available fricatives, and another signals stops, etc,In the first (e.g., Flanagan & Kubli, U.S. Patent #4,555,598). The design the LEDs were attached directly on the surface use of enhanced signals in laboratory hearing aids is of an eyeglass lens, but were later moved to a small reviewed by Braida (1984) and by several authors in unit on the temple of the glasses frame and seen by Pickett (1977). the wearer as reflected in a tiny mirror embedded in

183 195 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

the eyeglass. The mirror is designedso that the lights belief that useful automatic captioning (i.e., accurate are in focus for the viewer about a meter out, just real-time text automatically generated from natural where one's interlocutor typically stands. Thus,in the speech signals) was a long way in the future, but that ideal circumstance, the hearing impaireduser listens real-time display of phonetic sequences might be with amplification and speechreads with the helpof a possible sooner.Further, it was assumed that hearing pattern of lights that appear to be suspended in theair impaired people viewing a fairly accurate phonetic just in front of the speaker's face.Upton has been transcription of speech rolling past on a "Times Square" wearing a pair every day for the last 20years, and display would be able to outperform an automatic several other people have tried them,too. system in the lexical access and syntax/semantics Research results show a real improvementin processing (the last two processes in Figure 1).The speechreading with the Upton eyeglasses, butwhen research was contracted to Bolt, Beranek, and'Newman they were tested at Gallaudet in the 1970sthere were (BBN) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The speech problems maintaining the units, andnone of the recognition group at BBN did an excellent job of experimental subjects went on touse the device.I optimizing recognition performance at thesegment tap have worn Upton's pair fora few minutes, and I am point, and produced transcriptions for one speaker that convinced that the Upton eyeglassescan be useful for were about 80% accurate-the highest ever reccrded. hearing impaired people.Beside the two papers on However, human factors research on the VidVox Upton eyeglasses in the volume edited by Levittet al. concept found that people reading transcriptions could (1980, pages 322.28), thereare patents, and a review tolerate some errors and that people could read of the whole development andtesting by Pickett et al. transcriptions slowly when word boundarieswere not (1976). indicated, but the combination ofno word boundaries, The autocuer project at Gallaudet andat RTI in and even 5% errors, made reading just about North Carolina (Cornett et al., 1977) aimedto produce impossible. The project is currently in abeyance, a prototype of a device very similar to Upton's but waiting for further funding. using LED patterns that correspondedto the logic of cued speech (Cornett, 1967). Theprimary differences Tap Words cited by Cornett seem to be that the cuedspeech symbol set was more complementaryto the information Only at the point where a recognizer startsto judge that could be read from the lips andthat the cues in how well words match to portions of the incoming the autocuer were to change ata slower rate, speech signal is the tapped output directly accessibleto corresponding to events thatspan more than one ordinary people.However, two problems prevent this acoustic segment. That I know of, no wearable tap point from being the obvious place to start.First, prototype autocuer has been produced. Another for the common continuous speechwe use, there related speech reception aid is describedby Erber aren't discernible breaks between words,so without (1979) and Erber et al. (1979). the further knowledge resource identified in Figure 1 as "Syntax/Semantics" how can a machine know that: Tap Segments "Paula mastodon credit" Phonetic analysis ofa continuous speech signal aims should be to identify cohesive intervals of the signalin which "Paul amassed it on credit." certain phonetic featuresare stable. These acoustic segments of the speech signal may correspondin time Secondly, even if people spoke withpauses to articulatory gestures that linguists identify with between words and "here-hear" homophonywere no phonemes, but they are conceptuallyindependent of problem, speech recognition devicesare not very any particular linguistic analysis. Asegment might, for accurate for the 20,000-word vocabulary that might be example, be a 100 millisecond intervalof periodic needed to provide generalcoverage of a typical range signal with slowly changing spectralpeaks at about 300 of conversation, news, warnings,etc. At perhaps 50% Hz and 2300 Hz, boundedon either side by non- accuracy in the very large vocabulary case, most periodic intervals. Thissegment might be identified by current speech recognition devices are not ready for a machine as the vowel /1/, or at leastas a high front commercial trial.However, some circumstances may vowel /i, I, or ey /.The VidVox project (Russell, 1986) make them useful to hearing impaired people. w initiated at the Sensory Aids Foundation inthe SRI International has been working for severalyears

184 196 Applications of Speech Recognition Technology in Rehabilitation on an automatic telephone relay service (Bernstein et systems by two= thirds or more. That is, tapping at the al., 1984, Carlson and Bernstein, 1988). A telephone sentence level instead of the word level can reduce the relay service allows a hearing impaired person to use a word error rate from one error in five words to one TDD keyboard/display to "talk" to any hearing person error in 20 words (Bahl et al., 1984). over the regular phone lines. The hearing impaired person communicates with a relay operator, who has a Other Applications TDD and who interacts by voice with others over the phone; the relay operator then translates back through The following is a brief listing of selected other the TDD to the hearing impaired person what the rehabilitation applications of speech recognition person on the voice channel has said.SRI is working technologies, grouped by function and listed mostly as on automating this process to make it cheaper and they are described in the literature.Few, if any, of provide greater privacy. A hearing user speaks one these systems are products, and most are not even in word at a time, the speech recognition system the prototype stage. Most are partial devices and/or generates its best guesses as to what each word is, and simulations that have been built and tested on a few the hearing impaired person sees word choices subjects.References are generally to more recent displayed on a screen. The hearing impaired person research projects and are not exhaustive. then needs to use human intelligence to find a reasonable path through the word choices to make a Environmental Control meaningful sentence. Several things need to be true for an automatic Environmental and mobility control by voice for relay service to be possible:In the hearing-to-deaf people with limited motor control is probably the most direction, the hearing person needs to be able to speak developed application for speech recognition related to in separated words; the recognizer needs to be disability.There are a growing number of products accurate enough to display an adequate representation available with names like "Master Voice" or "Butler in a of the word sequence so that it can be figured out; Box" that provide a voice recognition interface between and hearing impaired people must be able to make a user and commercial device that can control the sense out of this representation.SRI's studies indicate operation of various functions in a person's living that all of these conditions are currently met or within space. A closely related, but less generally successful, reach in the near term.In the direction from the application is the control of a power wheelchair or the hearing impaired person to the hearing person, there remote control of a mobile robot by voice command. are only requirements if the hearing impaired person Voice-controlled wheelchairs and a voice-controlled does not have understandable speech.In that case, remote mobile manipulator are under development at the text-to-speech converter needs to be intelligible, the Rehabilitation Engineering Research and and.it would be helpful if the hearing impaired person Development Center at the Palo Alto Veterans could enter text in a fast, convenient way.Commercial Administration Hospital in conjunction \ pith Stanford text-to-speech converters are now quite intelligible (at University (Michalowski, Leifer, and Van der Loos, first hearing, and even over the phone) though no text 1986). entry system has been designed that will allow a typical person to ent,text at even half of an ordinary Speech Prosthesis (Voice In/Out Communication Aid) conversational rate of about 150 words per minute. There has been a great deal of work on Tap Sent .7nLes communication aids for speech impaired people. Much of this work has focused on the problem of efficient, The ultimate device for man: situations in which reliable message entry.Several investigators have hearing impaired people need assistance is accurate, recently begun trying speech recognition for message automatic, real-time captioning into normal text.This input to communication aids to increase message entry capability is coming sometime around the turn of the rate and avoid mechanical interface problems (Barker next century; the first claims to this performance are and Hastings, 1983; Fried-Oken, 1984; Rodman et al., emerging now, and I would think that "science fiction"- 1984; Stevens and Bernstein, 1985; Ahmad, 1985). level speech recognition will be a regular thing by Wearing a head-mounted microphone can leave the 2010, if not before. One important datum to note in subjects' hands and eyes free, reducing the potential the meantime is that relatively simple models of the for mechanical failure that is more common with a grammatical constraints to be found in a sentence can keyboard or other el ctromechanical switch. These reduce the word error rate of current recognition 185 197 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

investigators have found several speech impaired References subjects to be successful usinga speech recognition interface.Results for a larger sample of speech Ahmad, W. (1985). Computer recognition of cerebral impaired subjects are reported by Carlson and palsy speech using non-linear mapping.Ph.D. Thesis, Bernstein in this volume. University of Southern California, Department of For speech recognition to be successful in the Computer Science. application of communication aids, the speechdoes not have to be spoken correctly, butmust be spoken Bahl, L. & Picheny, M. (1984). Some experiments with consistently and distinctly.If each word is said the large-vocabulary isolated-word sentence recognition. same way every time it is spoken, and each word is Proceedings IEEE ICASSP84, p. 26.5.1. distinct from every other word in the vocabulary,then a speech recognizer can match the speech to stored Barker, M. & Hastings, W. (1983). Access to computers templates. by severely disabled people.Final report to U.S. Department of Education, NIHR, Grant G008005817. toss-Modality Captioning Bernstein, J., Becker, K, Bell, D., Murveit, H., Poza, F., Cross-modality captioning is the adaptation oftap & Stevens, G. (1984). Telephone communication point captioning to the needs of people who have between deaf and hearing persons. Proceedings IEEE difficulty reading printed text--for example, low-vision ICASSP-84, p. 26.7.1. and blind people and hearing impaired peoplewith limited reading skills.For a deaf-blind person, the Bernstein, L., Ferguson, J., & Goldstein, M. (1986). captioning text could be translated into Brailleand Speech training devices for profoundly deaf children. displayed on a dynamic displayor (possibly in the IEEE ICASSP-86, Tokyo, pp. 633-636. future) translated into sign and fingerspellingand displayed synthetically on videoscreens or on Braida, L. (1984). Speech processing for the hearing mechanical hands, such as theone developed at the impaired. Proceedings of the Second International Smith-Kettlewell Research Foundation (Gildenand Jaffe, Conference on Rehabilitation Engineering, Special 1986). Session Volume, pp. 146-149.

