What is a Video Remote Interpreter, Video Remote Services or Remote Interpreting?
Video communications has been around for decades, in 2003 another company created the first videophone designed for the Deaf which replaced the teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY for TeleTYpe/TeleTYpewriter). Video communications allowed the Deaf the ability to communicate freely with the world. In 2020, the world experienced a mayor shift of doing business. Prior to the pandemic interpreters worked in person or onsite, whereby the interpreter is live in the same room with you and the deaf or non-English participate, however, after the world shut down video communications became the ideal form of communication. Currently, VRI is primarily used in today’s world although, live interpretation is still the preferred mode of communication VRI comes second. It is especially useful with there is no interpreter available, last-minute requests and rural locations.
Video Remote Interpreting is much like Facetime, Zoom or any other live video platform. Where you, the client or requestor of services, is connected with your deaf or non-English speaking consumer and interpreter. The translating/interpreting can occur in one or two ways, consecutive (with pauses) or simultaneous mode where by interpreting will occur live. The interpreter, uses a headset to hear what the hearing person says. As the hearing person speaks, the interpreter signs everything said to a web camera. When the person who is deaf replies via their web camera, the interpreter sees and voices the interpretation. The person who is deaf and the person who is hearing can talk back and forth, just as if the interpreter was in the same room. The interpreter is still bounded by the Code of Ethics.
What does In Person or On-site mean?
The interpreter is with you onsite, in person interpreting for you and your client.