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Mailing Address
Technical Support
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Road, Suite 100
Salt Lake City, UT 84123 |
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Away From Your VP? Use Sorenson IP Relay
When you don't have access to your Sorenson VP videophone and you need to communicate on the go, use Sorenson IP Relay! Using a personal computer or a mobile device, you can contact anyone anywhere with Sorenson IP Relay.
Sorenson IP Relay (siprelay) is a free service that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to place text-based relay calls from their personal computer (PC) and/or mobile device to any standard telephone user in the US and its territories. A Sorenson Communications Assistant (CA) contacts the standard telephone user and voices the text messages in real-time from the siprelay user. All you need to use Sorenson IP Relay is an Internet connection and a PC or mobile device enabled with AOL® Instant Messenger (AIM®).
Sorenson IP Relay works with any Internet connection when using a personal computer and is quick and easy to use. Simply send an instant message to "siprelay" using AOL Instant Messenger (AIM®) or go to www.siprelay.com to place a call. |
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Sorenson Communications kicked off 2007 with its first-ever Sorenson VRS® Interpreting Mentorship Summit, held Jan. 4 through 6, in Salt Lake City. The conference, which brought together some of the top interpreters in the industry, provided an opportunity to share best practices and then implement them into Sorenson Communications' training. Our company goal is to set the standard for the best possible interpreter training and education in the industry. This is critical if we are to address the current interpreter shortage as well anticipate future interpreter demand.
Because Sorenson Communications has access to the highest-caliber interpreters, excellent training opportunities were provided at the Interpreter Mentorship Summit. Our trainers' expertise and experience make them second-to-none! After the conference, one participant, from a Sorenson VRS Interpreting Center, noted that she learned new ways to promote a positive work environment, met other interpreters and language mentors from all over the country, and felt much more connected to Sorenson Communications. "After attending the summit I realized how much Sorenson values their employees," she said.
We appreciated all of the interpreters who attended as well as the Sorenson Communications' deaf language mentors who were all in attendance. Kudos to our Mentorship Summit staff and presenters: Gino Gouby, CDI and CLIP-R, national professional development manager for Sorenson Communications; Amy Kalmus, RID, CI/CT, BEI Master, CIC, director of professional development for Sorenson Communications; Sandra Rouse, RID, CI/CT, BEI IV, and national workshop facilitator/trainer for Sorenson Communications; Charlotte Toothman, MA, MS, CSC, CPCC; Deborah Peterson, MS, CDI; Nancy Eldredge, Ph.D; Ron Lybarger, Ph.D; Lisa Perry Burckhardt, CDI; and Steve Hamerdinger, director of Deaf Services for the State of Alabama Department of Mental Health.
Hosting the VRS interpreter training conference marks a historical milestone for our company. Thanks to those who not only made it possible, but a memorable experience for all involved! We at Sorenson Communications look forward to another great year together.
Pat Nola
President and CEO
Sorenson Communications
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Sorenson Communications welcomes Dr. Robert R. Davila as the president of Gallaudet University. Dr. Davila's knowledge and experience gained as a classroom teacher, professor, administrator, and advocate for the deaf and hard-of-hearing uniquely qualify him for this new role at Gallaudet. His leadership skills will continue to ensure that Gallaudet University remains the nation's flagship educational institution for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Sorenson Communications has enjoyed a strong relationship with Gallaudet, its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We look forward to working with Dr. Davila and Gallaudet University.
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Amy Kalmus
RID, CI/CT, BEI Master, CIC
Director of Professional Development
Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications recognizes the need for interpreters to receive ongoing training to refine skills and to maintain certification. In response to this need, Sorenson Communications created a professional development department, which offers Continuing Education Units (CEUs)-based workshops, immersion training, and mentoring through the Sorenson Video Interpreter-Provisional (VI-P) Mentorship Program. In addition, the development department offers assistance with certification maintenance for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), and many state certification systems are offered to interpreters, often at no cost to them.
More than 200 workshops were offered in 2006, and thousands of hours of CEUs were awarded to interpreters regardless of their employment status with Sorenson Communications. Many of the workshops were offered in a community setting so interpreting students and interpreters not currently employed by Sorenson VRS were able to attend and participate in training presented by nationally- known experts, such as Sharon Neumann Solow.
