Saturday, June 02, 2007
True Costs Of Keeping VRS Alive
Doing what I did in this video is very proper by a true a deaf advocate and makes me a true patriot of the deaf communities that rely on interpreters.
Lots of deaf people fail to realize the VRS industry enjoyed their success at the expense of the deaf communities.
The VRS industry exacerbated interpreter shortages and the deaf communities paid a big price for it through loss of employment, loss of independence, loss of life, loss of safety, loss of freedom, and loss of justice.
I can go into the details of all these losses.
And I will do it and get loud and go straight to FCC and tell them the true costs borne by the deaf communities of keeping the VRS industry alive.
Richard
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very bitter... low class... very angry... you need to go for a therapy.
ReplyDeleteVRS have nothing to do with cause interpreter shortages. It was interpreter's decide, they rather work for VRS than else where. Blame it on interpreter not VRS.
ReplyDeleteHere I have a deaf woman, a scientist, who couldnt become an astronaut ( as in title ). Because of no interpreters were available to go to the NASA's Mojave Desert facility for her interview.
ReplyDeleteI also have a deaf man who remains behind bars because the court couldnt get interpreters for his trial at the San Diego courthouse. They pled him out for a 'lenient' sentence of 5 years for something he never did.
And in the Los Angeles Courthouse, I also witnessed with my own eyes two interpreters pleading with the judge to be excused for the afternoon so they can go to their VRS jobs. As if the VRS industry seemed more important than the rights of two deaf litigants.
And I have plenty more to share with the FCC.
Richard
I'm concerned about rates being cut. But, I don't give a shit about VRSCA because it is really Sorenson's evil means of luring users to Sorenson through deceptive bait-and-switch methodologies. This tactic is similar to Pepsi's corporation forming a consumer advocacy group and expecting Cola-Cola and other drinkers to join in the rally against governmental reform hurting the soft drinks industry. This needs an independent organization effort. Sorenson should be so ashamed.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen VRS lift a finger to help with the shortage? All I have seen them do is give away free equipment and snatch up interpretors. The reason the interpretors like VRS is because it is easy work with benefits and good pay. You don't get that stuff when doing in person interpreting as there is traffic, and many other things that push interpretors away from in person work.
ReplyDeleteNow if some one wants to run a VRI company I'm sure that would be great. You would have to ship the equipment ahead of time with may instructions on how to set it up. Then you would need to offer the interpretors the same kind of nice jobs that VRS offers with benefits and nice pay.
Do you have any idea what it would cost to setup this operation? And where would the funds come from? A simple solution would be for the VRS companies to do it. They already have the interpretors and the equipment, not to mention the experience in dealing with people that can't setup a VCR to save their life.
But then again who am I to comment. I am just a hearing person and not even an interpretor at that!. Well, I guess that leaves me out of the discussion, right?
Beth Koenig
[email protected]
Director of Deaf Blind Services
Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
Beth,
ReplyDeleteYou are not out of the discussion because you are hearing.
You are left out of the discussion because you work for Richard Roehm.
Have a nice Day,
Erick Ketcham
Beth is correct.
ReplyDeleteI havent seen anything like a VRS sponsored training program to produce more interpreters.
I haven't seen anything from the VRS industry to replace interpreters or share them with other areas that need interpreters.
I see Sorenson VRS begging the FCC not to touch the 'non-compete' clause. We all seen Sorenson VRS fightng against interoperability back then. I see Sorenson VRS playing Title 15 games against the other big 5 VRS providers.
I see Sorenson VRS balkanizing and dividing the deaf communities and giving the VRS industry a bad name.
Richard
I see you are in Orange County while I am in the Apple zone. There are no comparision in what you presented. Cost of keeping VRS alive has nothing to do with what interpreters do. 90 percent of what you say has no bearing. We know you're a fake. And, what you do is more dividing than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteVRI will be a great service
ReplyDeleteor it might be cheaper to just go buy a cellphone and continue with VRS
Richard,
ReplyDeleteYou're...
1) a big time bigot.
2) a fake.
3) an oppresser towards certain diverities in the Deaf community.
4) guilty for domestic violence (You had mentally, verbally and physically abused your own ex-wife)
5) been HAD!
All of the facts listed above are what we all know about you.
You give me eye sores every friggin time you post your vlog.
Now, get the hell out of OUR community! Jeez!
An anti-Richard Roehm
Erick, just because I work for someone, or at the same Agency. That does not mean I don't have my own opinions. I am not scared to post them either. I just don't normally have enough time.
ReplyDeleteBeth Koenig
[email protected]
Director of Deaf Blind Services
Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
you need to learn more deaf world. Seem you insult deaf world. I am not pleasure what you did on video clip.
ReplyDeleteYou are fooling what you don't know what it is... tsk tsk Loser!
ReplyDeleteBeth, there's a lot that's posted about you that I don't know if is fair or not because I don't know you personally.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do not respect you. Why? You make verbal announcements at ASL gatherings, which I have seen you do with my own eyes. That's very disrespectful for someone who is so prominent in a deaf advocacy organization.
