Telecom relay service companies need more money from the intersta...
Telecom relay service companies need more money from the interstate TRS fund to improve outreach to people with speech problems, said Commissioner Monica Martinez of Michigan’s Public Service Commission. In a letter Wednesday to acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps,…
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Martinez said TRS fund reimbursement rates are “failing to keep pace” with the need to educate potential speech-to-speech users. “Although the program potential is immense, without outreach and training, many Speech Disabled citizens with a need for STS telecommunications are not accessing the technology on a regular basis,” she said. “Without adequate reimbursement, companies are not able to offer multiple training sessions to STS users, lessening the probability that affected persons will use the technology.” Lawrence Brick of Pennsylvania’s TRS advisory board asked the FCC, in a comment filed Tuesday, to explore ways to reach out nationally to those with disabilities. “Because of the diversity among those with speech impairment and because the causes of speech impairment are so varied … these speech impaired people do not share a strong bond of support like members of the deaf community who share a common bond because of similar experiences, culture, language, and coping strategies which brings them together to advocate as a group,” Brick said. “Because of such diversity among those with speech impairment, it is critical to find ways to reach out to them, perhaps via the medical establishments, speech therapy clinics, hospitals, etc. to educate them” about speech-to-speech relay technology.