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Company Message
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Career Training for Deaf High School Students
Sorenson VRS® (SVRS®) and SIPRelay® can be empowering communication tools for deaf high school students and graduates who are searching for jobs. Click on the video below to learn job search techniques shared by Ron Burdett, Sorenson Communications Vice President of Community Relations.
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What is Porting a Number?
Transferring your 10-digit videophone number from one Video Relay Service (VRS) provider to another is called “porting.” When you port your 10-digit videophone number to a different VRS provider, that provider becomes your new default VRS provider. You will have access to the full array of the new provider’s services. By contrast, your previous default provider can no longer offer you their videophone services or support. As a VRS user, you have the freedom to choose the VRS provider that best meets your needs.
When you port your number to a new VRS provider, many of the services you have become used to having with the previous VRS provider will change. For example, if you port away from SVRS, you will no longer have Sorenson Gold Services, such as Contacts Lists or SignMail® on your VP-200. Also, you will not be able to contact Sorenson for technical support for help with your videophone.
To avoid a break in your VRS service, it’s important that you have possession of the new provider’s videophone equipment or software before requesting a port from your existing VRS provider.
To protect yourself, you should ask these questions before signing any forms:
- Am I porting away from Sorenson?
- What enhanced services will I receive from the new VRS provider?
- When will the port process be complete?
- Will my video relay service be available immediately?
If you have ported away from SVRS and are unhappy with your decision, please contact Sorenson and we will help you port your number back to SVRS. Sorenson looks forward to continuing to provide you with the best service possible.
When you select Sorenson as your default provider of VRS or IP Relay, Sorenson will help you choose a 10-digit telephone number for use with that service. To select Sorenson as your default provider, call 800-659-4810. Your new number will be portable to another provider. To properly route 911 calls to local emergency service providers, Sorenson must have your correct street address. You can update your address on your Sorenson videophone or by calling 800-659-4810 or visiting www.sorensonvrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of this address information. For more information about 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS or IP Relay services to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s Web site at: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer.
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Silent Sleigh Parade
More than 1,000 deaf students from schools in the Los Angeles area attended the Silent Sleigh Parade at the California School for the Deaf-Riverside (CSDR) on Dec. 4. Sorenson Communications was a major sponsor of the event and was pleased that Ron Burdett, Sorenson Communications Vice President of Community Relations, served in the role of Grand Marshal of the parade. The parade included students, firefighters, police officers and local area VIPs, including California congressmen.
From L to R: Ron Burdett, Sorenson Communications Vice President of Community Relations; Larry Waltz, CSDR staff
Due to California’s state budget cuts, funding for this year’s Silent Sleigh Parade was in question. Sorenson Communications’ sponsorship helped ensure the annual event would be held in 2009. Attending the event were Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet III and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet IV, descendants of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, founder of the nation’s first school for the deaf - the American School for the Deaf. Dec. 4 would have been Gallaudet’s 222nd birthday.
History was made at the event when Gallaudet III revealed for the first time that Sophia Gallaudet, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet’s deaf wife, was responsible for persuading her husband to establish the American School for the Deaf, and her son, Edward Minor, to establish Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Sophia Gallaudet was also the person who ultimately persuaded President Abraham Lincoln to sign a declaration that dedicated land for the deaf university in Washington, D.C.
Prior to the Silent Sleigh Parade, CSDR Superintendent Mal Grossinger dedicated the new multipurpose center, which was completed in early December.
Sorenson Communications was pleased to support the 2009 CSDR Silent Sleigh Parade. From L to R: Mal Grossinger, CSDR Superintendent; Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet III; Ron Burdett, Sorenson Communications Vice President Community Relations; Nancy Hart, Riverside City Councilwoman; Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet IV
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Hearing SVRS Education Program (HSE)
In response to users’ requests, Sorenson Communications launched a program called Hearing SVRS Education (HSE) to inform hearing individuals about the benefits of using VRS to communicate with deaf individuals. Click on the video below to learn more about this program and how to submit hearing individuals’ names to the Sorenson HSE team.
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Sorenson Communications Congratulates T. Alan Hurwitz
Sorenson Communications congratulates T. Alan Hurwitz, who assumed the role of President of Gallaudet University in January 2010. Sorenson Communications wishes Dr. Hurwitz success in this new role.
Prior to joining Gallaudet, Hurwitz worked for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) for 39 years, becoming NTID President in 2008. Hurwitz joined NTID, one of eight colleges within the Rochester Institute of Technology, in 1970 after working at McDonnell Douglas Corporation.
Hurwitz holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from St. Louis University and a doctorate degree in curriculum and teaching from the University of Rochester.
Hurwitz has been an active member of several deaf-related organizations, including the Rochester School for the Deaf and the National Captioning Institute. He is also the former President of the National Association of the Deaf.
T. Alan Hurwitz, President, Gallaudet University. Photo courtesy of Gallaudet University
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Using SVRS in the Workplace
SVRS empowers deaf and hard-of-hearing workers to communicate in real time with hearing customers, vendors and associates located in other areas. Click on the links below to see how workers are using SVRS to excel in business. To apply for a videophone for your business, visit www.sorensonvrs.com.
