If We Have a Job -

   We were "safe". We knew it. Getting paid through the FCC - they would never dare cut back on funds to a vital company who helps Americans with disabilities - HA! Right.... safe.
   Have you ever thought about how a deaf or hard of hearing person makes a phone call? Have you ever thought about a deaf person at all? I don't mean these questions to sound emotionally raw or unkind, I just know that before I met The Beloved my answer to both of those questions were no.
   Since marrying him my eyes have been opened to a world that I had before unintentionally ignored. A fascinating world that has its own culture, language, and thriving community.
   The Beloved is employed by Sorenson Communications where he manages a Video Relay Service (VRS) Call Center. VRS allows a deaf person to call in using their own language  - wait, they have their own language? Yes - American Sign Language (ASL). In my past life I thought how hard can ASL be? Just learn the signs and then perform them to coincide with the English sentence. Not so easy my friends. ASL is its own language - completely different sentence structure.  - So, the deaf person calls in over broad-band and communicates with an interpreter, who speaks to a hearing person.
   VRS companies get paid by the FCC per interpeted minute. The FCC has recently made a proposal to lower this rate by 40% leaving Sorenson and other VRS companies no option, but to go bankrupt before the end of the year.
   How many times a day do you use your phone? Why do you use it? How would you feel if someone took it away? If the FCC follows through with their plan the deaf community loses the only functionally equivalent communication system they have to a hearing individual. Also, hundreds of jobs will be lost. Jobs held by hearing and deaf employees alike.

Here's a link to an awesome YouTube video that was put out by some of those in the deaf community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUHLYnc1LI

In this economy nobody  is "safe" but at least we can have a voice. The FCC is accepting comments re: this proposal until tomorrow.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/begin?procName=03-123&filedFrom=X

Here is a link to Sorenson's Save VRS website:
http://www.sorensonvrs.com/savevrs

Here is the link to the local news report My Beloved was on. Isn't he CUTE...
http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=12496764
The video is on the right side.

Until the 1st of July then :)  .... we'll let you know what the FCC has to report.