Category Archives: Editorials/Guest Blogs

Editorial #139: Open Up Sorenson Videomail! Unfair! Thanks from Dr. Z!

Thank you! Thank you! Many of you wrote to the FCC about the Sorenson videomail interoperability issue. It has to come from you as deaf and hard of hearing consumers. Let’s continue to remind the FCC about this inexcusable issue.

Why is this inexcusable? All VRS providers get public money to be sure the VRS service is functionally equivalent. Look here: Title IV of the ADA which is the law of the land says in part: “provide the ability for an individual who has a hearing impairment or speech impairment to engage in communication by wire or radio with a hearing individual in a manner that is functionally equivalent to the ability of an individual who does not have a hearing impairment.”

This is the law of the land. The FCC is letting Sorenson get away with this–the FCC is paying providers to provide functionally equivalent service. The other providers are absorbing the cost of videomail as part of the FCC reimbursement while Sorenson is saving money by not providing the service and they get the same monies from the FCC. Is this fair?

Dr. Z continues to be 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. (This is exactly the same thing I said a week ago.)

If we sit back and do nothing after we tell the FCC what we thought, the issue will die down.

The FCC is required by law to respond to our complaints. Let’s see what they say. In the meantime, keep the complaints coming.

Once again, thank you from Dr. Z!

Thanks for listening and please go ahead and file the complaint. (here’s the link.)

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

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

Editorial #138: Dr. Z Tells the FCC—Open Up Sorenson Videomail!

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

Editorial #138: VRS and the FCC – What is Coming Down the Pike?

This is a quick summary of what is happening at the FCC with respect to VRS and handled by the folks at the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) and other parties in the FCC.

As for VRS–there is a lot of things that are happening and a lot of this is still underway:

– rate cuts – they are still happening with cuts happening every 6 months; meaning less money for VRS companies to make their products better–
– speed of answer – the FCC is mandating very unreasonable requirements for answer time. This matter is of concern with ALL VRS companies. They have met with the FCC and asked for relief. The new requirements go into effect July 1, 2014. To date, the FCC has not acted on this and the VRS companies need to know because the new requirements require them to staff 20% to 25% more interpreters.
– neutral platform – the FCC has issued a RFP (request for proposal) for development of a neutral platform to be developed. We need to be sure the final product is deaf and hard of hearing friendly and meets our needs. As of now, there is no feedback mechanism yet for input of deaf/hard of hearing parties to any of the development efforts.
– interoperability–scream! scream! scream! and it’s still falling on deaf ears. No pun intended, but we have made it known to the FCC that we are NOT functionally equivalent when it comes to interoperability.
– marketing practices in the industry – scream! scream! scream! and it’s still falling on deaf ears (no need to mention who is who–we know who)
– new registration requirements – still waiting for action–the new rules have us concerned about privacy matters

There are a lot more matters floating around but the above is what is at the top of the consumer list.

Thanks for listening.

It is time for us to have our freedoms back once and for all. Functional equivalency is the key.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #137: ZVRS CEO Writes Letter to FCC Chairman on Sorenson Interoperability Issues

Sean Belanger, CEO of CSDVRS, LLC (ZVRS) has written a letter to the FCC laying out the situation of Sorenson’s practices as it pertains to interoperability-especially as it relates to videomail and address book porting. (link to letter)

In protest, ZVRS is asking deaf consumers with Sorenson devices to use ZVRS or any other provider when making VRS calls. To use ZVRS, dial 888-888-1116 from your Sorenson device and you will be able to make VRS calls.

Let’s hope the FCC will do something about this. Hearing people do not have interoperability issues with ATT, Verizon, etc.

You can file a complaint with the FCC on these practices. (link to file complaint)

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!).

Or dial 888-888-1116 from your Sorenson device to see how great our interpreters are!

Thank for for listening.

It is time for us to have our freedoms back once and for all.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #136: Dr. Z’s Letter to Santa Claus

Dear Santa,

I am a deaf gentleman – 68 years old, but I still believe in Santa Claus and love the gifts you give us. I am writing to ask for more gifts on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing community.

You have been great in the past years, giving us accessibility all the way from interpreters, to TTY’s, to closed captioning, and now to the video relay service.

The video relay service is a bit peculiar. The largest provider tries to portray themselves as Santa Claus, giving away a lot of devices “free” at a cost to the population of the United States who pay for the service from their monthly phone bills. At the same time, they do things to prevent those devices and the service from being fully accessible to everyone. A classic example is if one wants to port from them to any provider, they cannot port the address books (They keep it closed and to themselves.) In addition, if one using another provider were to leave a video message on their units, it will not work. One other example, if one user of their service enables “video block”, other providers trying to call those units will get a black screen, causing them to think something is wrong with their units. The practices of their installers/trainers in past years is something unheard of in American capitalism. (And they are doing this with the benefit of public funds!) The list goes on and on–one only need to read the filings at the FCC from the community on this subject.

