Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
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Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing A Comparative Study of Video Interpreting (IV) Systems in the US, Norway and Sweden Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing A Comparative Study of Video Interpreting (IV) Systems in the US, Norway and Sweden Hilde Haualand Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research, Norway Hjälpmedelsinstitutet The Swedish Institute of Assistive Technology (SIAT) © 2010 The Swedish Institute of Assistive Technology (SIAT) (Hjälpmedelsinstitutet, HI) and Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research Figures 2, 5 and 9 were made by Hilde Haualand. Other photos and illustrations are used with courtesy of the source noted in the Figure text. Author: Hilde Haualand (Fafo) Project Manager: Andreas Richter (SIAT) Information Officer: Anna Karbin-Lund (SIAT) Layout: Ordförrådet AB URN:NBN:se:hi-2010-103102 (pdf) Order number: 103102-pdf This publication is only published in English and in electronic form. It can be downloaded in PDF from the SIAT website: www.hi.se/publicerat. Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables 6 Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 9 Basic Description of Video Interpreting 10 Background on the US, Sweden and Norway 14 USA 18 Sweden 31 Norway 41 Final Comments 48 Regulations, Website Resources and Other References 51 References 53 Appendix 1: Overview of video interpreting services in Germany, USA, UK, Sweden and Norway 56 5 Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: Video interpreting (Kommunikationsmyndigheten PTS, www.pts.se) 10 Video Remote Interpreting 18 Figure 3: VP-200 from Sorenson VRS (www.sorensonvrs.com) 26 Figure 4: P3 from Purple (www.purple.us) 26 Figure 5: Video interpreting service system in Sweden 31 Figure 6: MyMMX (www.nwise.se) and Allan eC (www.omnitor.se) 37 Figure 7: VT 8882 (www.vt8882.se) 37 Figure 8: TM-9000 (www.tm9000.se) 37 Figure 9: Video interpreter service system in Norway 41 Figure 10: Tandberg 150 (www.tandberg.com) 44 Table 1: Countries with VI trials (ETSI 2009) 13 6 Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Acknowledgements Most of the information in this report is from materials and sources I have gathered during my currently ongoing PhD research on the interaction be- tween technology and politics regarding video interpreting services in the US, Sweden and Norway. I have visited many institutions and met numer- ous people that have been invaluable in helping me understand the political, legal and financial complexity that is embedded in a seemingly transparent and simple service. The list of these people is too long to mention them all. My warmest thanks to Jessica Hansen, National Insurance Agency (NAV), Norway; and Johnny Kristensen, Örebro county interpreter service, Sweden, for provision of updated statistics; and to Jeff McWhinney (Significan’t, UK), Andrea Drögemüller and Sabine Broweleit (Tess-Relay, Germany) for provid- ing information about the video interpreting systems in the United Kingdom and Germany. Sissel Gjøen, Norwegian Association of the Deaf (NDF) and Stig Kjellberg, Swedish Association of the Deaf (SDR) have shared their respective national association of the Deaf’s view of the video interpreting services in their countries. Thor Nielsen (nWise, Sweden) has given patient and friendly answers to numerous minor questions and Al Sonnenstrahl has provided nuanced corrections of my description of the video interpreting system in the US. I also want to thank Miles Goldstick for his insightful com- ments and for proofreading. With the assistance of all these people, I hope misguided information has been eliminated, but if there is still any incorrect information in the report, the responsibility is mine alone. Last but not least, I want to thank Robert Hecht at the Swedish Post and Tel- ecom Agency (PTS) and Andreas Richter at the Swedish Institute of Assistive Technology (HI) for providing the same kind of assistance as all those men- tioned above, as well as for giving me an opportunity to clarify and sort out basic aspects of the complex material I already had. This process has given me new perspectives on the material that I can use for my continued research. Oslo, September 24, 2010 Hilde Haualand 7 Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Terminology Videophone: Equipment for live video conversations used to access the video interpreter or for conversations to another videophone. Video Interpreting (VI): or interpreting via videophone: General term for all interpreter services via videophones. Video Relay Service (VRS): Relaying/interpreting telephone calls. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI): Interpreting situations where the Deaf and hearing persons are at the same location and the inter- preter is in a different. Community Interpreting: A situation where the sign language inter- preter is physically present. Video Interpreter: A sign language interpreter providing services via videophones. (Call Assistant, CA, Operator.) Legend – Figures 2, 5, and 9 Blue: legislation and regulations Purple: public authorities with legal mandate Yellow: institutions, documents or organisations with consultative status Orange: financial sources Green: VI service providers Pink: videophones/end users 8 Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Introduction Video interpreting (VI) services are a unique combination of human and technological resources, and have been established in several countries over the last 1-2 decades. Depending on the definition or view of the service, it is a tool to access a telecommunication network in sign language and/or a tool for more effective access to and use of sign language interpreter services or both. The world’s first publicly regulated VI service was established in Sweden in 1997, only a few months before a similar service was established in Texas, USA. Today, VI services are provided in several countries, but only the US, Sweden and Norway have services that are partially or fully provided at no charge to end users, and are subject to public regulations. In coun- tries with different political, demographic, legal and economic foundations, the actual use and provision of VI services resemble each other. However, once the questions why, how and who is involved are asked, the differences abound. This report gives an overview of the VI systems in the US, Sweden and Norway, and explains how each system is organised in terms of legisla- tion, regulatory bodies and provision of the VI services and videophones. Initially, the process of VI is explained, as is the difference between video re- lay services (VRS) and video remote interpreting (VRI). Here, as in the entire report, the focus is on the regulations, organisation and use of VI services, with few, if any references to technical issues or specifications. A short over- view of VI provision in a selection of countries is given, before the VI systems in the US, Sweden and Norway are given full attention, starting with back- ground information on disability politics, the status of Deaf people and sign language, and regulation of interpreter services in these three countries. The VI systems in each country are described in one chapter each. Due to the dif- ferent ways of organising the services, the organisation of each chapter is not identical. Each chapter starts with a chart giving a quick overview of the sys- tems, actors involved and a short description of the political issues at stake. There are many more actors involved in provision of VI services in the US than in Sweden and Norway, and both the political and financial mechanisms are much more complicated. Therefore, more space is given to the US system than the VI systems in Norway and Sweden. Observed advantages and draw- backs of each country’s system are discussed at the end of each chapter. In the final comments, issues of managing sign language interpreter resources versus securing access to telecommunication, and challenges related to technological development are discussed. 9 Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Basic Description of Video Interpreting Regardless of the diverse regulations and ways of organizing services and provision of equipment in the three countries examined, the process of video interpreting is quite similar with regards to the practical use of human and technological resources. Figure 1: Video interpreting (Kommunikationsmyndigheten PTS, www.pts.se). The process of VI involves at least three persons: a Deaf (or hearing im- paired) person that uses sign language, a hearing person and a sign language interpreter. On the technological side VI involves a videophone, a studio where the interpreter works, which is equipped with a platform for com- munication with the videophone, a headset with a microphone to communi- cate with the hearing party and possibly some software to organize eventual queues and other operational necessities. The VI process usually starts with a Deaf person requesting an interpreter by calling the VI service with his or her videophone. If it is a request for an interpreter for a conversation or event where the Deaf and hearing person are located at the same place, this is called Video Remote Interpreting (VRI). 10 Provision of Videophones and Video Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing If it is a request for interpreting of a telephone call, it is called Video Relay Service (VRS). The organizational distinction between VRI and VRS may be very sharp (the US and Germany), or less articulated or emphasised (Sweden and Norway), partially depending on the scope and motivations to provide VI services. Video Remote Interpreting During a VRI process, the conversation parties will be at the same location, and only the interpreter will be physically located at another site.