The VI-P Mentorship Program has been implemented in many Sorenson VRS Interpreting Centers under the leadership of Gino Gouby, national professional development manager and Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI). Under Gouby's direction, interpreters who meet the minimum qualifications established by the company are paired with a mentorship team for more than 80 hours of mentoring, enhanced training, and diagnostic assessment of skills. Structured training plans are designed to meet the needs of the individual VI-P interpreter. Curriculum is enhanced through deaf language mentors who provide weekly feedback on the use of American Sign Language (ASL).
Through the professional development department, interpreters who do not meet the qualifications to work as a video interpreter are offered week-long immersion training and enhanced skill-building workshops. These are often offered in partnership with other entities, such as Texas' Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services-Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.
The need for qualified interpreters continues to escalate. Through CEU workshops, immersion training, mentorships, and supporting certification, Sorenson Communications is committed to ensuring the professional development for interpreters working throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
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On Dec. 12, 2006, Sorenson Communications announced a donation of more than 100 Sorenson VP-200™ videophones and two videophone booths to Texas School for the Deaf (TSD), located on 67 acres at the edge of downtown Austin. Because TSD was one of the first schools in America to offer Sorenson Communications technology and Sorenson Video Relay Service (VRS) to its students, it was selected to premier the new VP-200 videophone.
The VP-200 announcement was made by Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola during a morning assembly with about 320 TSD students, ranging from sixth through twelfth grade. Staff and members of the local deaf community brought another 100 attendees and local media turned out to cover the event. With the help of TSD student Bejo Goodridge, Pat Nola presented a side-by-side comparison of a VP-100 and VP-200, which has the highest video quality, a pan/tilt/zoom camera as well as a LightRing™, which acts as a visual caller ID. ("This lets you know when a really cute boy or girl you like is calling," Pat Nola told the students.)
As part of the assembly, Sorenson Communications donated one of the 50-inch LCD TVs used for the demonstration as the winning prize for a raffle that was held that morning. All proceeds went to the Deaf Teen America 2007 pageant. The name of the raffle winner was drawn from a spinning raffle bin by TSD student Taj Mora. The winner was Brett Waltman, a student life specialist at TSD. Sorenson Communications presented TSD Superintendent Claire Bugen with a numbered print by artist Chuck Baird and provided a pizza lunch for all students in attendance.
TSD, located in Austin, Texas, is the oldest publicly-funded school in Texas. Since 1857, over 10,000 students have attended TSD. Currently TSD serves approximately 470 children from infancy to age 21 during the academic year. In addition, many students, families, and professionals are served through TSD outreach in the form of workshops, summer programs, distance learning, professional training, and referrals.
Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola explains to TSD student Bejo Goodridge how a VRS call is placed. The interpreter appeared on a large screen so TSD students could view the VRS demonstration call.
(Photo by Angela Valek)
TSD students Taj Mora, Mr. TSD, and Bejo Goodridge, Miss TSD, meet with Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola after the VRS demonstration (Photo by Angela Valek)
TSD Superintendent Claire Bugen accepts Chuck Baird print from Pat Nola. (Photo by Angela Valek)
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Jes Julander
Central Region Director
Sorenson Communications
The first annual VRS Interpreting Mentorship Summit, held in Salt Lake City, Jan. 4 through 6, brought together more 90 people from across the country. Managers, interpreting mentors, and language mentors enjoyed presentations from nationally-credentialed presenters.
The event was designed to help Sorenson VRS Interpreting Centers develop and strengthen their mentoring programs. Summit topics included resolving conflict, creating meaningful relationships, mentoring, vicarious trauma, and effective professional development plans.
Sorenson executives, including President and CEO Pat Nola, attended the event.
Sorenson Communications believes strongly in the future generation of interpreters and that as a company we have an obligation to support them in their development. As we invest in the future, our varied communities will each benefit from a new generation of qualified interpreters. Sorenson Communications will be an integral part of their development. This will happen both through in-house mentoring opportunities, such as the VI-P program, and through sponsorships of interpreter training at the local, regional, and national level. Watch for interpreter training and mentorship opportunities in your area!
Sorenson Communications managers, interpreting mentors, and language mentors gathered in Salt Lake City Jan. 4 -6, 2007
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Three winners were announced in the first-ever Sorenson Communications Deaflympics Connecting You Trip Contest. The winners were chosen based on their 100-word summaries, which described the impact of Video Relay Services (VRS) on their lives and how it helps them connect with other hearing individuals.
