What’s Inside?Messages from Relay NC and CapTel NC ManagersNew FCC Order for STSLooking for a STS Outreach Specialist Position?Sponsorship Information

Pictures from Community Events Clearing Things Up with CapTelRegistration for CapTel 800i/840i/880iTrivia Questions

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Mark Whisenant was born to deaf parents who raised their three hearing children in

Greensboro. His parents both attended and graduated from the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton. They got married in 1946, one year after their graduation. Mark’s parents were married for almost 64 years before his father passed away.

Mark received his degree in business computer programming at Guilford Technical Community College. After graduation he went to work for the American Express call center in Greensboro. He eventually entered into management with that company, and, during holiday peak times, he was responsible for 200 employees. Mark became Dr. Frank Turk’s interpreter. Dr. Turk was the Division Director of DSDHH. Upon Dr. Turk’s retirement, Mark was given the opportunity to establish DSDHH’s 7th regional center in Greensboro, which he did in 1996.

During the Greensboro Regional Center’s first several years, Mark was the only staff person providing services to a 10-county region in central North Carolina. The Greensboro center has expanded to become a fully staffed regional center within DSDHH. Mark was promoted to Field Services Supervisor for DSDHH in 2006 and moved to Raleigh. Since becoming the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) administrator in October of 2012, he has faced the challenge of

Introducing Mark Whisenant as Our New Community & Telecommunications Resources Program Manager

learning about the telecommunication relay world. He said that for him, “learning and navigating the FCC’s

recertification requirement was a good way to learn the whole ‘package’.” He feels that

having to go through that process was a great way to start out in his new position. Mark’s current position Community and Telecommunications Resources Program Manager not only has him busy with the TRS and Equipment Distribution Service (EDS) side of DSDHH but he also has oversight of the Community Resources Program. He believes that

combining the management of both programs is an excellent customer service

approach. So many times when a person applies for telecommunications equipment

they are dealing with other hearing loss related issues in their life. Having the Telecommunications and Community Resources programs working in tandem allows DSDHH staff to provide a wide range of services.

Mark has three main goals for his work here:

1) He wants to see the success of National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, which provides equipment to deaf-blind people.

2) He wants to make sure that the DSDHH offers up to date technology for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

3) He wants to ensure Relay NC is at the top of its field and is always available to educate everyone about the latest in Relay NC services.

Greetings everyone! It is hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner. Retail stores have already had their festive

displays with Christmas trees decked with ornaments up for a few months! Are you ready for the holiday? I’m sure you’re getting ready to draft up long lists of all the presents you plan to get for your family and friends. I love the holidays because it brings family and friends together and gives us the opportunity to spend quality time with each other. Most importantly, if your family and friends are too far away to visit, be sure to give them a call and tell them you’re thinking of them during this holiday season by using one of our many relay services. It is so simple to use and a great way to reconnect with your loved ones. Happy Holidays to each of you and see you in the brand new year: 2014!

RelayNCly, Bola Desalu, Relay NC Manager

Deck the halls!!! It’s my favorite time of the year; complete with lighted trees, hot chocolate and special holiday foods. As the year

comes to a close, it’s time CapTel NC slows down with all of the festivals we participated in this year. In 2013 we took part in a total of 98 exhibits! The CapTel Consultants provided over 200 free installations and trainings throughout the state for people who received their CapTel phone. The CapTel PSA recently wrapped up after airing for two-and-a-half months. Although the year is not yet complete for CapTel NC, so far we have enabled over 380,000 calls through our service.

Soon, we will be visiting the Regional Centers for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing where we will host a booth and get the opportunity to see consumers from all parts of the state. We love these events because they give us the chance to say THANK YOU for your support of CapTel NC by enjoying the service or spreading the word to others. From myself and the CapTel Consultants, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season. See you next year!

Best Regards, Kim Calabretta, NC CapTel Manager

A Message from Relay NC Manager

A Message from CapTel NC Manager

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Do you know anyone who is interested in applying for the STS Outreach Specialist job?