Text Generation Carlson, G. & Bernstein, J. (1988). Automatic speech recognition of impaired speech.Article for High speed text generation has severalapplications International Journal of Rehabilitation Research. for disabled people. Many hearing impairedpeople now follow sports and news broadcasts with the help Carlson, G. & Bernstein, J. (1986). A system for of real-time captioning.Several investigators telephone communication between hearing impaired (Minneman, 1985; Ross, 1986) have designedsystems and hearing people. Volta Review, 88(7),p. 367. that facilitate text generation fromthat most common keyboard, the push button telephone.Beyt,nd that, Carlson, G., Bernstein, J., & Bell, D. (1986). Machine there has been considerable effortat many sites to recognition of impaired speech for telecommunication. increase the rate of text generation for peoplewith Proceedings AVIOS '86 Voice I/O Systems Applications very limited motor control.Real-time captioning uses a Conference, pp. 563-577. steno keyboard, which shares with the telephone keyboard a ',arming underspecification of thetext. The Cornett, R. (1967). Cued speech. American Annals of same knowledge of the structure of sentences and the Deaf, 112. words that is being gathered foruse in commercial recognition systems can be used (and isbeing used) to Cornett, R., Beadles, IL, & Wilson, B. (1977, May). unpack ambiguous input. Themost elaborate efforts in Automatic cued speech.In J. Pickett (Ed.), Papers this field involve anticipating textsystems for people from the Research Conference on S,peechProcessing who can only managea few controlled movements per Aids for the Deaf, Gallaudet Research Institute, minute. These have been developed inmany forms, Washington, D.C., pp. 224.239. and are reviewed by Vanderheiden (1984).

186 1 9 8 Applications of Speech Recognition TechnologyinRehabilitation

Erber, N. (1979).Real-time synthesis of optical mouth Pickett, J. (Ed.) (1977).Papers from the Research shapes from vowel sounds.Journal of the Acoustical ConferenceonSpeech-Processing Aids for the Deaf. Society of America,66, pp. 1542-1544. Gallaudet Research Institute, Washington, DC.

Erber, N., Sachs, IL, & DeFilippo, C. (1979).Optical Pickett, J. & Trybus, R (1983). The Gallaudet synthesis of articulatory images for lipreading evaluation Rehabilitation Engineering Center for the Deaf and and instruction.In D.L. McPherson (Ed.),Advancesin Hearing Impaired.Proceedings, RESNA '83, Sixth Prosthetics Devices for the Deaf: A Technical Annual ConferenceonRehabilitation Engineering. Workshop,Rochester, NY:N'rID. San Diego, CA.

Fried-Oken, M. (1984). The voice recognition device Pickett, J., Gengel, IL, & Quinn, IL (1976).Research for computer control by motorically- and speech with the Upton eyeglass speechreader.In G. Fant impaired individuals.Proceedings of the Second (Ed.), Speech Communication,4. New York: Wiley. International ConferenceonRehabilitation Also reprinted in Levitt et al. (1980). Engineering. Ross, W. (1986). Annual report to NIH, Contract NO1- Gilden, D. & Jaffe, D. (1986).Dexter--a helping hand NS-5-2392.SRI International. for communicating with the deaf-blind.Proceedings of RESNA '86.Minneapolis, Minnesota. Russell, Y. (1986).Final report on a feasibility model for a speech recognition communication aid for deaf Levitt, H., Pickett, J., & Houde, R. (Eds.) (1980). persons.Proceedings, RESNA '86,Minneapolis, Sensory Aids for the Hearing Impaired.IEEE Press. Minnesota.

Levitt, H. (Guest Editor). (1986).Journal of Rodman, R., Moody, T., & Price, J. (1984). Speech Rehabilitation Research and Development,23 (1). recognizer performance of voice handicapped users. Michalowski, S., Leifer, L, & Van der Loos, H. (1986). Proceedings AVIOS 'S4 Conference. Computer configuration for a robotic manipulation aid. Proceedings RESNA '86.Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stevens, G. & Bernstein, J. (1985). Machine recognition and intelligibility of deaf speech.Proceedings of the Minneman, S. (1985). A simplified touch-tone RESNA Eighth Conference.Memphis, TN. telecommunication aid for deaf and hearing impaired individuals.Proceedings, RESNA 8th Annual Vanderheiden, G. (1984). Augmentative communication: Conference.Memphis, Tennessee. Trends and priorities in research and delivery. Proceedings of the Second International Conference of Nickerson, IL & Stevens, K. (1973). Teaching speech Rehabilitation Engineering.Ottawa, Canada. to the deaf, can a computer help?IEEE Trans. Audio and Electroacoustics.Also reprinted in Levitt et al. (1980).

187 A"

Representatives of consumer organizations, businesses,government, education, and rehabilitation agencies attendedthe conference,

2 AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION OF IMPAIRED SPEECH

Gloria Stevens Carlson Jared Bernstein*

[Editors' Note:This paper was accepted for publication in the speech of 81' speech impaired people (primarily the International Journal of Rehabilitation Research.The persons with hearing impairments or cerebral palsy) researcb was supported in part by NIH Contract NO1-NS-5- reading a 300-word vocabulary six times (three times 2394.) through to train the device and three times through one week later to test it) and then a 65-word story at Problem and Objectives the end of the second session.This speech was input to a high performance, template-based speech Many speech impaired individuals have speech that recognizer, and the results were analyzed to determine is partially intelligible to people who converse with the percentage of correctly recognized words for the them regularly, but that is virtually unintelligible to entire 300-word vocabulary and for smaller subsets of unfamiliar listeners.For such people, if an automatic the vocabulary. speech recognizer could "understand" the unintelligible We also played sample recordings to normal hearing speech, then it could be used to recode the speech as listeners who were unfamiliar with the talkers so that intelligible synthetic speech or as a printed display. we could compare human intelligibility with machine This process could be faster and easier than typing. A accuracy. Although machine and listener recognition speaker dependent speech recognizer would be accuracy varied greatly across speakers, the speech of appropriate for this task because it does not require approximately 25% of the impaired speakers was better that messages be spoken according to standard English recognized by machine than by human listeners with a pronunciation; instead, it requires only that users speak 300-word vocabulary spoken in context.Fifty-seven sufficiently consistently and distinctly so that their percent of the impaired speakers were better speech can be matched to pretrained utterances. recognized by machine than by human listeners with a SRI's objectives were twofold:to determine for 50-word vocabulary spoken in context.This work is several categories of speech impaired individuals described in detail elsewhere (Carlson et al., 1986; whether automatic speech recognition was feasible, and Carlson and Bernstein, 1988). to develop and evaluate a laboratory voice-input system Because our findings suggested that some speech with several speech impaired users. impaired individuals might benefit from speech recognition technology, we developed and evaluated a laboratory voice-input system. The system offers Methods and Results interactive voice-in and voice-out capability with immediate feedback to the user about whether each For over two years SRI has been studying automatic word is recognized correctly. The user moves a speech recognition of impaired speech. We recorded "mouse" to correct the machine's errors (i.e., to select

Gloria Stevens Carlson and Jared Bernstein, Ph.D., Speech Research Program, SRI international, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025

139201 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

a word other than that with the highest recognition relatively much more problematic for them.Therefore, score) and send messages to thetext-to-speech lower levels of recognition performance synthesizer. can yield a comparative advantage over alternative modalities.With To determine whether people coulduse the speech a more flexible voice input interface, used by people recognition interface in interactions withthe computer, with more practice, the relative advantage and whether, in fact, speech input of automatic was faster and more speech recognition may beeven greater for some accurate than typing input forsome users, we invited people with cerebral palsy. twelve subjects to try the laboratory speech system. For example, the hearing impairedperson described The subjects were limited toa 50-word vocabulary above was better "understood" by machine when speaking a short paragraph. than by After only a few listeners (80% versus 57%), but shecan type almost as minutes practice, five of the twelve speakersproduced quickly, and with a much larger vocabulary, the same text faster using speech as she can input than by typing. produce text with the speech recognizer.She might Two subjects (one hearing impairedand one with benefit from a speech output device cerebral palsy), who to improve her were not immediately faster with intelligibility, but not necessarily fromone driven by speech input, were askedto return to practice using speech input. On the other hand, the the machine more extensively. person with Both subjects type cerebral palsy, who is somewhat betterunderstood by regularly, yet, afterone month of practicing for two listeners than by machine (77% hours a week (nine hours total), both versus 73%1), could subjects benefit from a speech inputsystem for communication improved dramatically with the speechrecognizer. The or for interaction with computers since his speech hearing impaired subject rate was generally faster than the 13 much faster than his typing. He isa computer cerebral palsy subject with eithertyping or speech programmer, so this would be particularly useful. recognition, as expected, given themotor impairment Moreover, this study was performed using associated with cerebral palsy. The a hearing impaired recognizer that was not modified for eachindividual person's speaking ratewas somewhat better than her speaker. Recognition typing rate (40 words accuracy and vocabulary size per minute speaking versus 31 might be substantially large withappropriate words per minute typing) afterone month, whereas the modification to the recognition algorithms, speech rate of the but such person with cerebral palsy nearly modifications were beyond the doubled his typing scope of this study. rate (20 words per minute speaking With further development of versus twelve words per minute typing). With an appropriate human more interface, automatic speech recognitionmay improve practice, .,,)th subjects would likelyimprove even more. text generation for some speech impaired individuals, The cerebral palsy subject, inparticular, could benefit in particular those with cerebral palsy, from speech recognition technology so that they can for text input. more easily manipulate their environmentor more Development and evaluation of thislaboratory system easily communicate with other people. are described in greater detail in Carlson(1988).

