Video Relay Services (VRS) Interpreters:

What VRS is, how to use it, and some firsthand VRS interpreting experience.

FYI, TTY is outdated!

December 2025

This month IC’s newsletter is focusing on interpreting for VRS, Zoom calls and their users.

Kat Vickers here.  I have been a VRS interpreter since 2017, where I was fortunate enough to take a six month internship with five phenomenal, certified interpreter mentors and two amazing leaders at the center.  I was able to observe these five mentors for several months, focusing on their tips for mediating calls, asking for clarification, and requesting support from other interpreters if needed.  Then it was my turn to take the wheel…and it was terrifying, to say the least.  I was not thrown into the deep end without oversight: these five mentors were there to provide support to me, hold me accountable for my interpretations, document feedback about what went well and what to improve, as well as better ideas to mitigate the calls.  Although there is no specific script for VRS interpreters, I was able to become familiar with successful sentences to explain the process of VRS interpreting through a third party when the participants (most of the time, the hearing participants) on the call were resistant and/or unaware of VRS interpreting. 

What is VRS?

VRS…what is that, you may ask?  It is how deaf people communicate with a free videophone provided by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Telecommunications Relay Services Fund.  Previously, a teletypewriter (TTY) was used…but that method of communication is quite outdated and not used much at all for people using sign language to communicate.  I sit behind a large computer screen, with my double headset, facilitating phone calls between hearing and deaf participants.  The deaf person pops up on my computer screen, we briefly make eye contact and away we go with the phone call.  Often with no background information or any idea of what the phone call will pertain to, I smile, mentally cross my fingers (because my hands are moving in space) and hope to have the schema and skills to make the call successful. Anything a hearing person will use the phone for, the deaf person can too: medication refills, car part replacements, ordering food for delivery, calling the police, virtual meetings, doctor appointments, counseling and so much more.  

Photo from VRS company, Sorenson.

Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Telecommunications Strict Rules:

Before I continue, I wanted to mention the strict time requirements that we must adhere to, determined by the FCC:

  • We have a specific 15 minute period within the hour, that we are not allowed to break due to other interpreters starting or ending a shift.  For example, my region cannot take a break from :35-:50.  
  • The FCC requires interpreters to stay connected to a caller for a minimum of 10 minutes before transferring to another interpreter.  
  • We get ten minutes of break per hour.
  • Often the last 10 minutes of our shift is reserved to take a break, but we cannot always utilize that time.
    • Let me give you an example: my shift ends at 1:00pm. I cannot break from 12:35pm-12:50pm…if a call comes in at 12:49, I must stick with that call for ten minutes before transferring out to another interpreter.  Imagine it being a heavy topic and call, and having to politely interrupt both parties to let them know my shift was ending and I had to find another interpreter to take over the call. 
  • After one call hangs up, we get a max of 15 seconds between calls (but I have counted, and often it is less than 15 seconds).  
  • We are required to answer the call within a few seconds. 
  • We are required to maintain an 83.33% rate of log-in: we must be logged in and accepting calls for at least 49.99 minutes of every hour worked.

COVID Strikes!

Around March of 2020, VRS needs significantly changed, as did several things in the world and the United States.  As my house was over fifty miles from the center, I was approved to work from home.  I was sent the required equipment to set up my home office; worked with my director to ensure the office was FCC compliant, replaced the locks on the office doors, and began interpreting VRS calls.  Looking back, I was fortunately able to work over thirty hours each week due to the extra long hold times as our uncertain world transitioned to phone calls and virtual meetings.  It was a unique time, as I am sure everyone has their own experience and perspective reflecting on that year. 

The first phone calls at home in 2020 required three different computer programs to connect.  If one program failed, the calls were dropped.  If our shift was over, the probability of successfully transferring a call to another VRS interpreter was quite low.  The technicians were working hard to make it a smooth transition, but it never was; as expected, this caused a lot of strife in the signing community.  Can you imagine being on hold for over an hour with one interpreter, then that interpreter is off and trying to transfer the call to another interpreter, only to have the call lost and to start the process all over again?  An hour phone call easily extended to half a day or longer. 

