Geneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion

Sign Language and technology - access, applications and interoperability

Jeff McWhinney,Managing Director

Significan’t (UK) Ltd

ITU-T Workshop"The impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights

of Persons with Disabilities on the work of the ITU-T"Geneva, 2 November 2009

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 2

Introduction - Key Partners

Jeff McWhinney – MD Significan’t–London, EnglandJacques Sangla – Chef de Projet – WebSourd, Toulouse, FranceEmmanuel Buu & Didier Chabanol – Co-Founders, IVèS, Grenoble, France

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 3

Article 9 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Disabled Person

2(e) To provide forms of live assistance and intermediaries, including guides, readers and professional sign language interpreters, to facilitate accessibility to buildings and other facilities open to the public;

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 4

Article 9 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Disabled Person

Problem: In the UK there are 250 deaf sign language users to a sign language interpreter – average waiting time = 2 weeks.Solution: Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)Avatars –

WebSourd

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 5

Article 9 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Disabled Person

2(g) To promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet;

2(h) To promote the design, development, production and distribution of accessible information and communications technologies and systems at an early stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at minimum cost.

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 6

Article 9 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Disabled Person

Solution: Video Relay Services

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 7

The Proof: US VRS market demand

Source: www.neca.org

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 8

Key barriers to efficient video calling

Lack of peering agreements amongst SIP providersHigh speed broadband access and availabilityInteroperability in video calling devicesENUM not widely implementedSolution?

Geneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion

Video Relay Services Centre

Jacques SanglaChef de Projet

WebSourd

ITU-T Workshop"The impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights

of Persons with Disabilities on the work of the ITU-T"Geneva, 2 November 2009

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 10

Video Access Point

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 11

Accessibility in Technology

The relay centre solution offers independence for deaf people enabling them to make direct phone calls. It avoids misunderstandings, missed appointments, stress and unnecessary trips for the deaf person.WebSourd relay centre is available on the internet through a P.C., a videophone or any other compatible terminal such as a 3G cell phone. It is then easy to communicate via a relay operator in sign language or type it out in French30.000 calls by 150 persons per year

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 12

The use of WebSourd’s Relay centre

Regular increase of the phone callsSociological study of the Relay Centre's users with four main kinds of phone calls:

To understand and be understood: quick access to an interpreterCommercial calls: to place orders or book items as well as getting information, compare prices and access to certain servicesTo get back in contact with people who have drifted away from the deaf person because of the lack of phonesTo change the way deaf people interact with society by being equal to others in communication

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 13

Criteria

Full and easy telecommunication network accessibilityAccess to phone calls free of chargeOpen and available 24 hours a dayAccess to the phone for allEasy use of the telecommunication deviceQuality requirements

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 14

The WebSourd Avatar

The implementation of the 3D avatar in computer generated images able to express itself in sign language on command and with two great principles

A guarantee of a high quality of animation that transcribes all linguistic treasures of the sign languagethe software development that can create the easiest sign language

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 15

The WebSourd Avatar (2)

The automatic message in sign language by an avatar is now a reality and can be expanded to other services in France or abroadThe WebSourd avatar has been developed with the SNCF. The Gare de l’Est in Paris is provided with information screens on which you can see Jade, the virtual assistant, making announcements in French sign language and this has been in operation since June 10th 2007

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 16

The WebSourd Avatar (3)

Geneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion

Accessibility in Technology

Emmanuel Buu & Didier ChabanolCo-Founders

IVèS

ITU-T Workshop"The impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights

of Persons with Disabilities on the work of the ITU-T"Geneva, 2 November 2009

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 18

Accessibility in Technology – The Needs

Relay services: intermediation when the two parties cannot communicate directly

Need to exchange media requirement and speech capabilities Remote assistanceText captioning for hard of hearing peopleVideo for remote assistance of people with visual impairments (indoor, outdoor), far end camera controlRemote reading by assistant (elderly people)

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 19

Relevant standards exists to fulfil those needs

Relevant (non-IMS) standardsReal-time text RFC 4103 and co: total conversationCamera control H.323 annex QDual video (remote viewing) H.239In call location http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-sip-location-conveyance-13

IMS represents a chance to integrate all these standard cleanly

First step: 3GPP TS 22.173 IMS Multimedia Telephony Service now says that it can be used to implement Total Conversation as described in ITU-T F.703

ITU-T Workshop on AccessibilityGeneva, 2 November 2009

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion 20

Implication for IMS networks

IMS based operators will need to accommodate devices which aim is to provide accessibility in real lifeAudio and video are not the only media/info to be handled in a call. Text, location (provided by terminal)Richer device to device control protocols for remote assistance (e.g. Camera control)IMS should be able to be used by service providers. Not only by major telcos