Discussion References Carlson, G.S. (1988). Development of Even though hearing impaired people a voice-input are generally system for ,:peech-impaired people. Proceedings faster and more accurate withthe speet AVIOS recognizer '88 Voice I/O Systems ApplicationsConference. than are people with cerebralpalsy, speech recognition technology may offer greater promise for cerebral palsy Carlson, G.S. & Bernstein, J. people than for hearing impaired (1988). A voice-input people, given the communication aid. Final Report likely uses of speech recognition to National Institute devices by the two of Neurological and Communicative populations. Many people with Disorders and cerebral palsy have Stroke, National Institutes of Health.(Contract N01- significant difficulty manipulatingtheir environment, NS -5. 2394). whether that involves pickingup the phone, unlocking the door, or generatingtext. Even if their speech is Carlson, G.S., Bernstein, J., &Bell, D. (1986). Machine recognized somewhat less accurately,on average, than recognition of impaired speech for is the speech of hearing impaired telecommunication. people, alternative Proceedings AVIOS '86 Voice I/O modalities, like keyboard Systems Applications entry and handwriting, are Conference, pp. 563-577. Automatic Speech Recognition of Impaired Speech

Murvelt, H. & Broderson, It (1986). An integrated - Notes circuit -based speech recognition system. IEEE Transactions on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal 1.The percentage of correct recognition in these Processing, AASP-34 (6), pp. 1465.1472. cases is with a 50-word vocabulary in citation form.

191 10.Steven De Gemini, Thomas./ Watson ResearchCenter

2 04 MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION

For some of the conference topics, leaders in the field independent of context, in a consistent manner. The spoke but papers were not written.Included here are systems that are wordbased depend on you saying questions and answers following presentations by the entire word consistently. But because we don't several of these speakers. make you train by saying each word, the consistent pronunciation of words is not enough.It has to be a Steven DeGennaro, Sc.D. consistent pronunciation of phones. We have bad Research Scientist people with very, very heavy accents that the system Thomas J. Watson Research Center works for. Our senior analyst is Czechoslovakian, and be has a heavy accent, and this system works for (Editors' Note: Dr. DeGennaro spoke about the Tangora him. speecb recognition system.) John Scarcella Question: What are the odds of developing artificial Regional Sales Manager intelligence on an equal basis to that of a human Kurzweil Applied Intelligence being? [Editors' Note: Mr. Scarcella demonstrated the Kurzweil Answer: Groups other than our group are working in VoiceWorks, a commercially available speech -to -text system. this area. None of them has demonstrated a system The questions and answers are tied to the demonstration with this level of performance. But again, this system and there is, unfortunately, no way of presenting the has nowhere near the level of performance of the demonstration in the Proceedings. Despite this limitation, human being. we are including the questions because rbe content of the replies gives useful information about speech recognition Question:It's a good thing that you are working to systems.] put that into a personal computer, but are you also using larger machines that arc available, and perhaps Question:Is my impression correct that you are parallel machines? changing the tone of your voice when you don't want [the system] to listen to you?[Scarcella: Your Answer: We are working in both areas, Half of our question is, why was the system able to recognize me group is now wi king (in a continuous speech version for certain things and not other things, even though of this system, which runs on the largest IBM the microphone was not being turned on or off while I mainframe, with six processors.The algorithms are was speaking?'Right. not quite at the point where we want to reduce it to this kind of hardware, but we have another group of Answer: It could be for one of three reasons.First, it people worrying about parallel processing.W1,en the could be because I could be speaking continuously, algorithms have been developed properly, we will and the system is looking for discrete speech with a develop more hardware. pause between each word or phrase. Number two, I could be speaking discretely, but saying things that Question: For deaf people, would the mach:ries be are not in my vocabulary.Or, number three, I may able to recognize deaf speech? be speaking discretely.I may be saying things that are in my vocabulary, but they may not be valid in Answer: I haven't tried it,This system ITangoral where I am in my application dependent on bow I depends on your producing the same phone,

193 205 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

have set up the system in the beginning. In thiscase, Question: You said when we have a more powerful it was because I was speaking continuously. processor like the 486, you will have continuous speech recognition.Is this working in the lab novv? The point about tonal inflection: Everyone tellsme, "You talk differently when you speak to thecomputer Answer:We are working on continuous speech. We versus when you talk to an audience." Well, that's are also working on reducing the training time.This true. I speak discretely to the computer, but I also system currently requires you to train all the words. lapse into a kind of monotonous tone of voice.To You have a 5,000-word vocabulary; you haveto train show you that doesn't makeany real difference, I will them all. change my voice. (Demonstration of speecb recognition with changing tonal inflection.) Believe We have a software utility that allows you to take me, when I go home, I don't talk that way to my copies of your current documents [letters, reports, wife. etc.], feed them in by floppy disk or scan your current documents, and come up with a list of words from Question: How does that medical system deal with your own documents. Then you can rate them as to ambiguity of words like, "Mt. Wright ison your right side" frequency of usage. You may only want 90% of the most frequent 2,000 words, and add others as you go. You can add words as you go.The system would Answer:In the medical application, we set the pull the new word out of my document, ask me to vocabulary into a structured reporting mode. It will type it, speak it, and then go back to my document only recognize vocabulary that is "active"in the area and use it. of the report you are using. However,that mode is not used for freeform text dictation.

26 GLOSSARY

(Editors' Note: When new technologies and services are Blockage [TRSJ--An unsuccessful call because of busy introduced into any jield, them is a period in which many telephone lines.Blockage rate refers to the percentage different terms are used for the same concept.The of attempted calls that are unsuccessful (i.e., that connotations of these various terms can provoke much encounter a busy signal). debate. The purpose of this glossary is to give the current working definitions of many terms used in the conference Call Volume ITRSI-Number of calls placed through a and to aid the reader in understanding the content of the relay service during a particular period of time. conference papers. However, the reader sbould note that the tertninology is evolving and this glossary could quicly Capped Surcharge ITRSI-Surcharge provision in which become outdated.] a limitation is set, usually by the state legislature, on the amount that can be charged to telephone Because the use of these terms depends on context, subscribers each month. we have identified in each case the technology to which it refers in this glossary: Captioner/Capdonist [RTCF-Person who prepares captions for video material. ASR = automatic speech recognition RTC = real-time captioning Captions IRTCFSubtitles; written representations of a TRS = telephone relay service video program's dialogue. Captions may be open or closed. Open captions are seen on all video screens. Closed captions are seen only on screens equipped Adaptation' [ASRI--The automatic modification of with a special electronic decoder. existing internal machine representations (e.g., template sets, word models, etc.) of specific utterances and/or Chord Keyboards [TRS, RTCJ -- Specially designed noise. keyboards for inputting text at high speed by using a particular code. The operator presses more than one American Sign Ianguage/ASL ITRSI-The predominant key at a time to generate a phoneme, word, or phrase. sign language used by deaf people in the United States and Canada.Its grammatical structure differs radically Coarticulation [ASR)--The overlapping of articulation from the grammatical structure of English. associated with adjacent sounds.

Articulation [ASRI--Movement of the speech articulators Communications Assistant [TRS]- Job title given by some (tongue, lips, teeth) to produce specific speech sounds. organizations for the worker responsible for relaying calls within a relay service. ASCII ['FRS, RTC, ASRFAmerican Standard Code for information Interchange. This is the standard Computer Aided Transcription [IITCFA general term computer code used in the United States.It has eight referring to creation of transcripts of spoken dialogue bits per character. with assistance from a computer. Can be either normal keyboard entry or some special input device, such as a Baudot [TRS, RTCF-The name of the electronic code stenotype. used by TDDs in the United States.It has five bits per character and transmits at 45.45 bits per second. Connected Words* [ASIII-AlVords spoken carefully, but with no explicit pauses between them.

195 207 11=Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

Continuous Speech* [AS121 -Words spoken fluently and Grammar* [ASR] --In general, a grammar of a language is rapidly, as in conversational speech, a scheme for specifying the sentences allowed in the language, indicating the rules for combining words into Decoder [RTC] - -The generic name for the electronic phrases and clauses.In automatic speech recognition, device that makes closed captions visible on a screen. task grammars specify the active vocabularies and transition rules that define the sets of valid statements Deletion* [ASR] - -An instance in which a spoken word is to complete the tasks. The task grammar and ignored, and for which the recognizer or system structured vocabulary provide syntactic control of the provides no response (e.g., in recognizinga string of speech recognition process that can greatly enhance digits, if the recognizer returns one less digit than has performance. been input). Insertion* [ASR]--An instance of a recognition occurring Dictionary [RTC]- -Table of steno entries and their due to spurious noise or an utterance other than those English equivalents. that are legitimate on syntactic considerations.In the former case, some input other than an utterance Discrete Utterance Recognition* [ASR -Theprocess of (typically some ambient or electrical noise artifact) is recognizing a word or several words spokenas a single not properly rejected and the system response indicates entry. that some utterance in the recognition vocabulary occurred.In the latter case, a word that has been Divestiture [TRS]--Term used to identify the break-up of uttered (but which is not part of the active recognition the Bell System.Refers to AT&T having been divested vocabulary because of current syntactic constraints) is of various components of its operations. falsely accepted as an utterance from the active recognition vocabulary. Dual Party Relay Service ITRSF-Describes relay services in which both parties are on the line at thesame time, Insta Cap [RTC] -A simple captioning system developed and in which an operator speaks the typedmessage of by the Canadian Captioning Development Agency the deaf person and types the spokenmessage of the (CCDA).It uses an ordinary personal computer and hearing person. This term distinguishes such relayed keyboard, and is designed for use in meetings where calls from message relay service, in which themessage interpreters are not available and note writing is too is relayed in one direction only, and not while both slow, parties are on the line. Insta Text [RTCF-First real-time captioning system. The Encoder [RTC]-- Generic name for the electronic device system was built by Translation Systems, Inc. under which encodes closed captionson a video program. contract with the National Captioning Institute.

Enrollment* [ASRF-The process of constructing Interexchange Carriers [TRSJ- -Long distance telephone representations of speech, such as template setsor companies. word models, to be used bya recognizer. Also referred to as "system training,"as distinct from "user Isolated Words* IAS111--Words spoken with pauses training." (typically with duration in excess of 200 ms) before and after each word. False Acceptance [ASR]- -An example of failure to reject properly spoken input utterances thatare not part of Isolated Word Recognition* [ASR]- -See "discrete the active vocabulary, resulting in selection ofa word utterance recognition." in the active vocabulary. lag Time IRTCF-The period of time between when a FCC/Federal Communications Commission[TRS]." word is spoken on a video program and when the Federal agency whose regulatory authorityover caption of that word appears on the screen.This is communications includes interstate telephone usually associated with real-time captioning situations communications, where a stenographer is creating captionsas a program is aired.

