CWA stands with video interpreters

Simultaneous video interpretation is a large, federally funded program used by as many as 100,000 deaf and hard-or-hearing Americans. The Video Relay Services (VRS) program, administered by the FCC, provides funding to support live translators who use the Internet to watch deaf people sign and then relay spoken language to people on the other end of the conversation.

Over the years the FCC, which funds the service, has found many instances of fraud, waste and abuse in the VRS program. The FCC also believes that the compensation rates it pays the various VRS contractors have become "inflated well above cost." As the FCC takes steps to realign reimbursement rates with costs, VRS vendors have begun to increase interpreters' workloads leading to a concomitant loss of quality.

As a result, many of the video relay interpreters have contacted the Communications Workers of America. Consequently, CWA in partnership with Video Interpreters filed comments with the FCC as the Commission reviews the structure and practices of the VRS, and on its proposed compensation rates.

Increased management pressure has meant that employers "frequently expect interpreters to process calls for 50 or more consecutive minutes despite the evidence that the performance of the interpreter and consequent quality of service received by the consumer declines after 15 minutes of steady interpreting."

This results in higher rates of misinterpretation, corrections and longer call lengths, or serious misinterpretations that go uncorrected.

Workers suffer, as do deaf users of the service. One firm dominates the market and competition alone will not solve the problem. "Deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers," CWA noted, "cannot simply 'vote with their feet' if the dominant VRS providers choose to impose service-impacting staffing policies in response to reductions in Commission reimbursement rates."

Consequently, CWA and partner video interpreters are asking the FCC to create a VRS Service Quality Task Force, composed of video relay researchers and people from the video interpreters community to analyze the problems and make recommendations. "The proposed VRS Service Quality Task Force," said CWA, "should be mandated to make recommendations on staffing ratios, training, and certification."

Any cutbacks from corporate compensation for corporate fraud, waste and abuse should be paid for out of corporate profits. Video relay interpretation is a critical service,  and neither workers nor users - nor, for that matter, taxpayers - should have to pay for corporate malfeasance or shortfalls.

Additional comment sought... on VRS program (FCC public notice, Oct. 15, 2012)

Comments of Communications Workers of America in partnership with Video Interpreters (CWA before the FCC, Nov. 14, 2012)