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Recently I attended a meeting in Toronto. In attendance at the meeting was the head of the Canadian Hearing Society, a gentleman from DELL and a representative from Microsoft. The purpose of the meeting was to explore the idea of creating a all-in-one communication product for the deaf community.
This meeting was more than business for most of us. The gentleman from Microsoft...his wife is deaf. My father-in-law is deaf. We viewed what we were discussing seriously as we had a personal (although admittedly incomplete) insight into the challenges the deaf and hard of hearing community face.
In that meeting a very powerful statement was made. "The deaf and hard of hearing community is constantly getting products and services promoted to them that was not designed for them. A company will create a service or product for the masses, then figure out how they can "morph it" to be relevant to the deaf and hard of hearing". That statement made a very big impression on me.
I left that meeting with the desire to create a new communication network designed specifically to meet the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community in both the United States and Canada. The good news was that we had all the individual parts we needed to make it happen.
There are many tools available today. Skype, SMS texting, video phone, relay services, tty (which is still the best way to communicate with large companies), etc. The goal was to try and bring as many of those communication options together as we could in a single software program. ACCESS is the result of those efforts.
The ACCESS Network
We have installed servers in both the United States and Canada specifically for ACCESS. These servers allow ACCESS users to communicate across a secure and stable communication platform. The servers will process both video-centric calls (Video phone and Video Remote Interpreting) and text-centric calls (Text call, Text relay service, Voice Carry Over, Messaging, and Chat). All calls placed between ACCESS users, be they video or text, are network based calls, so they are not routed through the telephone company or other companies that may capture and “mine” your personal information. In fact text calls (TTY, chat, messaging, text calls) between ACCESS users are encrypted and the ACCESS servers do not retain any information from a video or text call. The network will also route calls to your family and friends who do not use the ACCESS software. In this case, we have to route that call through a telecom company. When a person signs up for ACCESS, NexTalk assigns a local phone number to their software so they can place out-of-network calls.
The ACCESS network is not just for the Deaf and Hard of hearing, it’s also for anyone who wants to communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing. Friends, family, co-workers, church members, schools, daycare centers, dentist’s offices, insurance agents, businesses, etc. As more and more people (deaf and hearing alike) download the software and join the network, the better the communication is for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The ACCESS Software Program
ACCESS is available in a variety of editions. ACCESS Home Edition, ACCESS Education Edition, ACCESS Business Edition, and coming soon, ACCESS Healthcare Edition. These software programs are tailored to meet the needs of the respective places they are used (home, work, school, etc.) The software can be installed on any windows based desktop computer, laptop computer or tablet. We are planning on introducing Android and iOS versions next year, which will expand the mobile offering to smartphones.
Unlike previous communication tools that have been made available to the deaf and hard of hearing community, the ACCESS software program is provider agnostic. The initial version of ACCESS doesn’t include Video Relay Service. The reason for that is because we are working with as many VRS providers as we can to be able to connect to all of them via the software. This means that when we introduce the VRS function early next year, you will be able to choose which VRS provider you want to use (purple, Sorenson, ZVRS, Global, etc). The software will not “lock” you into a single provider.
The initial ACCESS software offering includes: ACCESS Video Phone, Video Remote Interpreting, Voice Carry Over, Text Relay Service, ACCESS Text Call, TTY calling (incoming and outgoing), Messaging, Chat and you can receive faxes. ACCESS includes administrative functions like phone books and text mail.
I am very excited about this new communication network. It was designed to improve communication for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. And, to be honest, it is for my father-in-law. I am hopeful that as his ability to communicate with his family and friend improves, he will be happier. It’s the least I can do to repay him for the wonderful daughter he raised…who became my amazing wife.
Please look at ACCESS and see if it might make life a little easier for you as well.
Thanks
Gary Tanner
www.nextalk.com
This meeting was more than business for most of us. The gentleman from Microsoft...his wife is deaf. My father-in-law is deaf. We viewed what we were discussing seriously as we had a personal (although admittedly incomplete) insight into the challenges the deaf and hard of hearing community face.
In that meeting a very powerful statement was made. "The deaf and hard of hearing community is constantly getting products and services promoted to them that was not designed for them. A company will create a service or product for the masses, then figure out how they can "morph it" to be relevant to the deaf and hard of hearing". That statement made a very big impression on me.
I left that meeting with the desire to create a new communication network designed specifically to meet the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community in both the United States and Canada. The good news was that we had all the individual parts we needed to make it happen.
There are many tools available today. Skype, SMS texting, video phone, relay services, tty (which is still the best way to communicate with large companies), etc. The goal was to try and bring as many of those communication options together as we could in a single software program. ACCESS is the result of those efforts.
The ACCESS Network
We have installed servers in both the United States and Canada specifically for ACCESS. These servers allow ACCESS users to communicate across a secure and stable communication platform. The servers will process both video-centric calls (Video phone and Video Remote Interpreting) and text-centric calls (Text call, Text relay service, Voice Carry Over, Messaging, and Chat). All calls placed between ACCESS users, be they video or text, are network based calls, so they are not routed through the telephone company or other companies that may capture and “mine” your personal information. In fact text calls (TTY, chat, messaging, text calls) between ACCESS users are encrypted and the ACCESS servers do not retain any information from a video or text call. The network will also route calls to your family and friends who do not use the ACCESS software. In this case, we have to route that call through a telecom company. When a person signs up for ACCESS, NexTalk assigns a local phone number to their software so they can place out-of-network calls.
The ACCESS network is not just for the Deaf and Hard of hearing, it’s also for anyone who wants to communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing. Friends, family, co-workers, church members, schools, daycare centers, dentist’s offices, insurance agents, businesses, etc. As more and more people (deaf and hearing alike) download the software and join the network, the better the communication is for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The ACCESS Software Program
ACCESS is available in a variety of editions. ACCESS Home Edition, ACCESS Education Edition, ACCESS Business Edition, and coming soon, ACCESS Healthcare Edition. These software programs are tailored to meet the needs of the respective places they are used (home, work, school, etc.) The software can be installed on any windows based desktop computer, laptop computer or tablet. We are planning on introducing Android and iOS versions next year, which will expand the mobile offering to smartphones.
Unlike previous communication tools that have been made available to the deaf and hard of hearing community, the ACCESS software program is provider agnostic. The initial version of ACCESS doesn’t include Video Relay Service. The reason for that is because we are working with as many VRS providers as we can to be able to connect to all of them via the software. This means that when we introduce the VRS function early next year, you will be able to choose which VRS provider you want to use (purple, Sorenson, ZVRS, Global, etc). The software will not “lock” you into a single provider.
The initial ACCESS software offering includes: ACCESS Video Phone, Video Remote Interpreting, Voice Carry Over, Text Relay Service, ACCESS Text Call, TTY calling (incoming and outgoing), Messaging, Chat and you can receive faxes. ACCESS includes administrative functions like phone books and text mail.
I am very excited about this new communication network. It was designed to improve communication for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. And, to be honest, it is for my father-in-law. I am hopeful that as his ability to communicate with his family and friend improves, he will be happier. It’s the least I can do to repay him for the wonderful daughter he raised…who became my amazing wife.
Please look at ACCESS and see if it might make life a little easier for you as well.
Thanks
Gary Tanner
www.nextalk.com
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