Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals often use a TTY, or Text Telephone, to talk with others via text messages. However, communicating through typed words loses the emotions these individuals could convey through American Sign Language (ASL).
Now patients at Mount Sinai Hospital can use sign language when calling family members, friends and physicians. The hospital just became the first in the nation to provide patients access to a videophone booth. The booth will be located in the hospital's main lobby so all patients can have free access whenever they may want to make a call.
To make a call, a deaf user sits in front of a videophone connected to a television and high-speed Internet. He calls an interpreter who contacts another person via a regular phone. The deaf user signs to the interpreter, who then translates the conversation to the hearing user. When the hearing user responds, the interpreter relays that information to the deaf user through ASL. Video of the interpreter appears on the television screen.
Hearing individuals can reach deaf users by calling a toll free number, and deaf individuals can also directly call other deaf users who have videophones by using the VRS without the aid of an interpreter.
"We're quite excited at Sinai about being able to use this technology," said Alan Channing, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System. "It's one more way for Mount Sinai Health System to expand its services to the community it serves."
Mount Sinai, 1501 S. California Ave., treats approximately 1,300 deaf and hard-of-hearing patients each year--about 25 a day. Teri Hedding, manager of the hospital's Deaf Access Program, uses a videophone in her office. After realizing the benefits of a videophone and learning that many patients didn't feel comfortable using TTY, the hospital decided to pursue buying a videophone for patients.
Salt Lake City-based Sorenson Communications' videophone uses video relay service (VRS) to allow deaf and hearing individuals to communicate with each other through an ASL interpreter. By talking in their primary language, the VRS allows the interpreter to convey the expressions and feelings of the deaf user.
"This empowers the deaf to communicate whenever they want to and in their own language," said Ron Burdett, vice president of community relations at Sorenson Communications. "You can't express yourself with text messages, but with VRS, the interpreter can relay emotions."
Mount Sinai is a model for other hospitals, Hedding said. The Deaf Access Program includes three doctors and three therapists fluent in ASL, plus several interpreters.
Burdett said the "domino effect" may lead to more hospitals installing videophones in the future, which will empower the deaf community.
