Dr. Z gets this question all the time at town hall meetings and other events.

It is not necessary for point to point calls (deaf/hard of hearing to deaf/hard of hearing). This is what gives the FCC indigestion. All point to point calls using videophones are free. You should give your deaf and hard of hearing friends who use videophones a local number, not a 800/866 number.

For hearing people and others who live in the same local area as you, it is not necessary to use 800/866 numbers. Most local numbers are “free”, built in the monthly bill. Give them your local numbers. That will make them realize you live in the area.

The only case where you could give out 800/866 numbers is when you have hearing people calling you from out of town. This is really the only reason for 800/866 numbers. Also if you own a business, many customers like to call on 800/866 numbers.

Also, 800/866 are the same as 877 and 888 numbers.

Remember:

point-to-point–800/866 numbers are not necessary–a local number is best.
hearing callers in the same local area–800/866 numbers are not necessary–a local number is best.
hearing callers out of area or if you own a business–800/866 numbers can be useful

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Especially with software based applications such as the Z4, people have come to us asking which webcam they should use for their laptop or desktop.

What is a webcam? A webcam is a “web camera.” It is a camera used to communicate via video (like a dedicated videophone).

First things first—you always pay for what you get.

Second–Most laptops and netbooks today have built-in webcams-which means you do not have to buy a separate webcam.

Third-If you have a desktop, you need to buy a webcam from any of the providers usually at Best Buy or WalMart–the top 3 major providers of webcams are Creative, Microsoft and Logitech. They come in all forms and shapes and in different price ranges. Usually the recommendation is not to buy a cheap webcam, a mid priced-$35 and up would be Dr. Z’s recommendation. Most webcams can be returned (check your store’s return policy) if you feel the quality is not what you expect. The higher priced webcams tend to have better quality.

If you have a MacBook (Mac laptop) or an iMac, they all come with built in webcams which provide really good quality. If you have a desktop Mac (Mac Pro), you can add an Apple Cinema Display which also has a built-in webcam. The Apple webcams are called iSight. Some of the older Apple models do not have a built-in webcam so check first.

For the PC world, you have to check first as to whether the display (or monitor) has a built-in webcam. If it doesn’t, you would have to buy a webcam off the shelf. Most of the newer models with built-in webcams offer good quality for video communication.

The Z4 will locate the webcam automatically. If you have 2 webcams, you will need to select one using the Z4 configuration button under “video.”

The advantage of a laptop or netbook is its portability–you can carry it anywhere and use wifi or mifi to be able to communicate from wherever you want.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

We all have address books, calendars, checkbooks and all kids of important information that we carry around or save on our computers or videophones.

We often forget or neglect to do one important thing–backing up all of this in case something breaks or crashes.

What Dr. Z does for himself–he keeps everything online–on the web (or the “cloud” for all his key information, protected by passwords, of course.

Why does Dr. Z do this? He has been in the technology field for over 40 years and has been witness to many stories of disasters, lost information all those years.

Some videophones such as the VP-200 keep your information on the videophone–in cases where the videophone crashes or whatever–while waiting for the vendor to replace the videophone–where is the contact list–where is the address book? It is temporarily in a “black hole” while waiting for it to be replaced. And you won’t have access to it while waiting for it to be repaired or replaced.

Is there a solutiuon?

Of course–“My Contacts” offered by ZVRS on their website-www.zvrs.com

“My Contacts”, after you set up your profile, allows you to keep your contact list and phone numbers in a safe place. It is always on the web, so it won’t be lost. When you visit your friends and you need a phone number–just go to the web and pull up “My Contacts.”

When you have one of the Z-Phones (Z-150, Z-340, Z-Ojo and Z4), the contacts are automatically loaded down to the Z-Phones.

Peace of mind, guaranteed!

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclosure: Dr. Z is a contractor working with CSDVRS on several projects.

Ask Dr. Z-Which VRS company should I choose?

The answer is simple–when you buy something at the store, you pick the product that meets your needs and expectations.

When it comes to VRS, there are several things one needs to look at before deciding which company meets his or her needs.

