Sorenson opens interpreting center in Memphis

Here's the article I got from USA_L_News:

"From the newsroom of the Memphis Business Journal, Memphis, Tennessee, Tuesday, December 26, 2006 .....

Sorenson opens interpreting center in Memphis

Sorenson Communications, a provider of video relay services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, has opened eight new Video Relay Service Interpreting Centers, including one in Memphis.

Sorenson VRS is a free service that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who use sign language to conduct video relay calls with hearing individuals through an interpreter via videophone, high-speed Internet connection and a standard television set.

"The proliferation of Sorenson VRS Interpreting Centers is an indication of our company's commitment to the deaf community to provide access to professional VRS interpreters," said Chris Wakeland, vice president of interpreting for Sorenson Communications, in a statement. "These VRS interpreting centers connect deaf individuals with the hearing world, allowing them to communicate in American Sign Language, their native language."

The company's other new locations will be in Boise, Idaho; Columbia, Mo.; Fresno, Calif.; Kansas City; Knoxville, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Omaha, Neb.

© 2006 American City Business Journals, Inc. :"


Wow.. That's third Interpreting Center in our state of Tennessee by the same company! Just one plain same company??? Umm.. Please don't get me WRONG, but I know the videophone is a HUGE benefit for everyone! and even our local interpreters as well, yet.. it may not benefit to our local community centers in Tennessee, Why? because of the better salaries from the big companies and short of the numbers of the interpreters in our state, we may have to face some problem about finding several good interpreters in case of emergency WHEN we NEED them?? You have to think about it..

My $64,000 question is.. How could we solve this problem? How could we get the interpreters to get involved with us at the our local community centers? I know many of you whom I met in the past, on their major concern about lack of the interpreter services because our community centers could not completed against the big companies due to $$$$ and You may not realized that our state of Tennessee gave the same rate every year to our community centers for more than 12 years!

What we do? We want to ask you for contacting your local (state's legislative of Tennessee) to ask them to get increase their rates to support our community centers! You will hear from our TAD community or check with your local community center if you can ask them to get updated information.

Please check on our TAD blog often as much as you could, whatever I have resources to inform all of you on this blog.

Thanks!

PMRjr, TAD President