Winners Jane B. and Michael D. Golightly, of Washington, D.C, wrote: "Sorenson VRS helped me find my lost cousin. Without talking with my 93-year-old aunt, the hearing sister of my deaf mother, I would never have found him. Based on almost daily VRS conversations with my aunt, I documented family history that only my aunt knew. We are now planning a family reunion for next summer. Thanks to Sorenson VRS for making my family larger and our relationships closer."
Another Connecting You winner, Cathy Ann Prusak, from Sainte Genevieve, MO, wrote: "When my baby daughter was ill I called the emergency room (ER) via Sorenson VRS. I was able to see the emotional tones by how the VRS interpreter relayed the conversation. It was a seemingly small factor that led me to take my daughter to the ER. This 'small' influence was the right decision, because I was able to help make my daughter comfortable with the aid of medications and proper instruction. It brought comfort to me, too!"
Michelle Sumner, another winner from Colorado Springs, CO, described her VRS experience this way: "I am a professional. Now with Sorenson VRS, I can connect to a sign language interpreter through VRS. My messages are clear, since there is face-to-face interaction. I do not misunderstand the callers' 'voice' and they do not misunderstand my tone of voice. My professionalism remains intact and my message is conveyed accurately. I am so thankful for the ease of communication that Sorenson VRS provides. No more miscommunication!"
The prizes for the contest included expenses-paid trips for each winner and a guest to the 16th Winter Deaflympics, held from Feb. 1 through 10, in Salt Lake City. Each Deaflympics trip package included roundtrip air transportation, tickets to the Deaflympics opening ceremony and all events, hotel accommodations for up to five nights, and car rental for up to six days.
Sorenson Communications was the Official VRS and IP Relay Provider for the 16th Winter Deaflympics. The company was also a gold sponsor for the 16th Winter Deaflympics and was co-presenter, along with the 16th Winter Deaflympics Organizing Committee, of the 2007 Deaflympics EXPO, held Feb. 2 and 3 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, in Salt Lake City.
Jane B. and Michael D. Golightly |
Cathy Ann Prusak and her baby daughter |
Michelle Sumner
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In January, Sorenson Communications announced the installation of the first videophone booth for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals at a hospital, locating the booth in Chicago's Mount Sinai Hospital lobby. The videophone booth enables individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) to place free Video Relay Service (VRS) calls to any hearing individual in the United States.
The Sorenson VP-200™ videophone, located within the videophone booth, allows deaf and hard-of-hearing guests and patients who use ASL to fluidly communicate medical information and important patient-condition reports over the videophone and through Sorenson VRS to hearing family, friends, and co-workers who are offsite. Deaf patients now have a reliable way to place their own phone calls while at the hospital.
Annually, Mount Sinai Hospital treats about 1,300 patients who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, which is more than any other hospital in Chicago. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony introducing the new videophone booth, Alan Channing, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System, noted the hospital's commitment to providing the best possible communication services for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.
Pat Nola, president and CEO of Sorenson Communications, said, "This videophone booth provides an essential service for all patients and families to relay important and confidential health care information and to notify anyone who is concerned about a patient's condition."
Alan Channing, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System, explains significance of the installation of the first Sorenson VRS videophone booth at Mount Sinai
Participants at the Mount Sinai Hospital ribbon cutting include (L to R): Barry Jensen, Sorenson Communications outreach manager for Illinois; Teri Hedding, manager of the Deaf Access Program at Mount Sinai Hospital; John Miller, director, Illinois Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Commission; Alan Channing, president and CEO, Mount Sinai Health System; Pat Nola, president and CEO of Sorenson Communications; Ron Burdett, vice president of community relations for Sorenson Communications
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Three world-renowned deaf artists - Susan Dupor, Ramesh Meyyappan, and Tami Santimyer - who participated in the 16th Winter Deaflympics EXPO last week also engaged in artistic and cultural exploration with Utah school children, just prior to the EXPO.
Sorenson Communications and Quest: Arts for Everyone co-sponsored the four-day, in-school Artist Residency Program, held Jan. 29 through Feb. 1. Designed to increase understanding between deaf and hearing children as well as enhance reading skills, the program was implemented at Wasatch Elementary School, in Salt Lake City. The program was also introduced at the Jean Massieu School for the Deaf, in South Jordan.
