Telecommunications: VRS, VRI, and TRS

This image shows a lady wearing a black top with white polka dots sitting in front of a laptop and appears to be having sign language communication with someone on a video call.
With technology always seemingly one step ahead of us, it’s easy to confuse the various telecommunication services used to visually connect hearing and deaf people wishing to communicate with each other. Three primary telecommunication services are in use today: (1) video relay service (VRS), (2) telecommunications relay service (TRS), and (3) video remote interpreting (VRI). VRS and TRS are free programs regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, and VRI is a fee-based service that satisfies the communication-related mandates of the Americans With Disabilities Act. As their names suggest, VRS and VRI are video-based services, and TRS is text driven.
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Type of Resource: Overviews

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