Sorenson VRS NOT Deaf Community Friendly
So, I get forwarded this job ad – Video Relay Services Operations Coordinator.
Sorenson VRS already has a center in Ann Arbor, MI and the rumor is that they established that center in Ann Arbor to directly compete with CAC VRS in Flint. Now they are setting up another center here in my hometown? How many states out there that do not have a VRS center? I would wager there are many states that have none, while MI already has two.
Why is that? MI already has a hard time finding qualified community interpreters. What is it about MI that is so special to Sorenson? Do we really need three VRS centers here in MI now? Does Sorenson VRS enjoy depriving the local deaf communities of their interpreters?
Seems to me that Sorenson VRS doesn’t care much for the Deaf Community, as they already have a reputation for having an extremely low glass ceiling for their deaf employees. Now this?
Way to go, Sorenson. You’ve certainly endeared yourselves to me and the Deaf Community. I think it’s time for me to switch VRS providers.
EDIT: Michigan is #8 in the United States for D/deaf people.. That means we have a LOT of D/deaf people here! But we are #40 for interpreters available which means we have very FEW interpreters!
Now Sorenson wants to set up a 3rd call center here, while we’re screaming and crying for interpreters!
Especially here in Grand Rapids … we only have three or four nationally certified interpreters, and five interpreters who are QA 3 (the highest state certificate).
Why does Sorenson want to be here?
32 Comments
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IamMine said,
September 1, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Yup…
I can give you *my* theory why they’re doing it AGAIN in Michigan.
Oppression is the worst in Michigan. Even a friend told me that out of five states she lived and associated with the Deaf Community, Michigan was the WORST!
Kick them when they’re down, you know?
That’s why I am hesitant about getting my Sorenson fixed.
I’m fine with my HOVRS.
Oh by the way, Sorenson wouldn’t hire deafies other than VP installers when they opened positions.
My deaf friends were rejected for management positions in favor of WHITE CODAs.
Go get ‘em, girl!
So True said,
September 1, 2007 at 8:53 pm
This is quite true – when it comes to hiring deafies in certain areas. But there are some deafies as Outreach Managers, aka Eric Emmons comes in mind. Also Liz (someone) as a Texas, Ok, and Ark Manager – something like that. But you have to admire Sorenson’s technology – but they are the Microsoft of the Deaf Community – you can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them.
duke said,
September 1, 2007 at 10:47 pm
sorenson took over the deaflympics recognition and forbade others to promote vrs there, even though the deaflympics decided to venue in utah before sorenson had their vrs set up.
yeah i unds about the mentality where sorenson is missing a sensitivity chip with the deaf community. i’ve experienced their approach firsthand before when i used to work for another VRS provider, i.e. the deaflympics issue.
People cannot live without sorenson as “so true” says but sounds like MI gotta improve the interp recruiting and make sure MI is on top of things, i.e. benefits, proficiency, competing wages, so they won’t be too worried sorenson will steal them. seems they are.
W. David Samuelsen said,
September 1, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Reply to #3 Duke
You have very wrong information.
Sorenson never forbade others to promote VRS. At the time CSD-VRS had Sprint contract, and as such can not promote in any Olympic related events per USOC’s very strict sponsor rules.
As for interpreters – competition is good and not only that – pay is even better because it forces the agencies/companies who contract or manage interpreters to improve the interpting skills and increase pay.
And to add to that – also force the state to take closer look at the laws governing the interpreters and make improvements to them through licensure laws as well as training programs.
I can tell you in my state where Sorenson has the headquarters – the quality of interpreters had improved so much.
And for the ignorants – the work pressure is incredible at Sorenson, that there’s turnovers due to burnouts. Not even CODAs are free from burnouts.
Get your facts straight first!
Annoymous said,
September 1, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Did you know Sorenson from HQ stole many interpreters from other states? Sorenson has over 1800 Interpreters, mostly not qualified interpreters. So is HOVRS. You will find some interesting about HOVRS coming soon.
CSDVRS is awesome!
Jean Boutcher said,
September 2, 2007 at 12:01 am
#5 Maybe interpreters are offered handsome
salaries by Sorenson.
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 2, 2007 at 12:13 am
The Sorenson interpreters are paid a very nice salary, work only 4 days, and have benefits.
I am going to get D-Link and use CSD VRS. Screw Sorenson! They don’t care about us.
deaf258 said,
September 2, 2007 at 1:32 am
I thought HOVRS pays better than SorensonVRS?? And HOVRS only hire certified and licensed interpreters while SorensonVRS does not always ensure their interpreters are certified?
