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From teleprinter to simultaneous remote interpreting: a brief history.

How simultaneous remote interpreting has changed history.

Many deaf and hearing impaired people remember relying on their families, friends or neighbors to make a simple phone call.

Today, deaf and hard of hearing people are facilitated by more accessible telephone products and services, including hearing aid compatible phones. Over the past 20 years, a wide range of voice, text and video services and technologies have also been developed which allow the consumer to choose the language and the communication method to access the telephone network.

In 1987, California became the first state to require that texting be provided to all deaf and hard of hearing individuals. In 1990, Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposed a national system of text-based telecommunications retransmission services, called teleprinters, to make the telephone network accessible to deaf or hard of hearing or speech impaired people. .

Teletypewriters were initially used. However, this technology had limitations, such as the inability to communicate non-verbal signals. It was almost impossible to interrupt, interact, talk about each other or have the same degree of communication that would occur when two people are face to face.

Step by step, towards simultaneous remote interpreting.

The video relay service was then introduced to allow people with hearing or language problems to communicate through an operator, who then had the task of communicating with the listener. The conversations could take place simultaneously and above all they equate to those face to face. For this reason, for many deaf people, this became their preferred method of communicating.

Relay services also provide access to emergency call centers, operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, are provided free of charge to forwarding users and comply with strict confidentiality requirements.

The arrival of remote simultaneous interpreting

In addition to telephone services, the latest technology has introduced an even more diversified communication method through the use of interpreters. Simultaneous remote interpreting uses video conferencing, equipment and a high-speed Internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to provide the services of a qualified interpreter to the people who speak.

When in-person and on-site interpreting services are not immediately available, remote simultaneous interpreting now provides an alternative solution in the form of off-site interpreting services.

Simultaneous remote interpreting is currently used in a wide variety of settings, including: hospitals, medical offices, police stations, schools, financial institutions, workplaces … but now we believe that our platform can be used in any scope!

The interpreters platform of Rafiky have specialized training.

Our Rafiky platform provides simultaneous remote interpreting by appointment, but we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

As such, there are significant possibilities for the use of technology and our remote simultaneous interpreting services.

So if you want to dive into the future, choose Rafiky: the easiest platform to use in remote simultaneous interpreting services.