196 208 Glossary

Large Print Interpreting [RTC] -- Refers to interpreting PBX [TRS]-Private branch exchange; a telephone with a real-time captioning system which produces exchange serving an individual organization and having large print on a screen. The term can refer either to connections to a public telephone exchange. systems used for large groups or to special systems for the benefit of visually impaired deaf people. Public Ud lides/Utility Commission (PUC), Pi ) lic Services Commission (PSC) ITRSJStatelevel quasi- Line 21 [RTC]In the United States, television pictures governmental body responsible for regulation of public are composed of 525 rows of electronic dots. The first utilities such as telephone, electricity, water, and gas. few and last few rows are not used for actual picture transmission. They are the familiar black bar seen on Real-Time Captioning IRTCThe simultaneous creation television screens which need adjustment.Line 21 is and transmission of captions for display purposes. the 21st row from the top of the television picture, the last line of the black bar.Line 21 is used for sending Real-Time Reporter [RTC] -Person who enters the steno coded captions which can be read by a decoder. code into the real-time captioning system. Also referred to as "captioner." Local Exchange Carriers ITRSILocal telephone companies. Recognition Unit* [ASIt]The basic unit of speech on which recognition is being performed, often presumed Message Relay Associate ITRSHob title used by some to be the word. The actual unit used may be smaller organizations for the worker responsible for relaying (e.g., phones, demisyllables, syllables, or features) or calls within a relay service. larger (e.g., multi-word phrases or utterances).

Message Relay Service, Message Relay ITRS1This term Recognition Vocabulary* [ASR]See "vocabulary." is used in two ways.In the strict sense, message relay is a service in which messages are passed on to the Rejection* [ASR] -The property of rejecting inputs. other party (to the hearing person, if the caller is There are three general classes of system response deaf). The message is not delivered while the calling involving rejection:i) noise rejection, ii) rejection of party is on the line.It is a one-way service. The term improperly spoken input utterances, iii) rejection of "message relay" is often also used as a synonym for properly spoken input utterances that are part of the "relay service," although this use is incorrect. active vocabulary, sometimes termed false rejection.

Message Transfer Associate ITRS1--Job title used by Relay Service ITRSIGeneric term for service which some organizations for the worker responsible for permits hearing people to speak with deaf people who relaying calls within a relay service. communicate via TDD or computer. The caller phones the relay service. While the caller is on the line, a Ms [RTC]-milliseconds. relay service operator places a call to the other party. The operator speaks the hearing impaired person's Natural Language* [ASR]Syntactically unconstrained typed message, and types the hearing person's message. word sequences, typically drawn from a large lexicon and complying with conventional usage. Speaker Dependent Recognition* IASRA procedure for speech recognition which depends on enrollment Notice of Inquiry [TRSProceeding of the FCC in data from the individual speaker who is to use the which a notice is sent to all interested parties about device. the FCC's intent to study a particular issue. A Notice of Inquiry [NOI] invites comment and specifiesa Speaker Independent Recognition* IASRA procedure deadline for comments. Sometimes the study is for speech recognition which requires no previous extended based on the first round of comments. A enrollment data from the individual who is to use the subsequent proceeding is called a Further Notice of device, Inquiry. Spedalized Customer-Premises Equipment (SCPB) Operator ITRSFJob title given by some organizations ITRSIEquipment used by disabled people for access to for the worker responsible for relaying calls withina the telephone. TDDs are examples of SCPE, relay service. See also "TDD operator."

197 Speed, to Text: Today and Tomorrow

State-Mandated Programs [TRS] Relay services that TDD Relay Service [TRS)--Synonym for relay service. resulted from action of the state legislature and/or Public Utility Commission. TeleBraille [RTC, TRS] --A kind of TDD that had Braille output, for use by deaf-blind people. Station ITRS1--In the context of relay service,refers to The Tele Braille was produced by Telesensory Systems, the work station of the person responsible forrelaying Inc.(There is currently no Tele Brailleon the market.) calls. TelcCapdon [RTC -The brandname of the closed Stenographer/Stenotypist/Steno Reporter [RTC]- -A caption television decoder produced by the National person trained in the use of stenographic equipment. Captioning Institute. There have been three models: In the context of captioning, it usually refersto the Tele Caption, Tele Caption II, and Tele Caption 3000. person who creates real-time cap dom.. Tele Caption is sold r At.

Stenographer's Dictionary [RTC]--A computerizedfile Telecommunications Carriers [TRS]Telephone consisting of words and the phonetic code usedto companies that supply transmission equipment and represent these words. Because every stenographer services. The term "telecommunications carriers" has his or her own particular coding habits eachneeds includes both local exchange carriers and to develop a unique stenographic dictionary. interexchange carriers.

Stenotype [RTC] The phonetic typing device usedby Telecommunications for the Disabled Act of 1982 et nographers. [TRS]--Act of Congress which, among other things, ordered the FCC to study and consider the needsof Substitutions [ASR; -An instance in whichone word in disabled people in the implementation of future the recognitioa vocabulary is incorrectlyrecognized as telecommunications regulation decisions. another word in the recognition vocabulary. Telephone Assistant ITRSF-Job title used bysome Superphone [TRS, RTC] -4 brand of TDDformerly organizations for the worker responsible for relaying produced by Weitbrecht Communications.The calls within a relay service. Superphone was a majorcomponent of the Tele Braille, a previous product of Telesensory Systems, Inc. Telephone Relay Service [TRS]- Synonym for relay service. Surcharge ITRSJ In the context of relayservices, generally refers to the practice of addinga few cents to Teleprompter [RTC]- -The screen system which shows the monthly phone bill of telephonesubscribers. the script to be followed by a commentator. The screen is placed off camera where the commentator Syntax [AS111-Structure by which grammaticalword can see it and read from it during a live program. sequences are specified. Teletext [RTC] - -A text information system which sends System 85 [TRS] type of PBX marketedby AT&T. coded information over the Vertical Blanking Interval (VIM) of a television signal. The technique is similarto TDD [TRS]Telecommunications Device for the Deaf. the Line 21 closed captioningsystem, but teletext is a Generic term used for terminals used for telephone general purpose high-speed informationsystem, and communication by deaf and hard of hearing people.In closed caption services areone small feature.Since common use, TDD refers only to those terminalsthat teletext sends informationover the air at a much transmit messages in Baudot code. Computerswith higher speed than the Line 21 system, the teletext modems generally are not referred to as TDDs. signal is much more fragile and difficultto receive. TDD Operator [TILSJ--Worker responsible for assisting Text Telephone [TRSJTerm used inmany European TDD callers with directory assistance,credit card countries for a telecommunications device for the deaf. calling, collect calling, and otheroperator-assisted calls. European text telephones use a different (Currently available only at AT&T.)

198 Glossary WINMINIMIMM, communications protocol from American TDD s, and the Utterance* [ASR} A word or multi-word phrase spoken two cannot converse unless specially equipped to do continuously as a single unit. so. Vocabulary* [AS111--The words or phrases to be Thmughput Time [MI-Amount of time from the real- recognized by a recognizer.Distinctions should be time reporter's stroke to the output of the English made between the complete set of all words and caption. phrases that a recognizer has been trained or programmed to recognize, sometimes called the total Token* [ASRJ--A sample speech utterance. recognition vocabulary, and the (instantaneously varying) subset of these that may be active at a given Training* (ASRI-See "enrollment." System training is time because of an imposed task grammar or other preferably referred to as enrollment. User training syntactic constraint, called the active vocabulary. refers to the process of user familiarization with speech technology (e.g., learning how to use an automatic Voice Carryover ITRSJ--Method of relaying a call that speech recognition device). permits the hearing impaired person in the conversation to speak rather than type his or her Training Data* [ASItj--Speech material used to construct message; also permits speech impaired people to hear parametric representations of speech such as template rather than have typed to them the message of the sets or word models used by a recognizer. Also speaking person. referred to as enrollment data. Not to be confused with performance data obtained in training potential Voice Pass-Through [TRSJ--Synonym for voice carryover. users of the technology. Word* [ASR)--See "recognition unit." TTY ITRSI-Converted Western Union teletypewriters that, when used with an acoustic coupler, allow two- These definitions are from:Pallett, D.S. (1985). way telephone communication by typing.Forerunners Performance assessment of automatic speech of the current TDDs, some TTYs are still in use. Some recognizers, Journal of Research of the National people prefer TTY over TDD as a term for all Bureau of Standards, 90,(5). The definitions were telecommunication terminals used by deaf people. supplied by James Glenn in his tutorial review of automatic speech recognition. ta, q",4,

't' n 11 1:

Gallaudet University President L King Jordan (left) talkswith Mery Garretson, special assistantto the President at Gallaudet, (center) and Comressman Major Otve4s, whogave the conference's keynote address. LIST OF CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

ALLEN, MARIN CUTLER, WILLIAM Associate Professor and Chairperson President Department of TV, 'Film, and Photography Board of Trustees Gallaudet University Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. 800 Florida Avenue, N.E. 2590 Marshall Drive Washington, DC 20002 Palo Alto, CA 94303

BAQUIS, DAVID DeGENNARO, STEVEN V. Special Needs Manager Research Staff Member Tele-Consumer Hotline Thomas J. Watson Research Center 1910 K Street, N.W. P.O. Box 218 Suite 610 Route 134 East Washington, DC 20006 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

BERNSTEIN, JARED GLENN, JAMES Staff Scientist Manager EK 168 Development Programs SRI International Entropic Speech, Inc. 333 Ravenswood Avenue 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. Menlo Park, CA 94025 Suite 202 Washington, DC 20003 BRACKNEY, STUART Director HARKINS, JUDITH E. The Arizona Council for the Hearing Impaired Director 1300 West Washington Technology Assessment Program Phoenix, AZ 85007 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University CARSON, LINDA 800 Florida Avenue, N.E. Vice President of Production Washington, DC 20002 National Captioning Institute, Inc. 5203 Leesburg Pllce HEIL, JOSEPH 15th Floor 47 Ralph Place Falls Church, VA 22041 Morristown, NJ 07960

