911 Text Messaging Trial

An improvement on the accessibility of communications services for the hearing and speech impaired:

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced a three-month trial that will allow 911 call centres to communicate with pre-registered participants with hearing and speech impairments by text message.

http://deafbc.ca/archives/6324

Posted via email from Ann Reflection

Using (Cell) Phone: Visual Voice Mail

Normal 0 false false false EN-CA ZH-HK X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

the following info comes from Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

Visual Voice Mail (Voice to text messaging)

There is a new service being provided by Telus (and perhaps other carriers). It is called Visual Voice Mail.

Telus describes it as:

"Don’t worry about missing important messages when you are unable to answer your phone. With TELUS Visual Voice Mail, there’s no need to dial in to pick up your messages, you just read them on screen.

Read it instead of listening to it

Visual Voice Mail converts your voice mail messages to text and delivers them straight to you as SMS or email within minutes. The converted message will include the phone number of the caller embedded in the text.

Keep record of your voice mail.

You can view all of your messages in one convenient inbox and have a visual record of who called and what they said. "

Telus provides this service for a monthly fee of $7.50. However it is currently being offered for a free 30 day trial.

This is the link to the information.

or you can call: 1 800 316 0979 or Visit your nearest store

Comments from WIDHH staff using this service already:

"It works well except if a person does not speak clearly when they leave a msg, a word will either be skipped or spelled phonetically. Also, if the voice message is long, it will cut out some of the mssage and leave a request for you to call and listen to the rest of the message."

Posted via email from Ann Reflection

Assistive Technology Co-operative: Community Needs Assessment

Assistive Technology Co-operative: Community Needs Assessment

A co-operative is a business organization that is owned and operated by a group of individuals who become members for their mutual benefit. In order to become a member, you must make a one time share purchase. To learn more about co-operatives, and how they may apply to assistive technology, click here.

In order to better understand what people with disabilities, their families and supporters think about the idea of an assistive technology co-operative we are launching a community survey using small group meetings in various communities as well as an on-line questionnaire.

Please help us to better understand if an assistive technology co-operative could help you to meet your needs or the needs of someone you know.

Take a few minutes to fill out our online-survey by clicking the link http://bcatcoop.wordpress.com/

Posted via email from Ann Reflection