Job Title: Part time Speech-to-Speech Outreach Specialist

Job Description: Speech-to-Speech is a form of Relay Services that provides Communications Assistants (CAs) for people with speech disabilities who have difficulty being understood on the phone. An STS CA is a trained individual familiar with many different speech patterns and language recognition skills. The CA makes the call and repeats the caller’s words exactly. Individuals using STS include those with cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, a laryngectomy, ALS, stuttering, muscular dystrophy, stroke, and other conditions affecting clarity of speech.

The Part Time Speech-to-Speech Outreach Specialist duties include:Promoting Speech-to-Speech services and other enhanced services in various local communities by means of tradeshows, conferences, workshops, home visits and presentations targeting the population of people who have speech disabilities. The Specialist will need to set up the booth, display promotional brochures and items, answer participants’ questions and break down the booth after the presentation. Additionally, he or she will need to give demonstrations on how to use STS services and other features.

Minimum Qualification Requirement: Applicants must have basic knowledge of various types of speech disabilities, strong communication skills, a basic understanding of telecommunication relay services, and have flexibility with their schedule.

Contact: Send resume to Bola Desalu, Account Manager at bola.desalu@sprint.com

Did you know about the new FCC STS order that was released earlier this year?

1) Switching the STS Relay Operator The switching of relay operator was changed to a

requirement of 20 minutes instead of 15 minutes. The purpose of this is to increase best customer experience with the telephone relay service.

2) Ability to “mute” the STS user’s voice This feature was available to Relay NC users

even before this mandate. This enhanced feature allows the relay operator to hear the STS user’s voice while the third party only hears the relay operator. You can inform Relay NC if you want to use this feature by calling STS customer service or filling in the STS profile form by going to our website – www.relaync.com/sts – and then clicking the “Form: Customer Profile” link to download.

3) Easy access using 711 This mandate requires the STS user to be able

to connect easily to the STS service by calling 711. For Relay NC, the STS user simply informs the relay operator that he or she wants STS service. The relay operator will then reconnect to a specialized, STS relay operator to process the relay call.

STS New Order From the FCC

Relay NC Speech-to-Speech Corner

Looking for a STS Outreach Specialist Position?

n Sand Dollars Association for the Deaf

n University of NC at Greensboro – Deaf Education

n Smokey Mountain Deaf Club

n Central Piedmont Community College Interpreter Club

n Davidson County for the Deaf

n North Carolina Black Deaf Advocate

Relay NC has always believed in giving back to the community and supporting many deaf

and hard of hearing organizations statewide. We are proud to continue to sponsor these

Now, you can go to www.relaync.com/sponsorship to download the sponsorship form. Please note that it is very important to fill in as much as you can to prevent any delays in processing the form.

You will be asked to fill in:

List of Organizations We Sponsored in the Past

Sponsorship Request Procedure

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n North Carolina Deaf Blind Associates

n Camp Sertoma

n Camp Woodbine

n North Carolina Youth Leadership Forum

n North Carolina Registered Interpreter for the Deaf

n North Carolina American Sign Language Teacher Association

n North Carolina School for the Deaf

n Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf

n North Carolina Association for the Deaf

n Eastern Carolina University Deaf Club

n Carolina Athletic Association for the Deaf

Name of your organization.

Name of your event.

Address of the event.

Date and time of the event.

Contact person’s name and email/phone number.

Requested amount.

Explanation of how you will promote our products and services.

Please fill in the address that you want the check to be send to. Do not fill the bottom of the sponsorship form since it is for the office use only. Most importantly, be sure to send both the Relay NC sponsorship form and a letter written on your organization letterhead (or with the organization’s logo) describing your organization and how you will, in exchange for our sponsorship, promote our products and services.

incredible organizations. Thank you to each of you for spreading the word about Relay NC to the entire deaf and hard of hearing community!

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Pictures from Community Events

Wilmington Walk with Me by Easter Seals/UCP of NC

Charlotte Walk with Me by Easter Seals/UCP of NC

Bola Desalu, Relay NC Account Manager with a customer

Miss Jr. North Carolina (right) who is one of Honorary

Ambassador with a boy (center) holding a box of her crown.

Bola Desalu, Relay NC Account Manager, with Keandre who is one of Honorary Ambassador

A Walk With Me Bannerwith our logo!