CONLON- MENTKOWSKI, SHEILA MINION, DANIEL Director. Science Applications International Corporation Norcal Center for Law and the Deaf 135 Old Solomons Island Road 2045 Hallmark Drive, Suite 4 Annapolis, MD 21401 Sacramento, CA 95825

213 201 Speed, to Text: Today and Tomorrow

HOTCHKISS, DAVID NIISSON, BODE Research Associate Manager Center for Assessment & Demographic Studies Telekontoret Gallaudet Research Institute Swedish Telecom Gallaudet University P.O. Box 935 800 Florida Avenue, N.E. 391 29 Kalmar Washington, DC 20002 SWEDEN

HURST, MICHAEL NORWOOD, MALCOLM Attorney 6619 Adrian Street AT&T New Carrollton, MD 20784 795 Folsom Street Room 670 OLIVER, WILLIAM San Francisco, CA 94107 Immediate Past President National Shorthand Reporters Association HUTCHINS, JEFF Stenograph Institute of Arkansas Vice President 350 Union Station Square American Data Captioning, Inc. Little Rock, AR 72201 312 Boulevard of Allies, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 OWENS, MAJOR R. Chairman JENSEMA, CARL J. Subcommittee on Select Education Senior Research Scientist Committee on Education and Labor Technology Assessment Program The U.S. House of Representatives Gallaudet Research Institute 114 Cannon House Office Building Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20515 800 Florida Avenue, N.E. Washington, DC 20002 RANSOM, PAMELA Executive Director JORDAN, I. KING Chicago Hearing Society President 10 West Jackson Boulevard Gallaudet University Chicago, IL 60604 800 Florida Avenue, N.E. Washington, DC 20002 SCARCELLA, JOHN Regional Sales Manager LEVESQUE, JACK Kurzweil Applied Intelligence Director 4041 Powder Mill Road Deaf Counseling Advocacy & ReferralAgency Suite 300 125 Parrott Street Calverton, MD 20705 San Leandro, CA 94577 SCIIAEFFER, ESTHER LINDBERG, KARIN President Norwegian Telecom Administration Telecommunications Exchange for the Deaf, Inc. Universitetsgatan 7 P.O. Box 508 Oslo 1 Great Falls, VA 22066 NORWAY SHAPIRO, PHYLLIS Manager California Relay Service 20931A Burbank Boulevard Woodland Hills, CA 91367

202 List of Conference Spears

SINGLETON, PAUL TAYLOR, PAUL Vice President National Technical Institute for the Deaf National Association of the Deaf Building 14 814 Thayer Avenue One Lomb Memorial Drive Silver Spring, MD 20910 Rochester, NY 14623

SONNBNSTRAHI, ALFRED TOLENSKY, ROBERT Executive Director Bell Canada Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. 15th Floor 814 Thayer Avenue 393 University Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910 Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5G 1W9 STRAUSS, KAREN National Center for Law and the Deaf WOODS, KATHY Gallaudet University Senior Policy &. Compliance Analyst 800 Florida Avenue, N.E. New York State Department of Public Service Washington, DC 20002 Third Floor 3 Empire State Plaza STUCKLESS, ROSS Albany, NY 12223 Director Integrative Research National Technical Institute for the Deaf One Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623

203 215 Mi

_....4441111111

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The conference exhibits provideda glimpse of current and near-future products in telecommunications and captioning.Representatives of the Stenograph Corporationare pictured at their exhibit table. LIST OF CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS JIIMINII111161

BARONDATA SYSTEMS NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, INC 1700 Marina Boulevard 5203 Leesburg Pike - Suite 1500 San Leandro, CA 94577 Falls Church, VA 22041 (415) 352-8101ext. 517 (703) 998.2420

BELL COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH (BELLCORE) SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL 445 South Street CORPORATION Morristown, NJ 07960 135 Old Solomons Island (201) 829-4432 Annapolis, MD 21401 (202) 261.8424

COMPUTER PROMPTING CORPORATION 3408 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. SELECTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INC Suite 201 10 Brickett's Mill Road Washington, DC 20016 Hampstead, NH 03841 (202) 966.0980 (603) 329.8213

CONTACT USADEAF CONTACT STENOGRAPH CORPORATION Katzenbach School for the Deaf 1500 Bishop Court 320 Sullivan Way CN535 Mt. Prospect, IL 60056 Trenton, NJ 08625 (312) 803.1400 (609) 883.2880

TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXCHANGE HARC MERCANTILE, LTD. FOR THE DEAF, INC. (TEDI) P.O. Box 3055 P.O. Box 508 Kalamazoo, MI 49003 Great Falls, VA 22066 (800) 253-3252 (703) 759.2993

INTEGRATED MICROCOMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC ULTRATEC, INC. 2 Research Place 6442 Normandy Lane Rockville, MD 20850 Madison, WI 53719 (301) 869-6391 (608) 273.0707

KROWN RESEARCH, INC. XSCRIBE CORPORATION 10371 West Jefferson Boulevaru 6160 Cornerstone Court East Culver City, CA 90232 San Diego, CA 92121 (800) 833.4968 (800) 356.0114

20521 11

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The jbur-day conference attracted .1. as. 'moms more than 300 people from 37 states and five foreigncountries. Immo 1. LIST OF CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

ABRAMS, KATHERINE S. BAK, THOMAS NYNEX Service Company Management Analyst 120 Bloomingdale Road HUD White Plains, NY 10605 451 Seventh Street, SW Washington, DC 20410 AKENS, KEVIN 120 Antler Road BARBIN, HUEY Fredericksburg, VA 22401 LAD TV/Media Co-Chairman Lousiana Association of the Deaf AINBENDER, HIIARY R 290 Kenwood Avenue Instructor, Department of English Baton Rouge, LA 70806 School of Preparatory Studies Gallaudet University BAROVIAN, DAVID J. Washington, DC 20002 Dealer TDD Sales and Services ALPERT, RENATE 944 Chelston Avenue Volunteer South Euclid, OH 44121 Deaf Program at Bellevue Hospital 40 East 83rd Street BART, DANIEL L New York, NY 10028 Senior Attorney GTE Service Corporation ALTER, EILEEN 1850 M Street, NW, Suite 1200 Chair, Texas Relay Service Washington, DC 20036 Texas Association on Deafness 510 South Congress Avenue BAIr140, CHERYL Austin, IX Information Specialist National Information Center on Deafness ANTHONY, PHILIP Gallaudet University Otologist Washington, DC 20002 901 Hemphill Fort Worth, TX 76104 BASEY, PAM OSD Operator ARDINGER, ROBERT AT&T Operator Services

. Department of Housing & Urban Development 725 13th Street, NW, Room 701 451 7th Street, SW Washington, DC 20005 Washington, DC 20410

AUGLIERE, DWI Operations Manager The Caption Center 125 Western Avenue Boston, MA 02134 2 207 19 Speech to 7'ext: Today and Tomorrow

BAUER, JUDI BITLER, DORIS Provincial Coordinator Research Assistant Educational Support Services Gallaudet Research Institute The Canadian Hearing Society Gallaudet University 271 Spadina Road Washington, DC 20002 Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5R2V3 BOONE, DONALD W. Manager BELTON, BRENDA AT&T Product Manager 3201 Jermantown Road, Room 3-B Bell Atlantic Fairfax, VA 22030 13100 Columbia Pike--C32 Silver Spring, MD 20904 BRAND, KELLY Legislative Analyst BENDER, TIM Bellcore Director 2101 L Street, NW, Suite 600 Relay Center for the Deaf Washington, DC 20037 127 Erlanger Road Erlanger, KY 41018 BRANDT, FRED Department of Audiology BENNETI', PETER H. School of Communication Vice President Gallaudet Univet sky Telecommunications Industry Association Washington, DC 20002 1722 Eye Street, NW-Suite 440 Washington, DC 20006 BRAUN, BARBARA J. Assistant Manager BENNMT, RICHARD Marketing & Customer Services Regional Manager Wisconsin Bell, Inc. Stenograph Corporation 740 North Broadway--Room 105 23 Mountain Laurel Drive Milwaukee, WI 53202 Clifton Park, NY 12065 BREUNIG, H. IATHAM BENNEIT, WAYNE Alexander Graham Bell Telephone Task Force Association for the Deaf Louisiana Association of the Deaf 7108 27th Road North P.O. Box 3074 Arlington, VA 22213 Baton Rouge, LA 70821 BRODY, LEE BERG, OT TO B. Executive Director TEDI Board Phone TTY, Inc. 127 6th Street, NE 202 Lexington Avenue Washington, DC 20002 Hackensack, NJ 07601 BILLOWS, STEVE BROOKS, LENORE Vice President, Product Development Assistant Professor ITI 108 South Ackard Department of Mathematics & ComputerScience Gallaudet University Dallas, TX 75202 Washington, DC 20002

208 220 List of Conference Participants

BROWN, JOANN S. CARTER, CYNTHIA IL ABNEY Rehabilitation Counselor Director/Coordinator VA Department of Rehabilitative Services Link Relay Message 4901 Fitzhugh Avenue Service for the Hearing and Speech Impaired Richmond, VA 23230 P. 0. Box 3638 251 West Street BROWN, MARY M. Annapolis, MD 21403 Group Manager AT &TCalifornia Relay Service CASSIDY, JANET 20931 Burbank Boulevard Shorthand Reporter Woodland Hills, CA 91367 American Data Captioning 2511 Foxcroft Way BRUNNER, MIKE Reston, VA 22091 Graduate Student Gallaudet University CHERTOK, BARBARA L Washington, DC 20002 Instructor of Speectuvading Montgomery College BUNNELL, H. TIMOTHY 4940 Sentinel Drive, #205 Research Scientist Bethesda, MD 20816 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University CORER, CAROL Washington, DC 20002 The National Academy College for Continuing Education BURKE, BUSE Gallaudet University LAD TV/Media Co-Chairman Washington, DC 20002 Louisiana Association of the Deaf 15708 Riverdale Avenue, E COLLUMS, CHARLCYITE Baton Rouge, IA 70816 Division of Rehabilitation Services Office for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired BURNS, MIRIAM V. 6408 Hawthorne Road Personnel Ftaffing Specialist Little Rock, AR 72207 DHHS Social Security Administration 6401 Security Blvd., Room G122 WHR COLWELL, KEVIN Baltimore, MD 21207 Ultratec, Inc. 6442 Normandy Lane BUSE, MARK Madison, WI 53719 111 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 CONOVER, EVELYN B. Director, DEAF CONTACT GAMY, JAMES D. CONTACT of Mercer County, NJ Interpreter/Coordinator of Deaf Services 320 Sullivan Way--CN-535 Berks County Association for the Hearing Impaired, Trenton, NJ 08525 Inc. 223 North 6th Street COLITIS, VICKI Reading, PA 19601 Intake/Outreach Supervisor Center of Resources for Independent People 707 North 7th, Suite A Pocatello, ID 83201 Speech to Text: Today andTomorrow

CURIONI, DAVID N. DAVTTON, LAURA Market Research Manager Deaf Services Advocate ITI 108 S. Akard Northern Nevada Center for IndependentLiving 624 East 4th Street Dallas, IX 75202 Reno, NV 89512 DAHILL, JAY DECKER, SUE Baron Data Product Manager 1700 Marina Boulevard P. 0. Box 2193 AT&T Special Needs Center 2001 Route 46, Waterview Plaza San Leandro, CA 94577 Parsippany, NJ DANIELS, ROBERT DETTHOW, ANNICA Marketing Representative Student Captioning Concepts, Inc. Gallaudet University 18425 Burbank Blvd., Suite404 Washington, DC 20002 Tarzana, CA 91356 DETIMAN, MARY JANE DANOWSKI, MARGARET V. Speech Pathologist Executive Director 2979 Meadow Lane Berks County Association for the Westlake, OH Hearing Impaired, Inc. 223 North 6th Street DILLEHAY, JANE REEHL Reading, PA 19601 Associate Professor Department of Biology DARNELL, VICKI Gallaudet University Administrative Secretary Washington, DC 20002 Technology AssessmentProgram Gallaudet Research Institute DIPIETRO, LORAINE Gallaudet University Director Washington, DC 20002 National Information Centeron Deafness Gallaudet University DAMES, SHAWN Washington, DC 20002 Scientific CommunicationsCoordinator Gallaudet Research Institute DITTMAN, DOUG Gallaudet University Systems Director Washington, DC 20002 The Caption Center 125 Western Avenue DAVIS, ALVIN J. Boston, MA 02134 Executive Director Constance Brown Hearing& Speech Center 1521 Gull Road DIVERS, EDWARD Department of Defense Kalamazoo, MI 49001 9800 Savage Road Ft. Meade, MD 20755 DAVIS, JOB Regional Manager Metrocast DREYFUS, BARBARA Ultratec, Inc. 400 East Pratt Street, Suite 827 6442 Normandy Lane Baltimore, MD 21201 Madison, WI 53719 List of Conference Participants

DRISCOLL, PENNY ENGELKE, ROB Manager Ultratec, Inc. Bell Atlantic, NSS 6442 Normandy Lane 2101 L Street, NW-Room 510 Madison, WI 53719 Washington, DC 20037 ENTSMINGER, MEGAN M. DUKES, ANDRE Program Worker I Metrocast KS Commission for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired 9030 Route 108 300 SW Oakley Columbia, MD 21045 Biddle Building, 1st Floor Topeka, KS 66606 DUNCAN, BARLENE Information Specialist ERICKSON, MARY ANN National Information Center on DeafBlindness Coordinator Gallaudet University N'IlD Telecommunications Center Washington, DC 20002 National TechniCal Institute for the Deaf Mark Ellingson Hall, Room 1030 DUNN, SALLY One Lomb Memorial Drive Office Services Supervisor Rochester, NY 14623 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University ERTING, CAROL Washington, DC 20002 Director Culture & Communication Studies EDWARDS, ANNE Gallaudet Research Institute Equal Opportunity Specialist Gallaudet University U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Washington, DC 20002 112 Sunnyside Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 ESTES, CHARLES G D-partment of Human Services EICHELBERGER, M. J. 8308 NW 35th Vice President-Operations Bethall, OK 73008 Illinois Telecommunications Access Corp. P. 0. Box 64509 ESTHER, DIANNA Chicago, IL 60664 Area Manager, Federal Docket Management Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. DORETrA 1010 Pine, Room 1520 TDD Staff liaison St. louis, MO 63101 Illinois Commerce Commission 527 East Capitol Avenue FARRAND, WILLIAM PARKER Springfield, IL 62706 Computer Specialist HUD EMMANUEL, DILLIP 451 Seventh Street, SW System Engineer Washington, DC 20410 Integrated Microcomputer Systems, Inc. 2 Research Pike FETrER, STEVEN M. Rockville, MD 20850 Commissioner Michigan Public Service Commission ENDERS, MARILYN 6545 Mercantile Way-P.O. Box 30221 Senior Captioning Production Specialist Lansing, MI 48909 National Technical Institute for the Deaf One Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623

211 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

FINK, BARBARA GERLIS, IRA 3009 Decatur Avenue Independent Living Counselor Kensington, MD 20895 Division of Rehabilitation Services Office for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired FOSTER, RICHARD W. 4324 Markham Street Service Manager-Special Networks Planning Little Rock, AR 72205 Illinois Bell Telephone Company 225 W. Randolph--HQ26D GIASSMAPI, MARTIN S. Chicago, IL 60606 Research Scientist Siemens Corporate Research FRANKE, STEVE 105 College Road East Supervisor Princeton, NJ 08540 Consumer & Directory Services Cincinnati Bell Telephone GOLDBERG, LARRY 201 East 4th Street-Bldg. 102.139 Director Cincinnati, OH 45206 The Caption Center 125 Western Avenue. GARCIA, MBA) F. Boston, MA 02134 Research Technician Gallaudet Research Institute GRIER, DARYL Gallaudet University Assistant Staff Manager-Regulatory Washington, DC 20002 Wisconsin Bell, Inc. 722 North Broadway, 9th Floor GARNER, K. C. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 District Manager Bellcore GROSSMAN, MICHAEL 290 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue,Room LCC-2B.252 Production Coordinator Livingston, NJ 07039 The Caption Center 125 Western Avenue GANONI, CHARLIE Boston, MA 02134 Baron Data 1700 Marina Boulevard GUERRIERI, VINCE P. 0. Box 2193 Manager San Leandro, CA 94577 Bell Atlantic, NSS 2101 L Street, NWRoom 510 GENDEL, JOSHUA M. Washington, DC 20037 Director Technical Services Department HAAS, JOYCE NY League for the Hard ofHearing 120 Antler Road 71 West 23rd Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 New York, NY 10010 HAGOPIAN, HAROLD M. GEORGE, ROBIN A. Official Court Reporter Tour Guide United States District Court Federal Bureau of Investigation 202 Harlow Street 10th & Pennsylvania Ave.,NW P. 0. Box 1007 Washington, DC 20535 Bangor, Maine 04401 List of Conference Participants

HAINES, CHARLES HENRY, PAMEIA V. Professor of English Total Communication Teacher Carleton University White Oak School Room 302, Administration Building 4801 Leefield Road Ottawa, Ontario Baltimore, MD 21234 CANADA K1S 5B6 HEPPNER, CHERYL HAIRSTON, ERNEST E. Outreach Specialist Educational Program Specialist VA Dept. for Deaf & Hard of Hearing U.S. Department of Education 664 Seldon Drive Office of Special Education Programs Winchester, VA 22601 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202 HIRSH, ANNE IL Human Factors Consultant HALL, ANNA S. Job Accommodation Network Caption Club Coordinator West Virginia University National Captioning Institute 809 Allen Hall, P.O. Box 6122 5203 Leesburg Pike Morgantown, WV 26505 Fails Church, VA 22041 HOEWING, LINCOLN HAMILTON, CONNIE Director OSD Operator Bell Atlantic AT&T Operator Services 1310 N. Court House Road, 10th Floor 725 13th Street, NW, Room 701 Arlington, VA 22201 Washington, DC 20005 HOIDEN-PM, USA HARDING, RONALD N. Research Associate Associate Manager Gallaudet Research Institute BellSouth Services Gallaudet University 2121 8th Avenue N. Washington, DC 20002 Birmingham, AL 35203 HOLLER, JAN HARKINS, JUDITH E. US West Director 6200 South Quebec Technology Assessment Program Englewood, CO 80111 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University HOOD, CAROL E. Washington, DC 20002 Graduate Student Gallaudet University HARTMAN, MICHAEL Washington, DC 20002 Personnel Staffing Specialist U.S. Department of Health & Human Services HOSKINSON, FLOYD A. 200 Independence Avenue, SW DPR Specialist Room 536E-Humphrey Building AT&T Washington, DC 20201 3201 Jermantown Rd., #4A Fairfax, VA 22030 HATLEY, RONALD G. External Relations Manager HUGHES, PAM AT&T National Special Needs Center TDD Project Coordinator 2001 Route 46, Suite 300 Dept. of Social & Health Services Parsippany, NJ 07054.1315 12th & Franklin; MS: OB42A Olympia, WA 98504 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