DT said,
September 2, 2007 at 6:04 am
Well, I don’t know too much about this but time will tell who will stand strongest in the long run. I understand there are 17 VRS companies in the USA now. No wonder the FCC wants to cut the rates because 17 companies indicates to me that the wheels of capitalism are running amok!
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 2, 2007 at 10:46 am
What’s so hard to understand about this issue?
See my edited post… maybe it’ll help clear up things.
Jean Boutcher said,
September 2, 2007 at 11:46 am
#9 DT: That is typically laissez-faire and antitrust.
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 2, 2007 at 12:45 pm
FYI: http://www.csdvrs.com/vrs/freevp.aspx
Anonymous said,
September 2, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I would like to respond to David Samuelsen regarding Sorenson and interpreters.
With all due respect, we don’t have an ITP or interpreter’s training program within 50 miles in radius even though a local commuter college just started a new one couple of years ago. Still, that’s not enough.
Not only that, two of our largest interpreting agencies here are non-profit and cannot afford to offer more than what we would love to pay our interpreters but the reality dictates that it’s not just possible.
What we don’t understand is WHY, why Sorenson felt or saw the need to impose its call center here in our city where we are struggling to get enough qualified interpreters simply because there aren’t too many interpreters around here. Why wouldn’t Sorenson place its call center eslewhere such as in bigger Deaf community with a GREAT influx of interpreters that it doesn’t jeopardize the Deaf community in terms of stealing away their only best and qualified interpreters?
What I’m seeing on the part of Sorenson is the lack of sensitivity and not having the hindsight to consult with the Deaf community here beforehand. It reminds us of the ‘hearing oppression’ mentality all over again.
I’m sure I don’t want to remind you that Sorenson is started and run by hearing people whereas deaf people aren’t hired in the managerial/supervisory positions except to install VPs.
All the more reason why this comes as distressing and potentially troubling for all of us here in the Deaf community especially in Grand Rapids.
By the way, I hereby invite you to come visit here in Grand Rapids so you can explore and see what truly is the situation here.
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 2, 2007 at 1:04 pm
#13, thanks for your comment… by the way, I already invited the outside Deaf Community to come visit Grand Rapids several weeks ago, and so far, NO TAKERS!
*shrugs*
IamMine said,
September 2, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Hey, I’d come to GR… just got to find a “free” weekend!
Not to mention when the gas price is “low” enough for a couple of hours of driving!
I assume I’d have a place to crash!
I just talked to hubby and he made a good point… they want to do this in GR ‘cuz it’s “white” money there and GR is thriving.
Hmm?
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 2, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Yeah, you got a place to crash at, IamMine.
I dunno about GR thriving… Unemployment is pretty high here as well. It is definitely lily-white, though.
I suspect Sorenson came here, because GR is FAMOUS for having a spineless Deaf Community. And apparently the rest of the state couldn’t care less about us because they still think it’s useless to help us or something. I have NOT gotten any response from state Deaf leaders about helping us fight this. *shakes head*
IamMine said,
September 2, 2007 at 4:28 pm
It’s labor weekend – they are resting!
Ironic, I know… bwahahah.
But we’ll keep bugging everyone till it annoys their eyes and hands!
I’ll make a vlog for you if you want.
Or suggest the Deaf Leaders to make one and post it on their website!
Thanks for the offer on the place to crash!
I hope I’ll visit sooner than later!
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 2, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Making a vlog on this would REALLY help! Thanks, IamMine.
DT said,
September 2, 2007 at 6:00 pm
#11 Jean Boutcher…..can you please expand on your response to me? Thanks….
Anonymous said,
September 2, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I also understand that Sorenson is tapping on the most recent ITP graduates as well. (and I work for an ITP program — and my students have told me that they’ve been approached by Sorenson just before graduation.)
Geez, these babies barely graduated from ITP. Let them get their feet wet, will ya?? Let them get a bit interpreting experience before grabbing them into VRS, will ya?
Nope, I ain’t using Sorenson VRS! The less we use Sorenson VRS terps, perhaps they’ll go away??
Anonymous said,
September 3, 2007 at 9:16 am
#16 According to a friend, it is why Sorenson Center was set up in Philadelphia — another spineless Deaf community.
I am disgusted with the quality of interpreters by Sorenson and have ever since used other VRS instead. I don’t find them to be deaf-friendly and they’re here to profit off us.
IamMine said,
September 3, 2007 at 10:22 am
#20 – exactly.
If we band together and resist Sorenson, their business will slow down.
What I’m hoping out of this is forcing Sorenson to change – hiring more deafies to give them empowerment and economic power. Provide them opportunities by offering job training.
