• News Releases

For immediate release

October 18, 2013 

CHS asks CRTC to make Video Relay Services (VRS) a mandated national service in Canada

Toronto, ON (October 18, 2013) – On October 21, the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) will be making a presentation at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) public hearings on establishing a video relay service (VRS) in Canada.

CHS representatives are responding to the Notice of 2013-155 on the issues related to the feasibility of implementing a national video relay service. Jim Hardman, Director, CHS Information Technology, Cheryl Wilson, Director, Ontario Interpreting Services, and Gary Malkowski, Special Advisor to the President, Public Affairs, will give presentations in support of recommendations from Bell Canada’s VRS Feasibility Study Report commissioned by the Mission Consulting Company.

"All Canadians, including Deaf people and people with a hearing loss, are entitled to enjoy high quality communication technology, such as VRS. We urge the CRTC to make VRS a mandated service ensuring funds are available for national VRS services, VRS research and development, and staffing VRS with qualified sign language interpreters in both American Sign Language (ASL) and la langue des signes québécoise (LSQ)," says Chris Kenopic, CHS President and CEO. "CHS continues to support communication technology innovation. The importance of establishing a National VRS is something the CRTC should not overlook."

Over 3,150 individuals and organizations have sent written submissions to the CRTC supporting a CRTC decision to make VRS a mandated national service for American Sign Language (ASL)/English  and la langue des signes québécoise (LSQ)/French community interpreting services, according to CHS.

CHS also provides rationale for mandating the service nationally, including legal statues such as the Government of Canada ratification of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities including Article 9 on Accessibility and the rights of persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life. This convention states governments shall take appropriate measures to ensure persons with disabilities have access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas.

…/ 

…2

Over 30 consumer and service agencies organizations serving Deaf and hard of hearing individuals have been invited to speak at CRTC public hearings during the entire week of October 21-25, 2013. Along with several organizations, CHS will be calling upon the CRTC to plan, fund and implement national VRS as a mandated service in Canada.

“The time for discussion whether VRS is needed is at an end,” said Gary Malkowski, CHS Special Advisor to President, Public Affairs. “Telephone Services Providers (TSP) provide telecommunication services to their customers and VRS is the most functionally equivalent mechanism to that service to all Canadians, including Deaf and hearing people. “It makes absolute sense that TSPs pay for the cost of VRS to ensure that everyone has the ability to use the basic concept of telecommunication technology,” added Malkowski.

The CHS presentation and the report will assist the CRTC in considering implementing national VRS services in Canada. The hearings are being held at the Conference Centre, Phase IV, Outaouais, Room, 140 Promendale du Portage in Gatineau, Quebec.

For more information about CHS’ position on the VRS mandated service, please contact Gary Malkowski, Special Advisor to President, Public Affairs at gmalkowski@chs.ca.

 

-30- 

About the Canadian Hearing Society

The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) was incorporated in 1940 to provide services, products and information to culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing people and to educate the hearing public.  CHS is governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing.  The organization is funded by government, internal revenue generation including fundraising, and the United Way.  For more information or to find your regional office, visit www.chs.ca.

 

CHS Media Contact:

Marie-Lauren Gregoire
Email: mgregoire@chs.ca
Phone:  416-928-2500 ext 272