I am asking you, Santa Claus, to drop down the FCC’s chimney on Christmas Eve and kneel before the powers that be at the FCC to open up the market, make video communication fully free-flowing and accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community. That would be the best gift we all would receive. I am sure the FCC folks will set aside some warm milk along with chocolate chip cookies to give you enough energy to distribute gifts to others around the world.

By the way, I could use an Apple App Store gift card so i can download apps to my heart’s content. This is my little shopping list. The big ticket item on my list is my request for a fully accessible and free-flowing video communication.

Please hug Mrs. Claus for me–behind every great man is a great woman–she will help us remind you of my request on behalf of all deaf and hard of hearing Americans.

Thank you for listening.

Phil Bravin (aka Dr. Z)

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Phil Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #135: ZVRS Meets With FCC on Sorenson Interoperability Issues-Enough is Enough!

On November 25, 2013, ZVRS met with FCC to lay interoperability issues on the table as it concerns Sorenson.

Everyone can leave videomail messages on their videophones EXCEPT Sorenson.

We CANNOT get address book lists from Sorenson devices when people switch providers via a port.

Sorenson has been doing this for years. They get public money and still do practices that do not promote the public interest–that is freedom of communication and access for deaf and hard of hearing people-this was the intent of the ADA–the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Sorenson is doing practices that do not promote freedom of communication among deaf and hard of hearing people. This is not proper–ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint for hearing people do not do things that border on fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD), while we deaf and hard of hearing people use a service that gets public money deal with fear, uncertainty and doubt by limiting our freedoms.

We implore the FCC to act on this.

You can read ZVRS’ filing. (link)

You can file a complaint with the FCC on these practices. (link)

By the way, if you need video communication (VP or VRS), why not try Z5, you will like it! Click here to get it! (See if you qualify to get a FREE tablet with a stand!).

Or dial 888-888-1116 from your Sorenson device to see how great our interpreters are!

Thank for for listening.

It is time for us to have our freedoms back once and for all.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #134: Guest Editorial on This Labor Day Weekend-The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Worship with your family.

Play with your children.

Take your partner out to dinner.

Spend time with good friends.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access and have a safe Labor Day weekend.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #133: Guest Editorial on This Independence Day-FDR’s Four Freedoms

This was an address FDR gave to Congress on January 6, 1941–still very true today…

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want — which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear — which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor– anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.

To that new order we oppose the greater conception — the moral order. A good society is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear.

Since the beginning of our American history, we have been engaged in change — in a perpetual peaceful revolution — a revolution which goes on steadily, quietly adjusting itself to changing conditions — without the concentration camp or the quick-lime in the ditch. The world order which we seek is the cooperation of free countries, working together in a friendly, civilized society.

This nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose.

To that high concept there can be no end save victory.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access and is humbled by his involvement in the first freedom (speech and expression — everywhere in the world) with his colleagues at ZVRS.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #132: FCC Issues VRS Order and Proposes New Rules–Will VRS Be The Same?

On Monday, June 10, 2013 the FCC after several years of study, issued an order and proposed new rules regarding how VRS should be structured and managed. The order and proposed rules run over 100 pages of fine print. Dr. Z took the opportunity to read through the document.

It has some good things and some things that require further thought and discussion.

Basically, it makes it possible and better for smaller VRS companies to be able to compete in today’s unbalanced VRS playing field, with Sorenson dominating 80% of the market. The more competition we have, the better VRS will be for deaf and hard of hearing consumers. But some of the rules have cause for concern. The FCC is going to give some work on VRS to third parties. We must be sure those third parties have insights and expertise on the deaf and hard of hearing community and be sensitive to cultural and communication issues. Dr. Z will look into this some more in the next few weeks and express his thoughts.

BOTTOM LINE: VRS is here to stay. The FCC has a mandate under the ADA to insure deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens have functionally equivalent communication access.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.

Editorial #131: Message to Sorenson: Stop Talking with a Forked Tongue!

The deaf community and the FCC are confused.

Sorenson is telling the FCC to please not cut rates or VRS will never be the same.

That’s because Sorenson is creating this mess.

While crying to the FCC not to cut rates and at the same time, behind the FCC’s back, Sorenson is giving away iPad’s, laptops and TV’s to consumers in an attempt to port them back. This has nothing to do with functional equivalence, but a pure attempt to steal customers from other providers. The other providers have no choice but to try to do those things to keep their customers. This giveaway is costing Sorenson money and at the same time, they’re telling the FCC not to cut rates–this is in effect using public money to subsidize the free equipment they’re throwing away at customers. Does this make sense?

The whole thing is insane–this has nothing to do with VRS as a service. Dr. Z hopes the FCC is listening. Public money for VRS needs to focus on VRS as a service–certified interpreters, quick answer time and interoperability should be the focus, not free stuff.

Thanks for listening.

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.

Disclaimer: Dr. Z is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.