The technicians behind the scenes were working diligently to make these calls smooth: to provide access to the Deaf Community, just like the hearing community, as the world paused facing the effects of COVID.  

As an interpreter, not only were we facilitating communication between the deaf and hearing parties, but we had to navigate the new technology being constantly released and updated.  We experienced the turmoil of our customers through vicarious trauma.  We were yelled at for the lack of technology, for the change within a system we had no control.  But we prevailed and adjusted our approach, because we had no other option.    

In 2025, the calls are now in one computer program.  Woohoo! The technicians have listened to the signing community feedback, and the program is fairly smooth.  Of course, change is tough in our profession…I suppose any profession.  Especially for VRS interpreters who have several years under their belt.  And the technology updates just keep coming…

Zoom Calls Abound

Nowadays, Zoom calls have been added to the VRS phone call queue.  People think, oh great! I can call a videophone number, which automatically connects to an interpreter, to interpret our Zoom meeting!  I don’t need an in-person interpreter when I can easily connect with this VRS interpreter.

Unfortunately, utilizing a VRS interpreter for a Zoom meeting has many challenges.  For example, interpreters need to prepare for meetings to provide the best interpretation possible: who are the Deaf participants, who are the hearing participants, how many people, is the meeting recorded, are there names/city signs that we need to know, what is the topic of the meeting, is there an agenda, how long is the meeting, do I need to call a team interpreter, are there acronyms, is it a government agency…to name a few of the questions that immediately pop in my mind.

I remember my first Zoom call; it was quite traumatic.  I had to accept the call, because the FCC requires us to do so (yes, everything is tracked and recorded).  On the screen were over ten Deaf and hearing participants; clearly in a professional setting.  I asked several of the questions above to the Deaf Consumers (DCs) on the call, yet I was not given the answers required to satisfactorily and successfully interpret the meeting.  The DCs ignored my questions and just told me to go ahead and interpret…so I tried, because that was easier than being yelled at and considered difficult when asking basic questions that are necessary for interpreters to do our job successfully.  As the meeting continued, primarily from ASL to English, I realized I needed another interpreter to support me during the meeting.  I stopped the meeting.  I told the DCs I wanted to call a team; that this was too overwhelming with the amount of information I was required to interpret alone; the meeting was important…and here I was, failing (to my standards) to successfully and accurately interpret this meeting.  The Deaf consumers were not having it, and released me from the call.  I could not have been more relieved. 

Reflecting on that experience has allowed me to be better prepared for those types of interactions.  I will accept the zoom calls, as I have no choice, but I will not interpret without my questions being answered; without having a team interpreter to share the workload of a challenging environment.  It is not my job to flounder, and feel negative about my work because I was not able to prepare properly.  

It is no wonder a significant number of sign language interpreters refuse to work VRS.  It is tough, demanding and exhausting work, not only providing interpreting service, customer service but technology support too.  As with all jobs, patience is much appreciated as we try to facilitate a smooth call between deaf and hearing parties.

Collaboration and Understanding Between all Parties

How can VRS users, both deaf and hearing, make the calls more successful and equitable?  Not only for regular phone calls, but for Zoom meetings that we are thrown into without any knowledge of the topic or people involved? 

I want all parties involved to think about the purpose of the call, and the interpreters when utilizing videophones and VRS calls.  These calls are nation wide; I live in Washington State, but I get phone calls from all over the United States.  Signing styles and accents are similar to spoken accents.  There are city and street names that perhaps the hearing and deaf parties know, but the interpreter has no idea due to us living in a different state.  We are not miracle workers, but simply humans trying to provide the best service possible in an impossible setting.  Patience, compassion and awareness allow interpreters to do our job to the best of our ability.  VRS is a necessary service and field within the interpreting profession; working together as a team will ensure the call is successful for all parties involved.