Communication: ASL, VRI, VRS in WPB

Scott Ostermiller, Regional Director for Sorenson Communications, conducted VRI/VRS training at the West Palm Beach P&DC. Photo: Marguerite Goulet L to R: Doug Leakey, Clerk Cleotria Green, HR Specialist Coleen Lovin, Chef Steward George Gervasi, Mail Handler Mark Hersh, and Supervisor Richard Guevara Attend the VRI/VRS presentation. Photo: Marguerite Goulet

Behind English and Spanish, American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most communicated language in the United States. And the Postal Service is one of the nation’s largest employers of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. To improve communication with deaf/hard-of-hearing employees, the Postal Service is expanding its Video Remote Interpreter (VRI) and Video Relay Service (VRS) to nearly 300 facilities nationwide --- including the West Palm Beach P&DC. Employees at other South Florida plants will benefit from VRI and VRS in the near future. The services allow employees who use ASL to take part in meetings or discussions during a video conference using an ASL interpreter. With VRI, interpreters translate sign language to voice and voice to sign language for individuals at a common location. These communications are transmitted over high-speed internet and displayed on a large-screen TV. VRS is a visual telephone system equipped with a web camera and is used for conversations between hearing and deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals at different locations.