Video Relay Service (VRS) is available through the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) program. It provides interpreting services to the Deaf via communication through videophones using American Sign Language (ASL). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) manages the TRS program as a requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 as well as the TRS fund that pays for it.

Video interpreters or VIs are specially trained sign language interpreting professionals who interpret telephone calls for those who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired using American Sign Language. This allows deaf and hard of hearing individuals to have telephone conversations with hearing people when in separate locations. Using a real-time video connection, similar to FaceTime, an interpreter relays the conversation seamlessly between both parties.
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The Video Relay Service program is provided by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through a program called the TRS Fund. The FCC contracts with companies to provide interpreting services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing through videophones using American Sign Language (ASL). This is how Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals are able to have real-time telephone conversations with hearing people.

For years, the two largest players in the Video Relay Service field have been Sorenson and ZP Better Together (formerly ZVRS and Purple). Sorenson Communications is owned by private equity firms Ariel Alternatives and Blackstone, the world’s largest private equity firm with $1 trillion in assets under management, and ZP Better Together, is owned by Kinderhook Industries and backed by the Carlyle Group, which is the world’s fifth-largest private equity firm, with $435 billion in assets under management.

Despite a 30 to 49 percent increase in the rates paid to Sorenson and ZP(1), companies have not increased their deaf representation on staff, nor have they hired a significant amount of deaf interpreters. Sorenson and ZP Better Together received this large increase after lobbying the FCC and stating that they intended to raise wages and benefits by 65% over five years, but a year after the rate increase workers have only seen small cost of living increases.

Private equity functions by buying up companies, driving up debt, and extracting as much cash from the company as possible. They do this by paying employees less, understaffing, reducing benefits and increasing the amount of labor each worker does.

One persistent issue that interpreters face at both of these companies is unfair wages. For years now, interpreters have repeatedly compiled data, held meetings and brought a spotlight on the disparity among their most qualified and loyal interpreters compared with new hires. In many cases, the interpreter who has remained loyal to the company, with more certification, experience and expertise, is being paid less than someone fresh out of college. In many fields, this has become the norm, but with only three VRS companies of note to choose from, this doesn’t leave employees any room to grow.

1 Pennise, Joshua. “Breaking down changes to video relay service industry,” Multilingual, 2023,https://multilingual.com/breaking-down-changes-to-video-relay-service-industry/