First of all is quality of the interpreters–what is the quality of the interpreters interpreting the call.  Do they understand you with out asking you to repeat?  Are they certified? Do they try to relate to you or have a “flat” face?  It is usually very important to be able to relate to the interpreter to make calls productive.

Second of all is the quality and range of the videophone equipment–does the videophone have a clear connection?  Does it connect without going through a black screen? Do you have several videophones to choose from? Do any of the videophones meet your needs, rather than being stuck with one, that you have to change your behavior in making calls?  You should dictate the need, and select the videophone that matches your need.

Third of all is customer service–if you need questions answered, is there someone at the videophone or VRS company in customer service available to answer your questions?  Is there a representative from  the VRS company available to answer your questions and support you with your concerns?

If you feel your VRS provider is not meeting your needs, you can always change providers through something called porting.  Porting allows you to move your number from your old videophone to a new videophone and VRS provider that best meets your needs.  For more information on porting, you can click this link

Remember–you are the customer–you decide what is best for your needs, not the videophone or VRS company deciding for you..

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Ask Dr. Z-What is Porting? Can I move my old phone number from my old provider to a new provider?

A lot of questions have been floating around regarding porting.

What is it? and What is involved?

Porting means you can switch a phone number from one videophone provider to another provider. That means when it is enabled on the new phone, all calls will go to the new phone.

Customers have freedom to decide whether they want to change providers. When they decide to change, they need to port the number from the old videophone provider to the new videophone provider.

Customers control the phone number, not the videophone provider. They decide which provider is used for that number and the videophone provider cannot change or port the number without the approval (or consent) of the customer.

To make this possible, the customer needs to sign a LOA (Letter of Authorization) form that authorizes the new provider to get the number from the old provider.

Providers cannot threaten to, or disable a phone if a customer decides to port their number. The old videophone MUST remain 911 capable until the porting process is complete. That means the old provider MUST wait for the new phone to start working with the new provider before they disable the old phone.

If any of you experience different situations that are not the same as the above, you have every reason to file a complaint with the FCC. (Several people have already done so.)

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

As part of Dr. Z’s travels across the country, this question has come up in almost every city he goes to.

The answer is simple–most hotels and motels have firewalls as part of their router configuration which makes it difficult to process most videophone calls. There may be a way around it–ZVRS’ Z Connect may work in cases where there is no browser access required; but for the most part, it is not recommended.

In the event of an emergency in your hotel and motel room, you should not use your videophone to dial 911–use the hotel’s regular phone in the room–dial “911” and leave the phone off the hook–it should be suffiecient to get assistance from the first responder (police, fire, ambulance.) After dialing 911, and LEAVING your phone off the hook, go to the front desk to be sure they are aware of the emergency.

No one likes to talk about 911 situations–but one day, it may happen to you, so it is always good to be proactive.

1. Conversations are in real time, with little or no lag time

2. You can call a deaf person directly with a ten-digit number

3. There will be no confusion regarding gender (if the deaf person requests an interpreter with the same gender)

4. For unannounced calls, it makes it easier for the deaf/hard of hearing person to explain that he/she is talking through an interpreter

5. For VCO calls, the calls are handled with just one line (with certain providers such as ZVRS)

6. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

7. Most calls are answered within 20 seconds

8. The deaf/hard of hearing person can participate in conference calls.

9. Certain devices (such as the Z-150) have no problems with firewalls (they can traverse firewalls.)

10. You may not realize you are talking to a person who is deaf/hard of hearing!

What should one do in a emergency that requires a 911 call? Dial 911!

But how do you do it on a videophone device? Just dial 911 using the keypad as if you are dialing a phone. You will be connected to a VRS interpreter who will verify the address to be sure you are calling from the right location (in case you did not change your address on the profile on file with the VRS provider). The VRS interpreter will call the closest public safety access point (PSAP) and process the call interpreting your dialogue. In the case you are almost incapacitated and unable to communicate, the VRS interpreter will go ahead and call the closest PSAP to send help to your house.

Be mindful that in the case of a power failure, your VRS device, your cable or DSL modem and your router will not work. This is when you need to use a battery powered TTY and a regular phone line. So words to the wise–keep your regular phone line and old TTY available for cases like this. We all care!