HYSSONG, PHIL KARCHMER, MICHAEL Executive Producer Dean Lutheran Television & Media Productions Graduate Studies and Research 7400 Augusta, Box 24S Gallaudet University River Forest, IL 60305 800 Florida Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 JAMES, ROBERT Senior Electronics Engineer KAY, FRED M. Federal Communications Commission Director 1919 M Street, NW Bell Atlantic Washington, DC 20554 1310 N. Courthouse Road Arlington, VA 22201 JENSEMA, CARL J. Senior Research Scientist KENT, CHERYL Techno.- zr Assessment Program Department of Housing and Urban Development Gallaudet h.f..:.4.arch Institute 451 7th Street, SW Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20410 Washington, DC 20002 KIGHT, E. H. JEPSEN, PETER LEE President Real-Time Captioning Consultant Stenograph Corporation Xscribe Corporation 7300 Niles Center Road P.O. Box 585 Skokie, IL 60077 Fairmont, MN 56031 KINBBRG, ROBERT JOHNSON, RICHARD K. Vice President National Institute on Disability Power International, Inc. and Rehabilitation Research 2127 Espey Court U.S. Department of Education Crofton, MD 330 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20202 KING, CHARLES M., JR. Executive Vice President & General Manager JOHNSON, ROBERT East AFzension Telephone Co., Inc. Research Editor 913 S. Burnside Avenue Gallaudet Research Institute Gonzales, LA 70737 Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20002 KING, HEATHER Manager JORDAN, CLAY C. Advanced Telephone, Inc. Deaf Advocate 913 S. Burnside Avenue 47 Old Neck Road Gonzales, LA 70737 Scarborough, Maine 04074 KING, SUSAN J. KAPLAN, HARRIET Coordinator of Research Data Systems Department of Audiology Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20002 Washington, DC 20002

214 226 List of Conference Participants IIIIMMil

KIRK, EDWARD J. IA BROSSE, DAN Manager Graduate Student Bell Atlantic Rehabilitation Counseling 1310 North Court House Road, 3rd Floor Gallaudet University Arlington, VA 22201 Washington, DC 20002

ILEBERG, MARCELLUS A. IAUEtlt, FRANCINE Offtet Stripper Rights Representative U.S. Government Printing Office Division of Deaf and Deafened 3307 Ferndale Street 309 N. Washington Square, Box 30015 Kensington, MD 20895 Lansing, MI 48909

BIM, BEAT LAYNG, SANDERSON Vice President President Swiss Federation of the Deaf The Canadian Captioning Development Agency, Inc. Weissenrainstrasse 52 95 Barber Greene Road, Suite 208 CH-8707 Uetikon Toronto, Ontario SWITZERLAND CANADA

KONIGSBERG, IRA LEARY, KAREN NEALE 2770 W. 5th Street Program Director Brooklyn, NY 11224 Ingraham Volunteers, Inc. 74 Elm Street KOONTZ, JACK Portland, ME 04064 Washington County Deaf Net Association, Inc. P.O. Box 2619 LEE, CHARLES C. Hagerstown, MD 21740 Project Manager Trace R & D Center KOONTZ, PEGGY 1500 Highland Avenue Washington County Deaf Net Association, Inc. Madison, WI 53705 P.O. Box 2619 Hagerstown, MD 21740 LETCHER, ELEANOR K. Executive Director KORRES, ELLIE CONTACT of Mercer County, NJ Research Assistant 320 Sullivan Way--CN-535 Technology Assessment Program Trenton, NJ 08525 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University LOPEZ, CARMEN M. Washington, DC 20002 DPR Staff Manager AT&T KOZHA- SPYTEK, LINDA 3201 Jermantown Rd., #4A Research Assistant Fairfax, VA 22030 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University LOWE, ANDREW H. Washington, DC 20002 Computer Programmer U.S. Environmental Protection Agency KRONGOLD, RALPH 401 M Street, SW President Washington, DC 20460 Krown Research, Inc. 10371 West Jefferson Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232

215,227 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

LUCEtRO, DAN MATEISKI, STAN National Captioning Institute Director 5203 Leesburg Pike Office of Sponsored Programs Falls Church, VA 22041 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University LUKALA, FREDA Washington, DC 20002 Manager of Operator Services Edmonton Telephone MAYES, JULIA 10044 108th Street Gallaudet Ambassador-- Visitor's Center Edmonton, Alberta Gallaudet University CANADA T5J 3S7 9249 Three Oaks Drive Silver Spring, MD 20901 LUPO, FRANCES 22-10 80th Street, Apt. 3D MAZUR, JOSEPH East Elmhurst, NY 11370 Executive Director Catskill Center for Independence, Inc. MADAY, DANIEL E. Rt. 23, Southside--P.O. Box 1247 Special Assistant Oweowta, NY 13820 GSA - Board of Contract Appeals 18th & F Streets, NW-Room 7210 McCANN, JO ANN Washington, DC 20405 Educational Program Specialist Office of Special Education Programs MALCOLM, RICHARD U.S. Department of Education LAD Representative 4030 Chesapeake Drive Louisiana Association of the Deaf Edgewater, MD 21037 11413 Moultrie Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70817 McCLOSKY, LARRY Coordinator for Disabled MARCUS, SHIRLEY E. Carleton University Director Room 302, Administration Building Maryland Energy AssistanceProgram Ottawa, Ontario 311 W. Saratoga Street, Room 221 CANADA K1S 5B6 Baltimore, MD 21201 WASH, CINDY MARKEL, RON Washington County DeafNet Association,Inc. Washington County DeafNetAssociation, Inc. P.O. Box 2619 P.O. Box 2619 Hagerstown, MD 21740 Hagerstown, MD 21740 MENTER, scow F. MARQUIS, JEANNE GLIDDI3N Instructional Television/Media Specialist Education Resources Coordinator Louisiana School for the Deaf National Information Centeron Deaf-Blindness P.O. Bux 3074 Gallaudet University Baton Ronge, LA 70821 Washington, DC 20002 MENZEL, 01TO J. MARTIN, JANICE Route 4 Executive Director 371 TVA Road South Frederick County Services Bristol, TN 37620 for the Hearing Impaired,Inc. P.O. Box 3104 Frederick, MD 21701

216 List of Conference Participants

MESSERLY, JUNE L MORRIS, L R. Director, Deaf Services Professor CONTACT Harrisburg Carleton University P.O. Box 2328 Colonel By Drive Harrisburg, PA 17105 Ottawa, Ontario CANADA K1S 5B6 METZ, KM Graduate Assistant MORRIS, REBECCA Technology Assessment Program Department of Housing and Urban Development Gallaudet Research Institute 451 7th Street, SW Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20410 Washington, DC 20002 MORRIS, ROBERT MILES, EDWARD Professor of Engineering Program & Services Coordinator Carleton University Catskill Center for Independence, Inc. Room 302, Administration Building Rt. 23, Southside Ottawa, Ontario P.O. Box 1247 CANADA K1S 5B6 Oweowta, NY 13820 MORRIS, SUSAN C. MILLER, JEANNE Field Representative Independent Living Supervisor Nebraska Commission for the Hearing Impaired Division of Rehabilitation Services 3223 North 45th Street Office for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired Omaha, NE 68104 P.O. Box 3781 Little Rock, AR 72203 MORRISON, DAN Science Applications International MILLS, ROBERT 135 Old Solomons Island Road Electronic Industries Foundation Annapolis, MD 21401 Suite 700 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW MOSS, GREG Washington, DC 20006 Computer Prompting Corporation 3408 Wisconsin Avenue, NW MIZELL, CHARLES M. Washington, DC 2001u 4103 Wynnwood Drive Annandale, VA 22003 MUDD, KATHLEEN L Project Director MOLCHAN, JOHN Jacksonville Community Center for the Deaf District Manager-New Product Management 907 West Superior AT&T Jacksonville, IL 62650 295 North Maple Ave., Room 221963 Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 MUTTON, RUSS Director of Instructional Media MOORE, MARILYN Carleton University Supervisor Room 302, Administration Building Michigan Public Service Commission Ottawa, Ontario P.O. Box 30221 CANADA K1S 5B6 Lansing, MI 48909

229 217 Speed, to text: Today and Tomorrow

NEWBURGER, SUSAN OLIA, FATEMEH Program Development Specialist Assistant Professor Professional and Community TrainingPrograms Department of Educational Technology The National Academy Gallaudet University Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20002 Washington, DC 20002 OTIS, WILLIAM D. NEZZO, CAROL Coordinator, R & D Analyst Columbus State Community College U.S. Congress Office of TechnologyAssessment 550 East Spring Street, Box 1609 Washington, DC 20510 Columbus, OH 43216

NIEMI, JAMES ERNEST PAINTER, LEE W. Computer Systems Analyst 1410 Chowan Road Health Care Financing Administration Richmond, VA 23229 1577 Crofton Parkway Crofton, MD 21114 PAWN, ROBERT Selective Technologies, Inc. NIX STEPHEN C. 10 Bricketts Mill Road Equal Opportunity Specialist Hampstead, NH 03841 IBM Corporation P.O. Box 12195 D664/B205 PEACE, WILLIAM H. Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Director North Carolina Commission for the HearingImpaired NOMEIAND, RONALD IL Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services Professor & Chair P. 0. Box 26053 Department of Educational Technology Raleigh, NC 27611 Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20002 PERKINS, MADELAINE P. Project Director NORWOOD, CYNTHIA H. Utah Association for the Deaf Assistant to the Commission 388 North 400 East, #218 VA State Corporation Commission Bountiful, Utah 84010 P. 0. Box 1197 Richmond, VA 23209 PERRY, NANCY T. Consumer Affairs Manager O'BRIEN, DENNIS T. C & P Telephone Planning Manager, Special Needs Systems 1 East Pratt Street, 7-E IBM Baltimore, MD 21202 P.O. Box 1328 Boca Raton, FL 33432 PERRY, PAT Associate Director O'DONOGHUB, LIZANN NYNEX Staff Specialist 120 Bloomingdale Road AT&T White Plains, NY 10706 201 3rd !et, Room 1150 San Francisco, CA 94103 PHILLIPS, L E. ManagerIssues Management BellSouth Corporation 1155 Peachtree Street, Room 19G03 Atlanta, GA 303676000

218 230 List of Conference Participants

PREZIOSO, CARLENE RIGBY, JOYCE C. Research Associate Staff Member Culture & Communication Studies Applied Concepts Corporation Gallaudet Research Institute 107 North Kent Street Gallaudet University Suite 200 Washington, DC 20002 Winchester, VA 22601

