The Computerworld Honors Program
Honoring those who use Information Technology to benefit society
LOCATION:
San Antonio, TX, US

YEAR:
2008

STATUS:
Laureate

CATEGORY:
Business and Related Services

NOMINATING COMPANY:
Tandberg

ORGANIZATION:
Deaf Link, Inc.

PROJECT NAME:
Video-based sign language interpretation



Introductory Overview
There are an estimated 30 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens in the United States many of whom rely on American Sign Language for effective communication. American Sign Language is considered a foreign language and is the 2nd most taught language in our colleges and the 4th most used language in the United States. ASL has no roots in English. It is a conceptual Language and uses no English syntax. According to Gallaudet University the majority of Deaf have a 2nd to 3rd grade comprehension of the English. Their 1st language is American Sign Language.

Deaf Link was formed in 2002 to fill an increasing need for access to Certified American Sign Language interpreters for Hospitals and Businesses around the country. The sister company to Deaf Link is Services by Vital Signs. SVS has been providing on-site interpreters in Texas for over 22 years. In Texas and across the country increasing demand for on-site interpreters is not being met. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, places of public accommodation are required to provide access to effective communication. The Department of Justice states that there are over 7 million locations in the United States that fall under this requirement. As society in general becomes more mobile the Deaf and HOH are no different and they are requesting access be available in more places than ever before.

The Importance of Technology
How did the technology you used contribute to this project and why was it important?
Deaf Link's mission is to provide accessibility solutions by combining the skills of American Sign Language interpreters with the delivery of those skills through state of the art technologies such as Video Conferencing. Deaf Link’s communications center is staffed 24/7 and provides secure, encrypted, and HIPAA compliant, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) services. Deaf Link’s VRI services are supported on a Tandberg technology platform to ensure the best in Video Conferencing solutions for our clients.

Hospitals and businesses have a requirement to provide equal access under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Using Video Remote Interpreting is a cost effective and time efficient alternative to traditional onsite interpreting services. Deaf Link's VRI has saved Hospitals and other facilities as much as 60% on their yearly interpreting costs. With Deaf Link’s VRI services Deaf no longer have to wait in Emergency Rooms for hours for on-site interpreters to arrive. As much as 90% of their interpreting needs can be met with the use of VRI. The increased use of Video Technology to support most communications needs also allows for better use of available on-site interpreters in situations where VRI is less effective.

Benefits
Has your project helped those it was designed to help?   Yes

Has your project fundamentally changed how tasks are performed?   Yes

What new advantage or opportunity does your project provide to people?
Deaf Link’s VRI services provide Deaf and HOH citizens improved access to effective communication in their everyday lives. The promise that video technology would even the playing field for communication access is being realized. Deaf Link has broadened the use of VRI from critical needs environments into commercial applications such as Banks. For the first time those who use ASL can receive financial information, open bank accounts and apply for loans without the need to schedule an interpreter or attempt to communicate by writing notes in English. For employers such as UPS, communication with Deaf employees has been improved significantly. Deaf who work at UPS in San Antonio now have instant access to interpreters through Deaf Link for help with job related issues such as training or problem solving. The cost and convenience of Deaf Link VRI has saved UPS significant dollars on its interpreting needs as well as improving employee moral and productivity.
Deaf Link is not a single project but rather a collection of services designed to use technology in new ways to solve old problems. One of the most significant projects is Deaf Link’s Accessible Hazard Alert System (AHAS). This patent pending, internet based program sends alerts and emergency information to Deaf, HOH, Blind, and Deaf Blind in Voice, ASL, and Text to computers, PDA’s, and Braille capable devices designated by those special needs citizens enrolled in the program.
A component program called “Shelter Link” uses Deaf Link’s VRI services to support emergency shelters with language interpreting needs for evacuees who may be Deaf, HOH, or have limited English proficiency. For two years Deaf Links CEO Kay Chiodo had been discussing Deaf Links new “AHAS” and “Shelter Link” programs with Texas Emergency Management. She knew special needs citizens would be part of the general population evacuated to shelters during an emergency event and they would need interpreting services. That reality became very clear when over 250,000 Louisiana citizens were evacuated to Texas shelters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. There were thousands of Deaf evacuees sent to shelters across Texas who needed access to services being provided by FEMA and local Emergency Managers, effective communication was critical.


On September 1st 2005 Kay Chiodo got a phone call from the State of Texas asking if Deaf Link would help. Deaf Link immediately dispatched staff to primary shelters in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas to install Video Conferencing equipment. With the help of AT&T, Time Warner, and the Governors Division of Emergency Management, Deaf Link arranged for broadband access at all three locations. Within a few days Video units were installed and interpreting services were being provided to emergency shelters on a 24/7 basis from Deaf Link’s communication center in San Antonio. In addition to ASL, Deaf Link and its foreign language partners provided Creole French, Spanish, and Vietnamese spoken languages. Doctors, Nurses, shelter workers and Deaf evacuees as well as those who were hearing but with limited English proficiency were thrilled to have this new communication tool.


