Dr. Z is getting fed up. Why can’t we deaf and hard of hearing people be like our hearing counterparts. Our hearing family and friends can do a lot of things with their smartphones while we deaf and hard of hearing people use our phones through trial and error and not being sure if it works 100% of the time.

Because of this, Dr. Z has written a letter to the FCC (link) explaining his thoughts on why Sorenson is not allowing other people who use other providers that call Sorenson devices to leave a videomail message. This is not a broken record—it is all about EQUALITY (functional equivalence) and being like our hearing family and friends who can leave voicemail to anyone they call. While we can’t leave messages on Sorenson devices, Sorenson callers can leave messages on other provider’s devices. Deaf and hard of hearing people are calling on a one-way street while hearing people call on a two-way street. Is this fair?

If you don’t think this is fair, file a complaint to the FCC (here’s the link.) Just say in the complaint that you feel it is not fair not to be able to leave a videomail on Sorenson devices and ask the FCC to require this to happen

Let’s all mobilize together and make the FCC wake up on this important matter. Sorenson gets public money and they restrict this—does this make sense? Public money should promote, not restrict equality. Think about this.

Thanks for listening and please go ahead and file the complaint.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is associated with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Business Development