PRICK1rIT, HUGH ROANE, BERNICE V. Director, Center on Deafness Manager Western Maryland College AT&T Operator Services Westminster, MD 21157 725 13th Street, NW, Room 701 Washington, DC 20005 RADFORD, BRENDA L DPR Clerk ROBBINS, CURT AT&T Assistant Professor 3201 Jermantown Road, Room 4-B Department of Educational Technology Fairfax, VA 22030.2885 Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20002 RAFIQ, WANDA M. Computer Programmer /Analyst ROBINSON, GLOI :A J. Federal Emergency Management Agency Staff Manager 5321 Riggs Road Bell Atlantic Gaithersburg, MD 20879 1310 N. Court House Road Arlington, VA 22201 RAMOS, DAVID Selective Technologies, Inc. RODGERS, DOROTHY C. 10 Bricketts Mill Road 47 Old Neck Road Hampstead, NH 03841 Scarborough, Maine 04074

RANDALL, ANTHONY T. ROSEN, RICHARD F. Executive Director Director Michigan Association for Deaf, Hearing and Speech CAPCOM, Inc. Services 5010 Wisconsin Avenue, NW--Suite 118 724 Abbott Road Washington, DC 20016 East Lansing, MI 48823 ROSEN, ROSLYN G. REBKX, JUDY Dean Director, Special Projects College for Continuing Education The Canadian Hearing Society Gallaudet University 271 Spadina Road Washington, DC 20002 Toronto, Ontario M5R 2V3 CANADA ROTHMAN, CINDY Computer Programmer Analyst RIELY, CYNTHIA Internal Revenue Service Consumer Liaison Pennsylvania Avenue & 12th Street, NW Maryland People's Counsel Washington, DC 20224 231 East Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21202 ROURKE, ROBERT F. Computer Programmer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2500 First Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

219 Speech to Text: Today and Tomorrow

RUPP, SUSAN SEEGER, MARK Representative Program Specialist US West Texas Commission for the Deaf 339 South Downing Street P.O. Box 12904, Capitol Station Denver, CO 80209 Austin, TX 78701.2904

RUSSO, JOANNE SERVELLON, CESAR Speech Pathologist Physician Bergen County Board of Special Programs 761 Delaware Avenue, SW Prospect Avenue Washington, DC 20024 Midland Park, NJ SHERMAN, RENEE RYAN, ELIZABETH Project Director Department of Housing and Urban Development Pelavin Associates 451 7th Street, SW 1300 N Street, NW, `juite 500 Washington, DC 20410 Washington, DC

SAFER, NANCY D. SHUART, ADELE K. Director, Division of Educational Services Client Assistance Program Specialist Office of Special Education Programs Division of Vocational Rehabilitation U.S. Department of Education 501 St. Paul Street, Suite 1308 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Baltimore, MD 21202 Washington, DC 20202.2644 SIKORSKI, STAN SCHEFFEL, ROBERT E. Sales Manager Chairperson of TDAP AdvisoryCommittee Krown Research, Inc. Public Utility Commission 10371 West Jefferson Boulevard Labor & Industries Building Culver City, CA 90232 Salem, OR 97310.0335 SIAGER, RONALD D. scram, DEBORAH Vice President Bellcore HARC Mercantile, Ltd. 445 South Street HAC of America Morristown, NJ P.O. Box 3055 Kalamazoo, MI 49003 SCHOOLEY, BRENDA 806 Fairmount Avenue SMALLEY, CAROL Atlantic City, NJ 08401 Executive Director CONTACT 609 SCHWARTZ, DAVID M. 1050 N. Kings Highway Computer System Analyst Programmer Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 United States Government 7308 Layton Drive SMITH, DOTII Springfield, VA 22150 Gallaudet Research Institute Gallaudet University SOOTF, JEWEL Washington, DC 20002 Assistant Manager AT&T Operator Services SMITH, FRANK 725 13th Street, NW, Room 701 Stenograph Corporation Washington, DC 20005 320 Canterwood Lane Great Falls, VA 22066 List of Conference Participants

SMITH, W. LEON STEEL, JAMES Executive Board Member Chief Engineer Washington Area Group for Phone TTY, Inc. the Hard of Hearing, Inc. 202 Lexington Ave,we 14109 Burning Bush Lane Hackensack, NJ 07601 Silver Spring, MD 20906 STEEVER, GAIL SOFINSKI, BRUCE Director of Public Relations TDD Programs Coordinator Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. VA Dept. for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing 814 Thayer Avenue 101 N. 14th Street Silver Spring, MD 20910 James Monroe Building, 7th Floor Richmond, VA 23219.3678 STERN, VIRGINIA W. Director SOM, DUD Project on Science, Technology, & Disability Computer Prompting Corporation American Association for Advancement of Science 3408 Wisconsin Avenue, NW 1333 H Street, IsiW Washington, DC 20016 Washington, DC 20005

SONNENSTRAHL, ALFRED STROUP, FRIEDA L Executive Director Special Education Teacher Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. Montgomery County Public Schools 814 Thayer Avenue 11513 Lockwood Drive, #7 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Silver Spring, MD 20904

SONNENSTRAHL, EDWARD SUEDA, RETHA A. 2225 West 106th Street Electronic Engineer New York, NY 10025 9276 Pirates Cove Columbia, MD 21046 SOUKUP, BENJAMIN Executive Director SUMBRY, GIADYS Communication Services for the Deaf Department of Housing and Urban Development 3520 Gateway Lane 451 7th Street, SW Sioux Falls, SD 57106 Washington, DC 20410

SPANNER, MICHAEL SUMER, CHARLES Head of Telecommunications Marketing Representative Royal National Institute for the Deaf Xscribe Corporation 105 Gower Street 7833 Walker Drive--Suite 317 London, ENGLAND Greenbelt, MD 20770

STARK, BILL TAIILOR, AMIE Director of Community Service Computer Programmer Programs for the Deaf and the Blind U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SC School for the Deaf and the Blind 2500 First Street, NW Cedar Spring Station Washington, DC 20001 Spartanburg, SC 29302 TERRARIZINO, ANNA Phone TTY 202 Lexington Avenue Hackensack, NJ 07601

221 233 Speecb to Text: Today and Tomorrow

THOMAS, CHERYL ULLRICH, DAN Director 5835 Banning Place Communication Center for the Deaf Burke, VA 22015 4001 Fitzhugh Avenue Richmond, VA 23230 VALISH, MARVIN J. Board Member -Chairperson THORMAN, BEVERLY A. Washington Area Group for the Staff Manager Hard of Hearing, Inc. AT&T 2729 Washington Avenue 201 3rd Street, Room 1150 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 San Francisco, CA 94103 VERLINDE, RUTH THORSON, JOYCE Captioning Coordinator Customer Service National Technical Institute for theDeaf HARC Mercantile, Ltd. One Lomb Memorial Drive HAC of America Rochester, NY 14623.0887 P.O. Box 3055 Kalamazoo, MI 49003 VIRVAN, BARBARA Research Associate TINGLEY, JUDY Technology Assessment Program Ultratec, Inc. Gallaudet Research Institute 6442 Normandy Lane Gallaudet University Madison, WI 53719 Washington, DC 20002 TOBIAS, JIM WANDALL, FRANKIE N. Bellcore 103 Bailey Road 445 South Street Yorktown, VA 23692 Morristown, NJ 07960 WEINER, FRED S. TREMAINE, KENNETH Special Assistant to the ExecutiveDirector Media/AV Director National Association of the Deaf Lexington School for the Deaf 814 Thayer Avenue 30th Avenue & 75th Street Silver Spring, MD 20910 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 WEINSTOCK, ROBERT TRIANTAFELL, ELENI Coordinator, Information Services Student National Information Centeron Deafness Gallaudet University Gallaudet University Washington, DC 20002 Washington, DC 20002 TSENG, IRENE W13ITZ, STEPHAN A. Assistant Professor President Department of Mathematics &Computer Science Sawtech Communications Inc. Gallaudet University 70.50 Austin Street Washington, DC 20002 Forest Hills, NY 11375

TURNER, JAYNE WELLER, DAVID Ultratec, Inc. Bellcore 6442 Normandy Lane 445 South Street Madison, WI 53719 Morristown, NJ

222 2 3 List of Conference Participants

WELLS, VERA F. WISDOM, CAROL Director Graphic Designer Audience Services Federal Reserve Board NBC 20th and Constitution 30 Rockefeller Plaza-Room 2555 Washington, DC 20551 New York, NY 10112 WOLF, JUDITH WESTIAND, JOAN Market Development Manager Executive Director Stenograph Corporation Canadian Council on Deafness 7300 Niles Center Road 116 Lisgar Skokie, IL 60077 Ottawa, Ontario CANADA WOOLSEY, JANE 6927 Leameadow WHITE, JOHN Dallas, DC 75248 Regional Manager Info Media YADAV, PRADEEP K. 7700 Leesburg Pike Research Engineer Falls Church, VA 22043 Department of Audiology Gallaudet University WHITNEY, JAMES E. Washington, DC 20002 Electrical Engineer Center for Auditory & Speech Sciences YEH, JOHN Gallaudet Research Institute President Gallaudet University Integrated Microcomputer Systems, Inc. Washington, DC 20002 2 Research Place Rockville, MD 20850 wirer, RICHARD J. The Chicago Otology Group YELL FANNY 950 York Road Product Manager Hinsdale, IL 60521 Integrated Microcomputer Systems, Inc. 2 Research Place WILLIAMS, JO Rockville, MD 20850 Manager Audiology Technical Assistance Section ZUBACIC, JOHN IL American SpeechLanguageHearing Association Technical Specialist 10801 Rockville Pike AT&T Rockville, MD 20852 3201 Jermantown Road, Room 4C Fairfax, VA 22030.2885 WILSON, JOHN Computer Programmer Analyst HUD 451 Seventh Street, SW Washington, DC 20410

223 235 Gallaudet University, in Washington, DC, is theworld's only liberal arts university for deaf students.In addition to offering on- campus educationalprograms from the preschool to doctoral levels, Gallaudet isan internationally recognized center for research,program development, and consultation related to deafness and hearing lost. Gallaudet University isan equal opportunity employer/educational institution. Programsand services offered by Gallaudet receive substantial financialsupport from the U.S. Department of Education.