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Australia’s National Relay Service (NRS) Funded by levy on telcos Government manages contracts with two private providers (Relay & Outreach) Customer Consultative Committee Different call types for: Deaf Hearing-impaired Speech-impaired/ complex communication needs Wider community to call Deaf/HI/SI Geneva, 25 November
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Geneva, 25 November 2011
Relay services in Australia - the consumer view
Danielle FriedDisability Policy Adviser
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network
ITU-T Workshop on“Telecommunications relay services for persons
with disabilities ”(Geneva, 25 November 2011)
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN)
National member group representing telecommunications consumers175 membersOne third organisational members represent people with disabilityAlso: community legal centres, farmers’ federations, financial counsellors, regional groups, seniors’ organisations, research bodies etc
Geneva, 25 November 2011 2
Australia’s National Relay Service (NRS)
Funded by levy on telcosGovernment manages contracts with two private providers (Relay & Outreach)Customer Consultative CommitteeDifferent call types for:
DeafHearing-impairedSpeech-impaired/complex communication needsWider community to call Deaf/HI/SI
Geneva, 25 November 2011 3
Statistics
9000 Australians use NRS per month
3 160 003 call minutes in 2009-10
Half of all calls now via internet
15% of calls are ‘voice’ calls
Geneva, 25 November 2011 4
Costs to consumersRelay service itself:
Free for all users (Deaf, hearing-impaired, speech-impaired, wider community)
Call costs:TTY, speech-to-speech, voice: 30-50cInternet relay: internet connection/data
Equipment:TTY – rent for same cost as other phoneOther – varies
Geneva, 25 November 2011 5
Call modes
TTYIP relay (“internet relay” - unidirectional)Speech to speech (“Speak and Listen”)Voice (to TTY or Speak and Listen)Emergency106 – TTY000 – internet relay, Speak and Listen, TTY
Geneva, 25 November 2011 6
NOT included in NRS (yet!)
Voice to internet relayVideo relayCaptioned telephonyServices for other PWD (eg cognitive)Disability equipment program
Geneva, 25 November 2011 7
An essential service
Real-time communicationUnlike email, SMS (text), faxIndependenceEmployabilityConvenienceAccess to government, business, NGOsNot possible via SMS (text), online chatEmergency calls
Geneva, 25 November 2011 8
Issues for consumers
Time taken for callsConsistency (esp. speech to speech)Difficult or not possible to receive calls (depending on equipment)Literacy issuesOutreach service unable to meet all needs (eg training in ‘phone norms’, Braille)Lack of SMS (text) access
Geneva, 25 November 2011 9
Issues for consumers (continued)
Refusal of businesses/family/friends to receive or handle relay callsRelay officer response timesCost (equipment, internet connection/data)Some emergency calls:
Not prioritisedResponse times/reliability guarantees
Geneva, 25 November 2011 10
Does Australia’s relay service provide functional equivalence?
Speed?Privacy?Inbound and outbound calls?Natural conversation?First or preferred language?Access to a range of equipment?Reliability (esp. of emergency calls)?
NOT YETGeneva, 25 November 2011 11
ACCAN’s vision – a Disability Telecommunications Service
Expanded relay servicesVideo relay (Auslan and speechreaders)Captioned telephonyNext-generation text relayServices for consumers with cognitive and other disabilities
Disability equipment programTTYs, computers, mobile/cell phonesSpecialised equipment to use these
Geneva, 25 November 2011 12
More information?
[email protected]: @ACCAN_AU Australian Government’s review of relay service etc: http://www.dbcde.gov.au/consultation_and_submissions/review_of_access_to_telecommunications_by_people_with_disability,_older_australians_and_people_experiencing_illness ACCAN’s submission: http://bit.ly/ACCANNRSNational Relay Service: www.relayservice.com.auTrial services of video relay and captioned telephony: http://www.aceinfo.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=8
Geneva, 25 November 2011 13