Not on the lowest level of job positions like VP installations!
AND being sensitive to the needs of the Deaf Community OUTSIDE of their organization such as interpreters. They do have this ability to help out with our great need of getting good interpreters in this sorry state.
This can only be done if we stop being spineless!
Use our spines, dammit!
Until then, we’ve got to brag about our other VRS services to attract other deafies with information on what they stand for and how many deaf employees they have, what they have done, etc…
ALAN JEFFERS said,
September 3, 2007 at 11:20 am
TRY GET http://WWW.SNAPVRS.COM WILL BE BETTER FOR MICHIGIAN SEE IF WORK FOR YOU REALLY FASTEST INTEPETER AND LEAVE ANSWER MACHINE WITH SIGN LANGUAGE IT REALLY COOL
IamMine said,
September 3, 2007 at 11:36 am
Looks like maybe I’m unintentionally banned from this site.
*scratches head*
My comments are not showing up at all…
IamMine said,
September 3, 2007 at 11:36 am
Alan – I’ve already signed up with snapvrs about a month or two ago and still waiting for the product to arrive via mail.
They said it could take a while.
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 3, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I don’t like SnapVRS… only a 7 inch screen? No thanks.
DEAFMICAN said,
September 3, 2007 at 3:29 pm
In case you haven’t heard that Sorenson already recruited interpreters from Ontario, CANADA! I got a nagging suspicion that they are trying to bring them over to Michigan where most of Michigan borders shares with Ontario. Yes Sorenson went to Hamiliton, Ontario to recruit “certified” interps and do the relay work at their homes. Of course Ontarians won’t get relay service or VP at all…NONE!!! Those intepreters “recruited” from Ontario SERVES Deaf Americans using Sorenson VRS. Deaf Canadians are getting shafted and lost good quality interps to Sorenson. They are already low on qualified interps and Sorenson just came and swooped them.
Ontario Association of the Deaf were outraged and filed complaint to Ministry of Communications and I don’t know what results from it. This is a violation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Act). What did Ontario Deaf get in return for Sorenson taking their qualified interpreters ??? NOTHING ! It clearly violates NAFTA laws.
One good thing coming for those Ontarians is that HOVRS came to the rescue. They provide VP AND VRS service. VPs are free to those Deaf Ontarians and to Canada. They are getting the same treatment as the Deaf Americans enjoyed for years getting it free. I know it came years too late to Canadians. Some Deaf Canadians already bought $200 to $300 worth of VPs for their own uses.
My hat off to HOVRS for doing something about it that Sorenson took Deaf Canadian for granted.
Anonymous said,
September 3, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Right… Sorenson’s view is that Deaf people are constantly using their services (why is it the wait time for the next available interpreter so long?!), so they need to build more and more call centers. They don’t care if there is a severe interpreter shortage anywhere. Sorenson is not for community interpreters – Sorenson is for VRS interpreters, so they’ll build call centers where there are bound to be many interpreters in the area, as to attract the interpreters away from community interpreting work, and to join VRS work – like Deaf Pundit said in #7.
We Deafies need to work together — do not use Sorenson VRS terps. Use other VRS services. The less we use Sorenson, they’ll realize that they need to listen to us…??
Gotta hope for that!
A Deaf Pundit said,
September 3, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Grand Rapids is SCARCE for interpreters. We already have a severe interpreting shortage. So this doesn’t make sense to me, really.. Why here? We’re already fighting for more interpreters.
jessica said,
September 3, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Would the FCC be a good place to express your concerns abt the impact of VRS centers on community interpreting? Perhaps they can set up some kind of regulations to ensure a reasonable balance between vrs services and community interpreting services.
Sorenson VRS *not* Deaf Community Friendly [ASL Version] « The Deaf Edge said,
September 6, 2007 at 3:26 pm
[...] Interpreters , Deaf Civil Rights , Michigan , Rants For the non-signers, see my blog post here. I did a vlog, to make sure everyone understands what I am saying about Sorenson [...]
Paul Kiel said,
September 6, 2007 at 8:49 pm
From reading all the blogs about losing terps to vrs and other issues, it is clear form of audism at work. They are trying to weaken us so they can do more of evil deeds.
The terps got greedy and want those benefits above the needs of the deaf. They look for comforts first over our sufferings.
This is sooooo saaaaad how the competition is… without terps, the system is harder. We have to resort to other means of typing out our communications through e-mails, ttys, and others (I wont say much as too many fat noses in our deaf business)
Keep EDGEing them! The terps will face consequences soon!
Good job and I root for you!
=)