"Research has conclusively shown the effectiveness of the arts in helping improve learning readiness, reading, and writing of students," said Tim McCarty, president of Quest: Arts for Everyone. "We were honored to collaborate with Sorenson Communications to share in the power of the learning process and in bringing people together to experience a genuine sense of connection and meaning."
As part of the program, young deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students read and analyzed several Shel Silverstein poems and then developed their own visual interpretations of the writings. Students working with the visual artist Dupor used a variety of fine arts techniques for their interpretations. Children working with performing artists Meyyappan and Santimyer used movement, gestures, tableaus, and sign language to interpret the poems. The art works and performances by the Utah students then found expression at the EXPO's "Children's Performance Arts Showcase" on Feb. 3.
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The 16th Winter Deaflympics, held last week in Salt Lake City, began with a great lineup of festivities. The two-day 16th Winter Deaflympics EXPO was attended by more than 2,000 individuals, and the Opening Ceremony drew the largest-ever turnout (about 5,000) of any Deaflympics. Many deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing individuals worked for months behind the scenes to make these events successful.
Deaflympics planners deserve special recognition. Congratulations to the scores of individuals who coordinated various events and a big thank you to the following: Donalda Ammons, president of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD); Lawrence Fleischer, president of the United States of America Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF); Dwight Benedict, organizing chairman, and Mary Rusznak, chief operating officer, of the 16th Winter Deaflympics; Dave Johnson, Sorenson Communications' vice president of sales and former senior vice president of Games for the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee; and the Sorenson Communications events team and Sorenson Communications' national events director, Eric Johnson, who directed the 16th Winter Deaflympics EXPO. In addition, we express appreciation to the nearly 50 Sorenson interpreters, many of whom were volunteers, who provided interpreting services at the Deaflympics and to the Sorenson Communications outreach team, staff, and trainers. Thank you to all who made the 16th Winter Deaflympics a memorable experience!
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More than 2,000 visitors attended the 16th Winter Deaflympics EXPO, held Feb. 2 and 3, at the Salt Palace Convention Center, in downtown Salt Lake City. Sponsored by Sorenson Communications, the two-day event provided an extraordinary opportunity for members of the global deaf community to network, participate in the creation of artistic works, explore products and services, and be entertained by a variety of deaf performers and visual artists.
The EXPO, which was free and open to the public, featured more than 65 diverse exhibitors, including ASL Films, National Association of the Deaf (NAD), Gallaudet University, the 2009 Taipei Deaflympics, USA Deaf Sports Federation, and Cingular Wireless, among others.
The public participated in many activities during the two-day EXPO, including a drop-in art project through which children and families worked with internationally-acclaimed deaf visual artist Chuck Baird to create works of art.
Sorenson Communications provided free IP Relay Service and showcased its VRS service with the latest Sorenson VP-200 videophone. Both services were available for use by guests. In partnership with AOL, Sorenson Communications also offered a free Internet café for EXPO visitors.
Deaflympics cauldron was displayed during the 16th Winter Deaflympics EXPO, sponsored by Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications crew (L to R): John Eddington, Sorenson VRS outreach manager; Ramon Gonzalez, national trainer manager; Susan Prail, Sorenson VRS area specialist; Ryan Gallagher, Deaflympics logistics specialist; Tom Scuderi, Sorenson VRS outreach manager; Donna Mahoney, Sorenson VRS outreach manager; Mark King, trainer support manager; Eric Emmons, Sorenson VRS central region sales manager; Jeff Emmons, Sorenson VRS outreach manager; and Ed Jones, trainer support engineer
Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola welcomes renowned artist Chuck Baird to EXPO
(L to R) Deaflympics worker Mindy Bergeson, Sorenson Communications President and CEO Pat Nola, and Deaflympics Chief Operating Officer Mary Rusznak enjoy the EXPO
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Did you know that you can call Sorenson VRS with your D-Link videophone?
Go to www.sorensonvrs.com/dlink to view the steps to take if you would like to call Sorenson VRS with your D-Link. Now you can use the best Video Relay Service - Sorenson VRS!
You are also able to call other VRS providers using your Sorenson videophone if you desire. Remember, some services such as Sorenson SignMail and VCO are offered only by Sorenson Communications through your Sorenson videophone and Sorenson VRS.
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Do you need a Sorenson videophone for your home or office? Do you have DEAF family members or friends who still need to get a videophone? Apply for a FREE Sorenson videophone at www.sorensonvrs.com/apply!
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