If possible, include an example of how the project has benefited a specific individual, enterprise or organization. Please include personal quotes from individuals who have directly benefited from your work.
Those who benefited were easy to find. One example was Sixty Seven year old Felix Guedimin a Deaf evacuee from New Orleans who was sheltered at Kelly AFB in San Antonio. Felix had been left by the staff in a managed care facility along with other elderly patients when the order to evacuate was given yet Felix didn’t know the staff had left. When the power went off in his building Felix used a small pocket flashlight and helped 2 elderly friends escape the flood waters to higher ground. Eventually the three of them were evacuated and arrived in San Antonio on September 1st. Before his arrival he had not had effective communication in American Sign Language (his native language) for 5 days.

Deaf Link staff had just completed installation of its first VRI unit when Kay Chiodo (also a certified interpreter) who was helping coordinate the VRI installation noticed Felix. She signed to him “Deaf you?” At that point a flood of emotions overcame Felix and his hands began signing his story. He grabbed Kay and kept signing “Thank God, Thank God, for sending someone who understands me”. The conversation lasted 30 minutes with every detail of his ordeal being expressed in sign language. He told Kay and the doctors about his medication needs, about where his family lived and how to reach them. Once the VRI installation was completed, Felix and the doctors were treated to a demonstration where an interpreter from Deaf Link was brought up on screen. The affect on Felix as well as the doctors and nurses was obvious relief. Now Felix knew that for as long as he needed to stay in the shelter, there would be available communication for him in ASL. Felix became fast friends with Deaf Link staff and became somewhat of a leader for other Deaf in the shelter by directing them to available services including where Deaf Link was located in the facility. Deaf Link had set the precedent for using technology to deliver language support services in emergency shelters.

The initial use of VRI in Emergency Management services was such a success that Texas has now contracted with Deaf Link to provide the Accessible Hazard Alert System and its VRI “Shelter Link” component as part of the Emergency Management Plan for the state. Deaf Link is now in its 3rd year of operation in Texas. The AHAS program was also successfully tested under a FEMA pilot program in LA, MS, and AL during 2007 and its expected Emergency Managers in those states will continue the program throughout 2008.


Originality
Is it the first, the only, the best or the most effective application of its kind?   All of the above

What are the exceptional aspects of your project?
Deaf Link’s mission is supported by staff with a history in serving the special needs community, our understanding of the cultural issues and the trust placed in us by citizens who access our services is second to none. We see the use of technology as simply another way to extend our mission of providing accessibility solutions everywhere possible.

Difficulty
What were the most important obstacles that had to be overcome in order for your work to be successful? Technical problems? Resources? Expertise? Organizational problems?
While video conferencing is not new its use in providing access for Deaf and HOH who need ASL for effective communication is. The proof of concept stage for Deaf Link’s VRI services began 5 years ago and initially it was difficult to convince the Medical community that the impending shortage of qualified interpreters was real. Medical facilities were satisfied with the traditional method of providing onsite interpreting. However the predictions of interpreter shortages have now come true. As a result Deaf Link receives calls everyday from Medical institutions around the country who are desperate for the VRI solution.

Another obstacle Deaf Link faced was rapidly changing Video Conferencing technology. An increasing need to provide encryption, internet security, and firewall traversal solutions required Deaf Link to experiment with equipment and software from several different manufacturers. Finally Deaf Link settled on Tandberg as a solution, primarily because of the user friendly interface and firewall traversal solutions which our customers appreciate. Deaf Links investment in the Tandberg platform combined with the realities of interpreter shortages has made Deaf Link’s Video Remote Interpreting solution a clear winner in addressing accessibility needs with a cost and time sensitive program for many organizations around the country.

Often the most innovative projects encounter the greatest resistance when they are originally proposed. If you had to fight for approval or funding, please provide a summary of the objections you faced and how you overcame them.
Funding for equipment and interpreting services has always been an issue. Grant funding for projects like Deaf Link VRI are becoming more available from Federal and State agencies. Funding for commercial applications such as banks and retail locations are generally handled by the organization itself with an expectation they will recoup their investment thru increased customer traffic and eventual sales of goods and services.

Success
Has your project achieved or exceeded its goals?   Achieved

Is it fully operational?   Yes

How do you see your project's innovation benefiting other applications, organizations, or global communities?
Deaf Link and other companies will continue to develop VRI services providing access to language interpreting in video formats on a global basis. More and more of the world will become open for people who for years have been excluded because of their disabilities.

How quickly has your targeted audience of users embraced your innovation? Or, how rapidly do you predict they will?
In the market place, the time from introduction of the VRI concept through acceptance and implementation has been steadily declining. What was once an 18 month cycle between demo and signed contract, is now as short as 60 days. The adoption of Video solutions to address accessibility issues is gaining speed and as technology changes to offer more mobility for live video Deaf Link sees a world where access to equal and effective communication for special needs citizens will be the rule not the exception.
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