Library Offers Technology for Patrons with Hearing Impairments
As many in this country observe March as National Deaf History Month, the Springfield-Greene County Library reminds the public about a free service to help eliminate communication barriers for patrons with hearing impairments.
The Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) service allows patrons to converse in real time with a trained American Sign Language interpreter about a library service or research request.
No scheduling is required and the service is free for patrons through the Library’s contract with Propio Language Services. Propio has a network of independently contracted interpreters, so interpreters are available 24/7, 365 days a year. The service is available during business hours at the Library Center, Library Station, Midtown Carnegie and Schweitzer Brentwood branches.
Here’s how it works:
- The patron and library staff member use an iPad already loaded with VRI, and dial into the service via the internet.
- As soon as the call is connected, an off-site interpreter appears on the monitor.
- Using the videoconferencing technology, the interpreter can then translate conversations from the library staff’s spoken English to American Sign Language for the patron.
“The Library is a place for all community members, regardless if they have a disability or not, said Library Station librarian Tysha Shay. “We want to provide services and materials that are accessible to all and help those with disabilities use their library as independently as they want.” Library staff will still assist patrons who prefer to write down their questions on paper, she added.
VRI is used by U.S. hospitals, corporations, federal agencies, law enforcement, and other agencies to provide on-demand interpreting services especially when no on-site interpreter is available. The service uses secure and HIPAA-compliant software, and complies with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to Propio.
In Washington, D.C., this week, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio introduced a resolution to recognize March 13 through April 15 as “National Deaf History Month.” The dates coincide with the installment of the first deaf president at Gallaudet University, America’s first university for the deaf on March 13, 1988, and the opening of the first school for the deaf in the United States on April 15, 1817.
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