By Stacey Baxter

For most people, calling into a company’s customer service line is rather simple – not always enjoyable, but the process to speak to someone is pretty straightforward. Even for individuals who do not speak English, most companies offer several language options in order to accommodate a diverse customer base. But for over half a million Americans, reaching a customer service agent in their primary language involves a much more windy and complicated road.

In the United States, over 500,000 individuals identify as Deaf or Hard of Hearing. For these individuals, their primary language is American Sign Language (ASL), a language communicated through hand movements and facial gestures, as opposed to spoken language. This form of communication inherently calls for an alternative process in order for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to access support over the phone. Before 1964, individuals who were Deaf or Hard of Hearing relied on family and friends in order to perform basic tasks over the phone, such as making a doctor’s appointment or calling a business. Thanks to a Deaf electronic scientist in 1964, the teletypewriter (TTY) service was invented and allowed individuals who were Deaf or Hard of Hearing to be able to communicate with others over the phone, using text instead of spoken language. Years later, TTY branched off to include relay service communication for those without the TTY technology on their phones. This relay system added a third person to the conversations who could be able to communicate TTY to an individual on the other line. Eventually, this form of relay communication service became the norm for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to be able to communicate with individuals without hearing disabilities. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, which included legislation making it mandatory for each state to have nationwide relay service that were available 24/7 in every state and territory. 

With the advancements of technology, this TTY relay service transitioned into Video Relay Service (VRS). This technology allows for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to use their primary language, ASL, to communicate over video with an interpreter, who then relays the message to the individual on the other end without hearing disabilities. This was a vast improvement from TTY service, as it allowed individuals with hearing related disabilities to communicate in ways that are most conducive and comfortable to them, as opposed to using text to communicate. Although the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dubbed VRS “functionally equivalent” to telephone service for individuals without disabilities, this updated form of communication still carries a burden for the individual who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. First, VRS requires a specific kind of technology in order to use it from an individual’s home. Secondly, relay communication services create privacy issues based on the need for a third party interpreter, and more than doubles the amount of time it takes to communicate, compared to communication without a middleman. This means that individuals who are already vulnerable members of society, are now subject to more vulnerabilities by having to include a third party into a conversation that opens to doors to confidential and personal information being shared. 

Today, in the year 2024, there are better and more efficient ways for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to communicate with those around them. Ways that do not include typing out every word in a conversation, and ways that do not include needing a third party relay service. Direct Video Calling (DVC) is an updated and more appropriate solution to communication avenues between individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and individuals without hearing disabilities. Unlike TTY and relay communication services, DVC allows individuals to communicate for themselves, in their primary language, in real-time with a ASL-fluent representative. Instead of needing a third party interpreter, DVC meets an individual who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing where they are at by communicating in ASL, over video. Individuals are able to communicate with a person on the other end who is trained in ASL and provides seamless communication in a way that encourages dignity, autonomy, and self respect. 

Direct Video Calling services are not only extremely effective, but they are preferred by individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. When the FCC incorporated DVC in 2014, they saw a three-fold increase in the number of calls they received from ASL-fluent callers and the number of people utilizing relay calls has basically disappeared. Organizations like Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) are dedicated to ensuring that as technology advances, outdated services are transformed into modern forms of communication, such as direct video calling, that greatly benefit all individuals, particularly those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. 

In the United States, a free market system allows companies to choose how they want to best support their customers, meaning that it is up to them if they want to include DVC in their customer service repertoire. However, when it comes to government agencies, the burden should not fall onto the individual who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing, particularly when there are efficient and reliable alternatives to relay services. Currently, only a few government agencies use the preferred DVC technology – U.S. Health and Human Services; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Federal Communications Commission; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Administration for Community Living; and the Census Bureau. There are over 400 government agencies in the United States and thousands of additional state agencies across the fifty states and U.S. territories, and yet only a fraction are using DVC to accommodate individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing – a community of over 500,000 people in the United States.

It is time for each and every state to adopt DVC and have ASL-proficient representatives support their Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government’ programs and services. If Americans without disabilities are able to communicate with state and government agencies in their primary language, and without the need for a third party interpreter, then individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing deserve the same rights and accommodations as everyone else. 

These services not only create needed jobs for individuals with disabilities, but it is also a less expensive way for state agencies to support vulnerable populations in their communities. DVC benefits everyone. It is 2024, the time is now for states to adopt DVC services and allow individuals with disabilities to be themselves, communicate for themselves, and maintain a level of autonomy that is guaranteed to each of us. 

Helpful Links to Learn More:

• FCC encourages entities in the public and private sectors to adopt DVC measures
• Learn more about CSD’s mission and their work
• CSD’s petition to the FCC to establish DVC as a relay service
• Senator Markey’s Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA) highlighting the importance of DVC