Telecommunication Relay System lets speech, hearing impaired make calls

The advancement in technology has now made it possible to bridge communication gaps for people with speech disorders and hearing impairment, thanks to the services offered by (TTRS) the Thai Telecommunications Relay Service. (TRS)Telecommunication Relay System is a telephone service especially designed to let the people with disabilities communicate effectively and carry on with their daily work without being dependent on others for the communication needs.

TRS kiosks

The user via the TRS device makes a standard call which connects the handicapped person to an operator known as (CA's) Communications Assistants. The operator further makes an outbound call to the number provided by the person using a text input device and acts as a link between the disabled and the other individual. The CA basically, works as a mediator between the two parties and communicates using the text input by the first caller.

Currently, in its final testing phase, the TRS can certainly prove to be a great help for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have some kind of a speech disorder, but on the other hand privacy seems to be a matter of concern, not to forget the cost factor associated with it as well. Initially, 30 TRS kiosks would be placed at public places by TTRS in association with (UFPD) the Universal Foundation for people with disabilities.

Already, about 300 disabled people have been trained to operate the TRS and 9 CA's have been employed to take calls. Other than text and video relay services, sms, mms, wireless broadband access and speech-speech relay services will also be offered. All in all, we can expect that the TRS would open the doors of communication and independence for the physically challenged. To cut down on the costs and reduce the hassle of setting up the kiosks, integrating a software into iPods and iPads can be an option.

Via: BangkokPost