Meta has announced that it is collaborating with a video interpreting and communication solutions provider for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, ZP Better Together, LLC, to add Video Relay Services (VRS) to the Meta Portal. The new resource will enable English- and Spanish-speaking Deaf and Hard of Hearing to communicate in real-time with hearing people with the help of an American Sign Language interpreter.
Meta Head of Accessibility, Mike Shebanek stated:
Today, ZP and Meta are introducing a powerful new experience for people who use American Sign Language. The combination of ZP’s apps and video relay service with the Portal’s AI-powered Smart Camera that automatically keeps people in frame is game-changing. It delivers simplicity, connectivity, and the freedom to move and communicate using both hands.
VRS apps by ZP are "always available, offering a seamless, immersive video-calling experience with interpreters standing by 24/7". With VRS, anyone who has hearing loss, is Speech-Disabled, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, or Deaf, and the organizations that employ them will be provided with the ability to make and receive calls to anyone, anytime.
Meta Portal also features a number of third-party apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and Messenger for communication and connection, along with apps and features such as Watch Together, Prime Video and Netflix on Portal TV, Story Time, and filters and augmented reality masks during video calls for entertainment.
For more information or to apply to receive a Portal for free if you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, head over to the dedicated webpage here or here, respectively.