Keep on with the ad-homenums. Theres a lot of stuff you dont know that dont exist.
ReplyDeleteRichard
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVisit COAT, the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology, to view a posting linked tot his blog entry:
ReplyDeletehttp://coataccess.civicspaceondemand.org/node/30
"VRI will be a great service
ReplyDeleteor it might be cheaper to just go buy a cellphone and continue with VRS"
One problem with that. If you are in the same room as the deaf person then that is VRI but that is also against the rules.
"Beth, there's a lot that's posted about you that I don't know if is fair or not because I don't know you personally."
I would be interested in knowing what has been posted about me and where. I don't have the time to search these things out for myself.
I find the slander against my agency humorous. The people that make such comments are doing nothing to better the Deaf community by posting such things.
"However, I do not respect you. Why? You make verbal announcements at ASL gatherings, which I have seen you do with my own eyes. That's very disrespectful for someone who is so prominent in a deaf advocacy organization."
In case you don't know I am functionally blind and autistic. I need to use tactile sign most of the time or have the Deaf person voice. I often ask people what is happening in a room as I am not able to follow things visually for very long if at all.
The next time you see me at an event why not come over and introduce yourself and let me use tactile sign. Most of the people I talk with at Deaf events are hearing. Also when seeking information about what is going on or if I need help I am going to turn to the closest person and if they are hearing I am going to use voiced American English. American English is my first language after all. If the person does not respond to my voice then I can assume they are Deaf and proceed to use sign language which is my second language.
If you are Deaf and in the room you are welcome to join the conversation I only ask that you introduce yourself and tell me that you use sign. I will then use sign when speaking.
I welcome any questions related to this subject. And as always you are free to come by the office and talk with me in person.
Thank You,
Beth Koenig
[email protected]
Director of Deaf Blind Services
Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
it seem that you are more judging on deaf's needs. I really think you need to hear our despreately (spell wrong). It had nothing to do with VRS. We have alot alot of interpreters out there not only VRS... there are all kind of community services. Also There are shift.. I believe Interpreters might be working two or three jobs or freelace interpreter.. you may not know about this. I think you need to do more research of that. You can't blame on VRS.. I suggest you do alot of research.. you are very mistaken to verbal this.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the above post and, of course,to Edward Nugent's post.
ReplyDeleteWeve had deaf people coming to our office looking for interpreters, weve had hospitals, doctor's offices, courthouses, police stations, lawyer's offices, calling, faxing, or emailing us they need our help finding interpreters.
I call people on our interpreter lists and about 95% of the time I get replies from interpreters stating they cant help because they have a VRS shift.
I mean this is what I get from them, THREE SCARLET LETTERS, as the reason they cant help the people that contact us for help.
Just who else am I to blame for the losses paid by the deaf communities.
Richard
Deaf coming to storage OCDAC office asking for interpreters? You got to be kidding to me. I heard that deaf & hard of hearing people living in Orange county would love to see storage OCDAC office shut down forever.
ReplyDeleteRichard, if you don't know Jesus, today is good time for you to turn your heart to Jesus.
Thanks and good luck with your storage OCDAC.
Our facility is a hybrid business center and storage. The building faility is very secure with lots of cameras.
ReplyDeleteWe have other businesses here. A pool cleaning business, a boxing school, an artist production center, construction company, a restaurant supply, drapery company, music studios, and even several pharmaceutical companies have made their home in the same building as ours.
Our office in our facility means no break ins for 7 yrs. No break ins at OCDAC whereas the other two deaf agencies in the southland had 15 I heard. We're safe here, we are expanding in here and we'll be around for very very long time.
Richard
Richard,
ReplyDeleteLet me make this CLEAR, you are a biggest bigot ! If Sorenson didn't develop this wonderful device " VP100 or VP200, We could be using a TTY which would make us a lower level part of commucation level with hearing meaning, more hang up, more waiting, longer converstation when it should be in 5 minutes. Think a real hard about this will ya ??
TTY usage are equal level with the rest of the hearing society. That's why the USDOJ is going to be promoting the use of TTY's than VRS in their report due this summer.
ReplyDeleteAnd I see that another blog has added another strong front to the Sorenson beehive. And commenters to that blog are echoing this blog.
I dont care if Sorenson is the inventer, the way they ran their VRS businesses as they did is beyond despicable and a poor example.
Richard
JEESH!
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with you people! it has nothing to do with intepreter shortage. Most interpreters are working in vrs industeries as a part timer. Other than that Would you all like to go back to TDD? Hell NO!! Including myself I prefer to continue the vrs usage! I do not care if they make millions of dollars because it makes me happy getting the service I needed. It makes my phone calls much rather equal to the hearing community. Dont you see!! Its getting better!! Other than that I have no problem getting interpreters and also I know many people do no have a problem as well. QUIT complaining about Sorenson or other vrs provider! They make a great deal in life for us! Everything is FREE, You take it for GRANTED!!! If you feel guilty thats fine, Change it and take a stand! Protect The VRS and things will still get better!!!
JEeesh!! get up and dance, stop whining!
It takes money to make better quality!
Concerned Citizen