Before and After: The Beginnings of Telecommunications Relay Service

1. XVIII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf Telecommunications Relay Service *Before and After Its Beginnings* Andrea J. Saks: Chairman ITU-T Joint Coordination Activity on Accessibility and Human Factors (ITU-T JCA-AHF) CODA

2. Why promote and create accessible ICTs, Assistive Technology and International Relay Services? • It is a human right recognized in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD):Enshrined in Article 9 • Article 9 of the UNCRPD defines ICT accessibility as an integral part of accessibility rights on par with transportation and the physical environment. • Article 9 concerns all ICT products and ICT based applications and services, with a far-reaching implication for industry, governments and civil society • All of us who age will have age-related disabilities, We all (100%) can benefit from more accessible devices and services. We will need relay services.

3. I am of Deaf Parents • I lived during a time when there wasn’t any independent communication for persons who are Deaf over the phone. • I also lived during a time to see the world change for the Deaf community. They took their own destiny into their hands, changed their futures and became independent.

4. My Parents

5. Phone calls before Text Phones and Relay? • As late as 1960, no independent calls! • There was no email • No internet or instant messaging • No mobile phones • No SMS • No direct dial phones in many places - only with a hearing operator • No way without asking a hearing person to help.

6. Long Distance Communication • Deaf People wrote letters but this took time for a response • Drove to make appointments in person or asked hearing friends/family to call • Sometimes people were not at home. • Strangers sometimes made the calls, especially in an emergency.

7. The Beginning Three Deaf Men Changed the World Robert WeitbrechtAndrew SaksJames C Marsters Liberated the telephone and that enabled deafpeople to have a political voice that is nowheardaround the world!

8. A Historical View of events • In the 1960’s they and their tiny company, Applied Communications Corporation (APCOM) created the first successful deaf telephone network with a modem and a surplus TTY. Surplus model 15 Phonetype acoustic coupler

9. One of the First Deaf Telephone Relay Services • The hearing children • I was one (me 1948) • 1st call at 16 months • Techniques varied • Father spoke directly • I listened (earpiece) • Oral interpreted • Was this 20th century?

10. Would you trust this child to run your life and do your banking? • I am the tiny girl with dark hair! The first Deaf Telephone and Relay Service Me!

11. The First Transatlantic Call 1975 • The late Lord Jack Ashley was at the time a British MP • USA Ambassador to UK, the late Elliot Richardson • The late Michael Kingbeer Engineer • To Dr Boise Williams HEW • London US Trade Center Building, to the US HEW in Washington, D.C. • Broke the docket at the FCC!

12. Father of V.18, Dick Brandt • He wrote most of ITU.T V.18 • Saved Baudot protocol from being deleted from V.18 • 1st rapporteur for the Disability question in ITU-T • Recipient of the TDI Robert Weitbrecht award • Invited AJS to ITU to helpin 1991

13. The beginning at ITU: 1991 • Gary Fereno, US State Department & AJS • No personal computers just lots of paper!

14. Gunnar Hellstrom F.703 Total Conversation author • What is Total Conversation? • Real Time Text, Video and Voice • Disability Rapporteur after Dick Brandt • Improved V.18 • Author of the Accessibility Checklist • Relay Services • Implemented Total Conversation in relays and in Emergency Services in the EU Reach 112 project.

15. The Beginning of Relay Services • The first idea with a normal answering service using two telephones and two textphones (TTY). • My father, Andrew Saks ordering room service in a Hotel via TTY in the 1960’s for the first time using a relay service. Breakfast is served in New York ordered by “answering service” in California! • In the USA, Paul Taylor starts the First Relay Service, enabling many deaf people to subscribe and “talk” to hearing people in the early 70’s. • Relay services have human beings as the interface called CA’s, Communication Assistants

16. USA: The first Deaf Telephone Network • The Deaf created and made their system work themselves long before relay services started • Photo: Sally A. Taylor wife of Paul Taylor founder of relay services pictured below • Reconditioning teleprinters/telex machines donated to TDI Inc. • It was by the Deaf for the Deaf working together with Western Union Volunteers and the Telephone Pioneers of America

