Message from Sorenson on Current Events at Gallaudet
By Shane Feldman on Wed 25 Oct 2006 |
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This message is being brought to you by Sorenson Communications.
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Sorenson Communications’ Messaging on Current Events at Gallaudet
- Sorenson Communications is aware of, and is following closely, the current events at Gallaudet University.
- Sorenson prides itself on providing communications services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. The primary goal of our company is to provide opportunities and methods for all deaf individuals to express themselves. We make every effort to enable many means of communications for deaf individuals, including deaf-to-deaf video calls (for which Sorenson is not reimbursed) and deaf-to-hearing video calls (or Video Relay Services, for which Sorenson is reimbursed through the federal Telecommunications Relay Services fund). We firmly believe that all deaf Americans are entitled to access to communications services. We work all day, every day, to expand their ability to express individual views.
- Because we are a communications company, our role is to serve the communications needs of all deaf people, and we cannot express opinions on matters outside our core business. Our job is to provide a service that allows everyone the opportunity to be heard.
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23 Comments
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They don’t have a sack, if you ask me.
Time to use another VP company?
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Sorenson, you are with us or against us!
I for one will be using their service - it’s in their best interest to be neutral and I applaud them for that.
Their hands are glued to a $5 million stake on the campus. That’s why they wont use it for anything else there. Kudos to HOVRS!
What is that other company videophone company name (btw, how many VP companies are their anyway?)? Who is the president of that? And if any relationship with Gallaudet?
Kudos to them for remaining neutral, unlike several organizations “for the deaf”. I have Sorenson VP and I am very happy that I don’t need to replace it. McConnell, I believe you’re referring to C.S.D., the company that Ben Soukup founded, they lost the Gallaudet bid to Sorenson.
and as you probably know, McConnell, Ben Soukup is on the Board of Trustees. He abstained from voting on the recent presidential selection because of a conflict of interest. You asked about other relay companies, there’s a bunch of them. Hawk Relay sponsors deafread.com, and Hands On Video Relay Services (HOVRS) donated interpreting services to the protestors.
Isn’t trying to sway JKF (or was that IKJ) a conflict of interest, too? Didn’t he try to do that like last week?
McConnell, not sure whether that is rumor or fact … rumors are thick upon the ground about just how many of the BoT members really do support JKF. The protestors are plotting to get 11 members on their side - they think they have 7 now, and want 4 more. The circus continues!
Guess it’s time I look for another video relay service. Have had Sorenson since it first came out. Will look for a Deaf owned business… Good bye Sorenson. Hope many follow me… Your tough luck!
I think it’s smart for Sorenson to stay neutral in this. Jumping on bandwagons is never a good idea.
That’s an interesting statement — jumping on bandwagons is never a good idea.
Let me amplify that — jumping on a MOVING bandwagon is never a good idea. :-)
I’m about jumping on moving bandwagons and our agency is about jumping on moving bandwagons too. It’s a winning trend here in Orange County, California.
Well, just be sure you don’t fall off a moving bandwagon!
I cant, I’m too sticky. Hahahahahah.
I think he’s already fallen off a buncha bandwagons already; he’s knocked his head so hard and often, his progeny will be born dizzy! LOL!
Sorenson has a contract with Gallaudet and utilizes their pool of staff interpreters, and both make a bundle from the partnership. To the tune of millions. They’re practically the only game on the campus, with an exclusive agreement and their videophone booths all over the 99-acre campus.
Now think about the Gallaudet interpreters, at once employees of Gallaudet and outsourced to Sorenson; they see the media who want to talk with the students, but were instructed by the administration not to interpret for them. Even after work hours.
For Sorenson to say they don’t have a position on that is gutless.
HOVRS, on the other hand, saw a clear need for communication access and jumped in with volunteer interpreters. So has IP-Relay, BIS (Hamilton), and i711 (GoAmerica) in other forms.
Screw Sorenson. These hard-working interpreters at Gallaudet deserve better than the working conditions Dr. Jordan tried to impose upon them. Their skills in the afterhours are theirs to give to the community should they wish that, not to be enslaved 24/7 by Dr. Jordan.
Sorenson has an obligation to make sure its interpreters are treated appropriately. And it chose to say “We cannot express opinions on matters outside our core business.” Gutless, gutless, gutless, gutless, gutless.
Actually, BIS policy is to not volunteer services as representatives of BIS. Any BIS interpreters who are on campus and representing themselves as BIS are violating policy. GIS is the interpreting agency on campus and they should be responsible for the interpreting services provided. If terps want to volunteer services, they may do so but not represent the agency they’re from.
Right, BIS didn’t offer interpreting services, but other forms of assistance. I apologize for my awkward sentence structure up there. I believe only HOVRS provided interpreting services.
GIS employees were told not to interpret even in their free time. Sorenson uses these same interpreters and their neutrality is tantamount to condoning that restriction. What’s next, the administration telling GIS that they cannot chat with faculty and students? And will Sorenson again go, “We are hands off”?
The above should have been a response nestled under #28658
I don’t know what the contract between Sorenson and GIS/Gallaudet says, and I’m not going to assume anything. If terps like myself want to volunteer their services as individuals (not as representatives), then I don’t have a problem with that. Maybe the issue is that these terps are working on campus already, so their “association” with Sorenson/GIS is already known. But any other [anonymous] interpreter could walk onto campus and provide services and not disclose which agency they work with/for (if they do). It’s a sticky issue of neutrality, code of ethics, contractual agreements, individual agency policies, etc.
GIS terps wouldn’t have to be working 24/7 if it wasn’t for the protestors.
By the way, GIS terps were allowed to terp on their own time because it is their OWN time.
I am glad Sorenson is staying out of this. There are a few other orgs that should get out of this, too.
see…thats what I am talking about…a big “D” right there… (mocking) “with us or against us”
Did Sorensen won the contract because they added that James Lee Soresen building will be included? Is that a form of “bribe?”