Geneva, 25 November 2011

Relay services in Australia - the consumer view

Danielle FriedDisability Policy Adviser

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network

ITU-T Workshop on“Telecommunications relay services for persons

with disabilities ”(Geneva, 25 November 2011)

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN)

National member group representing telecommunications consumers175 membersOne third organisational members represent people with disabilityAlso: community legal centres, farmers’ federations, financial counsellors, regional groups, seniors’ organisations, research bodies etc

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Australia’s National Relay Service (NRS)

Funded by levy on telcosGovernment manages contracts with two private providers (Relay & Outreach)Customer Consultative CommitteeDifferent call types for:

DeafHearing-impairedSpeech-impaired/complex communication needsWider community to call Deaf/HI/SI

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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

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Costs to consumersRelay service itself:

Free for all users (Deaf, hearing-impaired, speech-impaired, wider community)

Call costs:TTY, speech-to-speech, voice: 30-50cInternet relay: internet connection/data

Equipment:TTY – rent for same cost as other phoneOther – varies

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Call modes

TTYIP relay (“internet relay” - unidirectional)Speech to speech (“Speak and Listen”)Voice (to TTY or Speak and Listen)Emergency106 – TTY000 – internet relay, Speak and Listen, TTY

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NOT included in NRS (yet!)

Voice to internet relayVideo relayCaptioned telephonyServices for other PWD (eg cognitive)Disability equipment program

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An essential service

Real-time communicationUnlike email, SMS (text), faxIndependenceEmployabilityConvenienceAccess to government, business, NGOsNot possible via SMS (text), online chatEmergency calls

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Issues for consumers

Time taken for callsConsistency (esp. speech to speech)Difficult or not possible to receive calls (depending on equipment)Literacy issuesOutreach service unable to meet all needs (eg training in ‘phone norms’, Braille)Lack of SMS (text) access

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Issues for consumers (continued)

Refusal of businesses/family/friends to receive or handle relay callsRelay officer response timesCost (equipment, internet connection/data)Some emergency calls:

Not prioritisedResponse times/reliability guarantees

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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 YETGeneva, 25 November 2011 11

ACCAN’s vision – a Disability Telecommunications Service

Expanded relay servicesVideo relay (Auslan and speechreaders)Captioned telephonyNext-generation text relayServices for consumers with cognitive and other disabilities

Disability equipment programTTYs, computers, mobile/cell phonesSpecialised equipment to use these

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More information?

dani.fried@accan.org.auTwitter: @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,_older_australians_and_people_experiencing_illness ACCAN’s submission: http://bit.ly/ACCANNRSNational Relay Service: www.relayservice.com.auTrial services of video relay and captioned telephony: http://www.aceinfo.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=8

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