San Diego caterer Matthew Baker enjoys giving clients and vendors his new 10-digit number, which indicates he is a local and conducts business nearby.
Watch how he communicates easily and effectively
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Professional Development for Interpreters
Sorenson Communications is committed to providing SVRS users with the best interpreting services possible. In November 2008, Sorenson Communications launched a professional development program for Sorenson interpreters that assists them in earning continuing education units (CEUs) in pursuit of their national interpreting certification (NIC) through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). Participation in the program also earns standard college credits. Sorenson Communications is the only VRS provider to provide professional development for its interpreters on this scale.
During 2009, Sorenson Communications provided more than 750 workshops for its employee interpreters as well as interpreters outside of the company. As a result, participating interpreters earned more than 200,000 CEUs. Workshops focused on a variety of topics, including mentorship training. Sorenson Communications also offers its interpreters flexible schedules that enable interpreters to provide community interpreting. Sorenson Communications will continue to invest in professional development for all interpreters to enhance the overall quality of the VRS industry.
Interpreters attend a Sorenson Communications workshop held in Chicago, Ill.
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MJ Bienvenu Presents at VRSII Open House
On Nov. 7, the VRS Interpreting Institute (VRSII), located in Salt Lake City, hosted its first public open house. The keynote address was presented by Dr. MJ Bienvenu, Gallaudet University Department of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Studies Chair and Assistant Professor. Bienvenu shared information about the evolution of ASL through the decades. She also called for improved ASL interpreter training to complement the strides being made in communications technology. “The VRSII is the pathway to the future . . . the deaf community’s vision for equal access is becoming a reality,” said Bienvenu.
VRSII Executive Director, Dr. Carolyn Ball, stressed the need for advanced education to prepare interpreters for professional interpreting work and to diminish industry turnover.
The VRSII, which opened in March 2009, is a premiere training facility for advanced sign language interpreters and instructors. Collaborators responsible for creating the VRSII and its curricula include Dr. Carol J. Patrie, emeritus Professor and Director of the MA in Interpretation at Gallaudet University and author of the Effective Interpreting Series; Dr. Marty Taylor, international ASL educator/speaker and the founder of Interpreting Consolidated; Dr. Carolyn Ball; and Chris Wakeland, Vice President of Interpreting at Sorenson Communications. To learn more about the VRSII, visit www.vrsii.com.
MJ Bienvenu addresses the need for advanced interpreter education.
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Sorenson Communications Wins Leadership Award
The Southeastern Wisconsin Deaf Seniors (SWDSC) awarded its 2009 Leadership Award to Sorenson Communications for service to seniors living at the Water Tower View apartments. The SWDSC’s mission is to provide affordable housing for deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind senior citizens.
“I nominated Sorenson Communications for the Leadership Award because I recognize Sorenson’s generosity in donating time and equipment as well as Sorenson’s continuous support for the past three years,” said Carol Comp, Manager of Water Tower View. “Sorenson trainers were remarkable in that they gave immediate attention to our residents’ needs.”
Water Tower View is a 43-unit complex located in Milwaukee, Wis., and is the only housing project in the Midwest built specifically for deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind senior citizens. Sorenson Communications donated videophones for each unit of the complex and for the Water Tower View’s management office. The donations empower residents to easily communicate with doctors, local stores and services, property management and other hearing relatives and friends living outside of the complex.
Sorenson Communications field representatives continue to meet bi-monthly with residents. They answer questions about Sorenson videophone equipment and provide information about using VRS.
From L to R: David Binning, Sorenson Communications Trainer, and Barry Jensen, Sorenson Communications District Manager, celebrate receiving the Southeastern Wisconsin Deaf Seniors Leadership Award.
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Sorenson’s Recycling Program a Success
Sorenson Communications started a waste-paper recycling program at its corporate office in July 2009. In the program’s first six months, more than 8,000 pounds of empty paper boxes, old telephone books and other used paper products have been recycled by company employees. All money earned from recycling is being donated to deaf schools in Utah.
Due to the great success of the recycling program, it will be expanded in 2010 to include Sorenson’s warehouse and newest building. So far, the program has kept more than 21 dumpsters full of waste paper from ending up in the local landfills!
Green Fiber, the largest producer of cellulose insulation in North America, is Sorenson’s recycling partner. The used paper gathered by Sorenson employees is turned into insulation products by Green Fiber, which will reduce energy use and fuel emmissions.
We would like to thank each Sorenson employee who is participating in this worthy cause. Besides helping deaf schools in Utah, our successful recycling program just makes good sense!
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Want SVRS Equipment?
Do you need SVRS equipment (videophone) for your home or office? Do you have deaf family members or friends who still need to get SVRS equipment?
Apply for FREE SVRS equipment today!
When you select Sorenson as your default provider of VRS or IP Relay, Sorenson will help you choose a 10-digit telephone number for use with that service. To select Sorenson as your default provider, call 800-659-4810. Your new number will be portable to another provider. To properly route 911 calls to local emergency service providers, Sorenson must have your correct street address. You can update your address on your Sorenson videophone or by calling 800-659-4810 or visiting www.sorensonvrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of this address information. For more information about 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS or IP Relay services to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s website at: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer.
