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COMPANY MESSAGE
Sorenson Communications– A Checkup Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” At Sorenson VRS, a service provided by Sorenson Communications, we are often checking the pulse of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to better understand the needs and issues affecting our customers. Through our customers and employees, interpreters, and important industry organizations including the FCC, we are able to make a difference for the deaf and hard-of-hearing through creative problem solving and by taking action to make things happen. At the core of Sorenson VRS is a healthy framework of incredibly loyal customers who share their views and opinions with us. Sorenson VRS installers and outreach managers meet daily with hundreds of consumers across the country. Armed with the knowledge they share of what our customers need and want – Sorenson Communications is able to offer world-class products and services including Sorenson VRS, Sorenson IP Relay, and the VP-100 videophone. We attribute the high demand for our solutions to our ability to implement customer feedback and our strong team of deaf employees who are instrumental in product and service development. In checking the pulse of Sorenson VRS, I can assure you that our interpreters are at the very heart of video relay service. These dedicated individuals are committed to providing excellent service and care in taking your Sorenson VRS calls. The interpreter shortage we are experiencing across the nation is nothing less than a reality; one that we are striving to restore to health. Sorenson Communications is implementing a landmark “Interpreter Initiative” to fast-track interpreting programs and generate the interpreters required to meet the demand (see the VRS Know-How section of this issue for details.) Sorenson VRS is committed to collaborating with other national and regional organizations to end the interpreter shortage for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The FCC is another important organization with which we maintain a life line. Sorenson Communications meets every regulation the FCC requires and collaborates with the government agency to provide the best solutions possible for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. We have recently created the Sorenson Communications Community Group (SCCG) to bring together Sorenson Communications consumers to discuss ways to effectively use products and services, and industry issues that impact the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Initial SCCG meetings in Phoenix, Austin, and Denver were attended by hundreds of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who learned more about our technology, company and perspectives on FCC regulations. Sorenson Communications has a good health report thanks to many of you. Our best return on our knowledge investment lies in the gratitude of our customers who love their VP-100s and Sorenson VRS. We welcome your feedback, which can be sent via e-mail to vrscomments@sorenson.com.
James Lee Sorenson
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SORENSON VRS KNOW-HOW |
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Vice President of Interpreting, Sorenson Communications
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VRS CUSTOMER HIGHLIGHTS |
Director of Marketing, Sorenson Communications
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With thousands of Sorenson VP-100 videophones installed Sorenson VRS is quickly becoming a mainstay in businesses, homes, and schools. Below are just a few of the various notes that our company has received over the past few months. |
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“I just wanted to let someone know how much [Sorenson] VRS means to our family. I am a CODA [Child of a Deaf Adult] and my father passed away in 2002. Shortly after that VRS was made available in our state. [With the Sorenson VP-100 videophone] my mother, who is now 78 years of age has connections to her world and the hearing world and does not feel lonely. She also has the freedom to take care of her own personal phone calls. I cannot thank you enough for the accessibility and freedom you have given our mother. THANK YOU!!! BIG HUGS!!! to Sorenson and the deaf brother-in-law who suggested you invent such a service. May God Bless You!!!” |
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“Sorenson VRS helps my communication skills at work with hearing people, improving better and quick, especially more involvements. It restores my energy at work from being drained with TDD. Sorenson VRS is a wonderful technology and a miracle for deaf people. I want to say to the Sorenson VRS…thank you for making my job much better!” |
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“This videophone has certainly opened up a whole new world for my sister and me in terms of communication. Now we can both see each other’s facial expressions. This is so important because the face conveys feelings and emotions, something that just can not be expressed when writing… My husband and I thank you for the excellent service provided to us by your Sorenson techs. They are to be commended for their superb efforts, their professionalism, and their warm mannerism.” |
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This note was sent in following the donation to the USA Deaf Sports Federation:
