ITU-T Workshop on
“Telecommunications relay services for persons
with disabilities ”
(Geneva, 25 November 2011)
Relay services in Australia the consumer view
Danielle Fried
Disability Policy Adviser
Australian Communications
Consumer Action Network
Geneva, 25 November 2011
Australian Communications Consumer
Action Network (ACCAN)
National member group representing
telecommunications consumers
175 members
One third organisational members
represent people with disability
Also: community legal centres,
farmers’ federations, financial
counsellors, regional groups, seniors’
organisations, research bodies etc
Geneva, 25 November 2011
2
Australia’s National Relay Service
(NRS)
Funded by levy on telcos
Government manages contracts with
two private providers (Relay & Outreach)
Customer Consultative Committee
Different call types for:
Deaf
Hearing-impaired
Speech-impaired/
complex communication needs
Wider community to call Deaf/HI/SI
Geneva, 25 November 2011
3
Statistics
9000 Australians use NRS per month
3 160 003 call minutes in 2009-10
Half of all calls now via internet
15% of calls are ‘voice’ calls
Geneva, 25 November 2011
4
Costs to consumers
Relay service itself:
Free for all users (Deaf, hearingimpaired, speech-impaired, wider
community)
Call costs:
TTY, speech-to-speech, voice: 30-50c
Internet relay: internet connection/data
Equipment:
TTY – rent for same cost as other phone
Other – varies
Geneva, 25 November 2011
5
Call modes
TTY
IP relay (“internet relay” - unidirectional)
Speech to speech (“Speak and Listen”)
Voice (to TTY or Speak and Listen)
Emergency
106 – TTY
000 – internet relay, Speak and Listen,
TTY
Geneva, 25 November 2011
6
NOT included in NRS (yet!)
Voice to internet relay
Video relay
Captioned telephony
Services for other PWD (eg
cognitive)
Disability equipment program
Geneva, 25 November 2011
7
An essential service
Real-time communication
Unlike email, SMS (text), fax
Independence
Employability
Convenience
Access to government, business, NGOs
Not possible via SMS (text), online chat
Emergency calls
Geneva, 25 November 2011
8
Issues for consumers
Time taken for calls
Consistency (esp. speech to speech)
Difficult or not possible to receive
calls (depending on equipment)
Literacy issues
Outreach service unable to meet all
needs (eg training in ‘phone norms’, Braille)
Lack of SMS (text) access
Geneva, 25 November 2011
9
Issues for consumers (continued)
Refusal of businesses/family/friends
to receive or handle relay calls
Relay officer response times
Cost (equipment, internet connection/data)
Some emergency calls:
Not prioritised
Response times/reliability guarantees
Geneva, 25 November 2011
10
Does Australia’s relay service provide
functional equivalence?
Speed?
Privacy?
Inbound and outbound calls?
Natural conversation?
First or preferred language?
Access to a range of equipment?
Reliability (esp. of emergency calls)?
NOT YET
Geneva, 25 November 2011
11
ACCAN’s vision – a Disability
Telecommunications Service
Expanded relay services
Video relay (Auslan and speechreaders)
Captioned telephony
Next-generation text relay
Services for consumers with cognitive
and other disabilities
Disability equipment program
TTYs, computers, mobile/cell phones
Specialised equipment to use these
Geneva, 25 November 2011
12
More information?
dani.fried@accan.org.au
Twitter: @ACCAN_AU
Australian Government’s review of relay service etc:
http://www.dbcde.gov.au/consultation_and_submissions/review_
of_access_to_telecommunications_by_people_with_disability,_old
er_australians_and_people_experiencing_illness
ACCAN’s submission:
http://bit.ly/ACCANNRS
National Relay Service:
www.relayservice.com.au
Trial services of video relay and captioned telephony:
http://www.aceinfo.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=
article&id=1&Itemid=8
Geneva, 25 November 2011
13