17. Why do we now need relay? • When we have: • Computers with video • Video phones • Email, Mobile phones • iPads/Tablets • WhatsApp and SMS • Instant Messaging

18. Why People need relay Services • Relay Services connect people to the hearing world in real time. • Establishing independence & not having to rely on children-family-friends-strangers. • A personal private phone calls with a doctor, lawyer or their child’s teacher via a relay. • People answer voice calls in real time. • Email, instant messaging and SMS not real time and not reliable for real time tasks. • Jobs and Education with Relay Services!

19. Types of Relay Services • Text Relay Service using a typing device, with or without VCO (voice carry over) and often called “TRS” as the T stood for TEXT. • Video Relay Service for sign language users and some lip reading. • CapTel/Web CapTel Relay: the user with his own voice, speaking directly (VCO) to whom he is calling but receiving reply in text so no need to type. • Speech to Speech Relay for those who may have hearing but speak with difficulty.

20. Who needs Relay Services? • Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing autistic and those speech difficulties • People who use sign language with or without speech and there are as many sign languages as countries on the planet if not more. • Persons who do not sign but are either deaf or have hearing difficulties and older persons who are deafened later life. • Persons who have autism • Persons with speech difficulties

21. For those wish to use their Voice • Captel Relay device for speaking and receiving text for people who wish to speak for themselves. It is a hidden process • This is often used by older persons who become deaf later in life.

22. The Deaf Community • Created their own Deaf Telephone Network • Wants International Access that is transparent • Must be directly involved and their needs listened to. ITU includes! • Participation and creativity in the past to be regarded with respect. • Experience must be respected.

23. Real Time text conversation User A User B Why do youneedcharacter by character transmission? Becausethenyou get a live conversationsuitable for a real time call. Yes, I see, I can read yourthoughts at the moment you express them. No waiting. Good!

24. Embracing total conversation • A deaf-blind womanuses multimedia communication(ITU-T F.703 service description): • Sheusessign-language • Shereceives text • Also for emergency services (Outreach 112 trial) Voice, video, text relay refreshable Braille device

25. Why People need Relay on the Go • In the USA some Relay providers use apps for Mobile phones. • Some use Android platforms others use Apple based apps for relay on the move. • Portability for Relay Services in real time for real time situations. • One major category of importance is real time emergency serivces

26. What is next to Discuss ? Future Global Access • Standards: Every relay service should be international like the telephone. • International numbering for global access. • Who should pay and equivalent service under article 9 of the UNCRPD. • Only 26 countries to date have relays

27. Standardizing Relay Services • ITU-T F.930 (03/2018) - Multimedia telecommunication relay services • Q26/16 leading the work in Relay Services and Guidelines for PWDs • Relay Service Providers and PWDs participated in the work

28. The list of countries with some form of Relay services. • Europe: (Europe) 16:Belgium, Czech, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands. Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland • Middle East 1: Egypt • The Americas 4:Canada, Colombia, Paraguay • USA many: access in all 52 States • Asia 3: Republic of Korea, Thailand, Japan  • Oceania 2: Australia, New Zealand  • Spain • Sweden • Sweden

29. Map of existing Relays

30. Final Message • People need relays to have full lives for work, family, friends, education and to contribute back to society and in real time • ITU continues to work on Accessibility for ALL

31. ACCESSIBLE EUROPE 2019 More information available at: http://itu.int/go/Accessible-Europe-19

32. Contact Andrea J. Saks • Chairman, ITU-T Joint Coordination Activity on Accessibility and Human Factors, (JCA-AHF) • Coordinator, Internet Governance Forum,Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability(IGF DCAD) • TDI Representative to ITU (website) G3ict Representative to ITU http://g3ict.org/about/management • Accessibility Advisor to USA delegations attending ITU-T and ITU-D Study Groups.E-mails: Andrea.andreasaks@microsoft.com