Bola Desalu, Relay Account Manager, and Leslie Owen, Easter

Seals/UCP of NC Director of Special Events

Joan Black, Relay NC Outreach Specialist with STS User

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During a CapTel call, you (the caller) have complete control, just as you would during calls on any other telephone. There is absolutely no

interaction with the Captioning Assistant (CA) who provides the written captions that appear on the CapTel display. This is a little different than a traditional relay call, during which the relay CA might get involved to ask for the proper spelling of a name or ask the caller to repeat themselves for clarity.

If you are talking with someone who speaks very quickly, who is in a noisy environment, or who has a heavy accent, you may sometimes see “(Unclear)” on your CapTel display. This simply means the CA could not hear that particular word or phrase clearly enough to determine what was said. If this happens, just ask the person with whom you are speaking to repeat the unclear word. The CapTel CA cannot get involved to ask for clarification.

It may help your caller if you relate the last few words that were readable. For example, if your CapTel display reads, “I think I’ll go to (Unclear) at about 1:30 pm,” you might say something like, “You think you’ll go where at 1:30 pm?”

Should you ever experience a conversation that sounds clear to you, yet has numerous “(Unclear)” designations, please note the date and time of the

You Have the Power: Clearing Things Up with CapTel®

CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec.6

call, and, using the “Review Captions” feature, note the number of the CA who handled that call. Contact CapTel Customer Service right away. We will be happy to follow up and make sure that every CapTel call is clear and successful.

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LOOKING FOR CAPTEL USERS FOR MODELS

CapTel NC is looking for models to use on their marketing materials and is interested

in REAL CapTel consumers to be photographed. If you are interested in learning more,

please contact Kim Calabretta at: kim.m.calabretta@sprint.com or

call 919-719-2705.

Need help registering? Customer Service: 1-888-269-7477

Email: CapTel@CapTel.com

Why do I need to register?As per a recent ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), effective March 7, 2013, new users of IP-based captioned telephone services must register as part of the FCC’s efforts to ensure the captioning service is being used as intended by people who truly need the service.

Who needs to register?New customers with any of the following models: CapTel 840i CapTel 800i CapTel 880i

What happens if I don’t register my phone?Per FCC requirements, the Captions feature on your CapTel phone cannot be activated until the phone is registered. You will still be able to use the phone to make and receive calls, but the captions will not appear.

How do I register?When you first set up your CapTel phone, the display screen will let you know what to do. It will lead you through the Registration Terms, asking if you agree with each term. Just follow the directions on the display screen. If at any time you need assistance, press the blue CUST SERV button to be automatically connected to our Registration Help Team.

What does CapTel do with this information?All information gathered is secure and confidential in accordance with FCC requirements. It is not used for any marketing or promotional purposes.

If you have any questions about registration, please call CapTel Customer Service by dialing 1-888-269-7477 or pressing the blue CUST SERV button on your CapTel phone. Also, you may get more information at our website:captel.com/customer_service/kb/index.php/article/captel-registration-help

DON’T FORGET... To get captions during your call to Customer Service, press the CAPTIONS button at the beginning of the call. Even if your phone is not yet registered, you will get captions when calling Customer Service so that we may best assist you.

Registration for CapTel 800i/840i/880i Phones

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RelayNC4030 Wake Forest RoadSuite 300Raleigh, NC 27609www.relaync.com

mailing label here

Relay NC Customer Service 800-676-3777 (Voice/TTY) 800-676-4290 (Español - Voz/TTY)877-787-1989 (Speech-disabled only)

CapTel Customer Service 1-888-269-7477 (Voice/TTY)

Website: www.relaync.com

1) How much is the Captel phone is currently selling for?

2) What is Mark Whisenant’s job title?3) Why must I register my Captel?4) What does CA stand for in Captel services?5) How many minutes does the STS relay

operator stay on line?

ANSWERS:1) $75.00

2) Community and Telecommunication Resources Program Manager

3) Because of FCC’s rules

4) Captioning Assistant

5) 20 minutes

Trivia QuestionsDial 7-1-1 or use these toll-free relay numbers:800-735-2962

877-735-8200

888-762-2724

877-735-8260

877-735-2962

877-735-8261

877-825-2448

877-243-2823

TTY to Voice

Voice to TTY

ASCII

Voice Carry-Over

Hearing Carry-Over

Speech-to-Speech

Spanish Relay

Voice to CapTel

Relay NC Service is provided by: