TDI wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about its discussion with the Project IRIS team led by Gary Behm on the creation of the one-number solution in smartphones. Smartphones can receive calls using a selected mobile phone number while choosing the telecommunication application to answer a call.
The Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) users have several phone numbers given by the TRS providers to use relay services. It is a hassle to have at least two TRS phone numbers to receive calls. The Project IRIS was built to resolve that problem by having several TRS phone numbers. This allows the TRS users freely pick their preferred telecommunication application to answer the calls. There is no other telecommunications user that is burdened with that process. Which unfairly singling out deaf and hard of hearing people in numerous ways. It also applies to the call forwarding option since the VRS users are not familiar with the dialing process for the call forwarding which results in lost job opportunities, confusion with medical appointments, and other life-affecting obstacles.
Therefore, TDI supports the Project IRIS since it will provide an equitable experience for deaf and hard of hearing consumers to be able to share their one phone number to use and receive calls without any glitches. They should not be tasked with remembering multiple phone numbers to anyone nor explaining which number to use.
For more information about Project Iris, visit the following link: https://www.irisaccessibility.org/
Letter:
CG 03-123 — Telecommunication Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities
Join Us at TDI, Become a Member Today
TDI represents 48 million Americans who have some degree of hearing loss.
We welcome all members of the deaf and hard of hearing community (DHH): deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, deafblind, lip-readers, cued-users, veterans with hearing loss, senior citizens, deafdisabled, and/or having additional sensory, mobility, cognitive or other communication disabilities.
TDI represents the entire DHH community with one goal. To ensure every person has equitable access to the nation’s telephone, cable, television, radio, and broadband networks.
Join us and become a member today: tdiforaccess.org/membership/