“We are grateful for your donation. Thank you for joining the USADSF family and helping our athletes in their quest to make USA proud by winning the Gold!” US Deaflympic Committee & USADSF Executive Board |
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ASK THE EXPERTS |
VRS Product Manager
Sorenson Communications |
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| IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE VIDEO | |||||||
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Here are some tips to show how you can improve the quality of the video in calls. By properly adjusting the lighting and manually adjusting the video settings of your VP-100 videophone, the quality of your VRS calls on your VP-100 can be changed to your personal preference. |
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Lighting: When using your VP-100, low contrast lighting provides the best results. It is best to have lighting come from the direction of the VP-100 or overhead. Avoid sitting in front of a bright window or light. Too much light behind you causes the automatic sensor in the Sorenson VP-100 to darken your image and makes you appear shadowed. Manually Adjusting the Video Settings of your VP-100: Access the video settings by selecting the “Settings” button on the main interface and then select the “Video” button on the settings screen. The video screen allows you to preview the results of any setting changes you make. Experiment with the settings to see how clear you can adjust the image quality. If you do not like the results, select the “Set Defaults” button and start over. |
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Note: For the Gain, Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation settings, the minus sign (-) means decrease and the plus sign (+) means increase. Additional information about these features and all other features of the Sorenson VP-100 can be found in the Sorenson VRS User Guide, which is available for download at http://www.sorensonvrs.com/support/user_guides.php. |
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IN THE NEWS |
Public Relations Manager,
Sorenson Communications |
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NEWLY-OPENED SORENSON VRS INTERPRETING CENTERS |
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Sorenson Communications held three open houses for Sorenson Video Relay Interpreting Centers in Boston, Philadelphia, and Manhattan. The three ribbon-cuttings were well attended, with 350 attending Boston’s June 22 opening; 350 arriving for Philadelphia’s June 23 ribbon-cutting, and 1500 coming to visit the Manhattan center on June 24. “We were delighted so many people came out to visit our new facilities,” said Chris Wakeland, vice president of interpreting at Sorenson Communications. “Visitors were very enthusiastic to discover how easily and spontaneously communication flows using Sorenson Video Relay Service. Everyone seemed happy to see an innovative, high-tech communication system that serves the needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community so well.” |
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SORENSON VRS IN THE NEWS
"For the first time in their lives, Latrina and Kendrick Lewis are able to talk on the telephone without translating their words and feelings into a foreign language: English. "The deaf couple are among the first in Tucson to make use of a new Internet and telephone based technology that is revolutionizing access and communication for the deaf. The equipment ... is made available free of charge to the deaf and hard-of-hearing by Sorenson Media, a Salt Lake City company that has built a reputation as a leader in the development of communication services for the hearing-impaired. ... "Coupled with the company's Video Relay Service, the videophones also make it possible for the deaf to communicate with the hearing world by providing translation from American Sign Language to English. ... " 'This changed my life ...,' signed Kendrick, an American Sign Language instructor at Miles Exploratory Learning Center in Tucson. 'With TTY I was frustrated always because I could not express how I felt. My words of expression were limited ... how do I express funny, happy, upset?' " ...
"It's the hottest thing out there for deaf people now. ... "Bill Estes doesn't have to rely on his sons to make phone calls for him anymore. Estes, who is deaf, now can make the calls using a video-relay system that allows users to call with the help of a certified American Sign Language interpreter and a high-speed Internet connection. "After years of typing long conversations on a TTY machine or using his children as interpreters, Estes said the videophone has humanized communication for him. " 'I feel like I'm a real person now,' the athletic director for the Ohio School for the Deaf said through an interpreter. 'I can use the videophone instead of putting the burden on my children to interpret for me.' ... "The system, called a Sorenson VP-100 videophone, is made by Sorenson Media. ... "With videophone technology, 'The deaf are ahead of the hearing community.'" |
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COMMUNITY EVENTS |
National Event Manager, Sorenson Communications
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Sorenson Communications across the Country |
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