Pattaya’s Redemptorist School for Persons with Disabilities has become the first to deploy an Internet-enabled device to allow deaf people to communicate by telephone using sign language.
Thidarat Hemrungkha, head of training and communications for the Thai Telecommunications Relay Service (TTRS), showed off the Communication Service for Hearing impaired device at the Workability Asia Conference July 8.
Representatives from TTRS show off the new Internet-enabled device that allows deaf people to communicate by telephone using sign language.
Unlike conventional TDD phones for the hearing impaired, the TTRS machine is fitted with a web camera and screen that allows another person using the same device to communicate via sign language, rather than keyboard.
The TTRS can be used as a telephone for emergency or for calling guardians or friends, and includes features such as an ID card slot to allow easy transmittal of personal details, a keyboard, and an adjustable-height camera support.
The project was funded by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission with the cooperation of the Universal Foundation for Persons with Disabilities and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center.
Currently, 120 TTRS machines are installed nationwide in 42 schools, 19 government offices, 8 transport stations, 27 department stores, 21 hearing-impairment clubs, and two private organizations. The Redemptorist School is the only location in Pattaya to have one.
Deaf people who would like to use the device can apply at the Thai Telecommunication Relay Service in Bangkok. E-mail thidarat.ttrs@ gmail.com or visit ttrs.or.th for more information.
