1. Improving Customer Service for Sign Language Users Through Direct Video Calling
Organization: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Presenters: Robert McConnell, Telecom Accessibility Analyst, FCC Disability Rights Office
David Schmidt, FCC TRS Fund Coordinator

2. Purpose and Call to Action
Highlight the differentiating value of a Direct Video Calling (DVC) solution for call centers
Offer an open source solution for DVC capabilities
Call to Action
Build a more all-inclusive call center that offers American Sign Language (ASL) call center services to customers
Encourage businesses and call centers to openly adopt and widely promote the “Answer the call” call to action
Build a community that advances the technology for open source solutions to DVC

3. FCC, TRS, and DVC – Why does it matter?
What is Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Why is it important?
“Functionally Equivalent” versus “Equivalent” communication
Answer the Call – this is a capable but underserved population
What is DVC and Why should you have it in in your call centers?
FCC is utilizing open source technology, in an innovative way, to deliver a win for the deaf, deaf/blind, hard of hearing, and speech disabled communities and the entities that serve them by advancing direct video calling (DVC)

4. Benefits of Implementing a DVC Solution
Improved Communications
Simple Implementation
Secure Communications
Maintain ADA Compliance
Career Opportunities
Cost Savings

5. FCC Call Center Story
The FCC’s Disability Rights Office (June 2014) implemented the “ASL Consumer Support Line” – 1st of its kind Direct Video Calling solution in the federal government.
Other federal agencies have implemented, or are interested in implementing similar ASL call centers.
The FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line has significantly reduced incoming relay calls to the FCC’s main toll-free number.

6. 33% 300% FCC Call Center DVC Performance
To date, the FCC’s ASL Contact Center has seen the average length of calls decrease by 33%.
At the same time, the quantity of incoming calls from callers who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard-of-hearing or speech disabled have increased 300% as compared to calls previously made by VRS.
Average length of calls:
33%
Number of ASL callers:
300%
Individuals who communicate in ASL feel more empowered to contact their Government when they have direct access providing improved privacy and efficiency in their calls.

7. DVC Solution Option - ACE Direct
ACE Direct Overview
What is ACE Direct?
An open-source Direct Video Calling software solution developed in collaboration by the FCC and The MITRE Corporation
A DVC solution that enables the deaf and hard-of- hearing to make video calls to an ASL-trained agent at an organization's call center

8. ACE Direct – Direct Video Calling Platform
ACE Direct Notional Architecture

9. ACE Direct Features and Benefits
Key features:
Software allows real-time video, audio, and text from a video-capable phone, Session Initiation Protocol phone, or web browser using WebRTC technology
System utilizes the Asterisk PBX software to make calls, queue calls, and connect to other telephone services
The Enterprise Service Bus, modular design, and Integrated CRM allow for the flexibility of a stand-alone platform or to integrate with an organization’s legacy CRM and associated database(s)

10. DVC OmniChannel Solution
ACE Direct offers multi-channel communication capabilities including video, real time text and chat to handle typical requests for services and call center workflows.
CSR
CSR Video Chat Window
CSR Desktop

11. ASL Caller with CSR Agent Views
CSR Mailbox
CSR Desktop
ASL Caller
CSR Agent
CSR Agent Status Screenshot

12. Supervisor/Management Dashboard View
The Dashboard provides several KPIs for real time monitoring:
Performance Statistics
Queue Statistics
Agent Statistics
Call Center Statistics

13. Management Reporting Capabilities
Asterisk generates a Call Detail Record (CDR) when a call is completed. A CDR contains metadata:
Call source
Destination
Timestamp
The CDR dashboard provides for call auditing, CSR activity tracking, and a record of incoming and outgoing calls.

14. Key Benefits of DVC for Specific Call Center Types
Insurance/Benefit Call Centers
Direct communication of PHI and other sensitive information
Point of service translation
Potential video remote interpreting tool
Financial Call Centers
Ensure direct communication of waivers and acknowledgements
Translation kiosk in branches linked to the ASL call center
Efficient identity verification to prevent cases of fraud
Help Desk Call Centers
Face to face interaction enhances comprehension
Increases satisfaction and potentially shortens call times
Builds relationships and increases likelihood of return customers

15. Call to Action
Build a more all-inclusive call center that offers American Sign Language (ASL) call center services to customers
Encourage businesses and call centers to openly adopt and widely promote the “Answer the call” call to action
Build a community that advances the technology for open source solutions to DVC

16. Any Questions?
Contact Information
Robert McConnell:
David Schmidt: (202)

17. List of Acronyms and Terms
Acronyms/Terms
Definitions
ACE
Accessible Communications for Everyone, an FCC initiative to bring technical and functional communications equivalency to the deaf
ACE Direct
Open source call center platform for two to twenty customer service representatives that allows one-to-one business communication. It is also the FCC’s showcase for Direct Video Calling (DVC)
ATC
Answer the Call, outreach initiative to encourage answering of TRS calls
Asterisk
An open source private branch exchange (PBX) software
DVC
Direct Video Calling, one to one video communication
Functionally equivalent telecommunications
Different forms of communications equal in value
HoH
Hard of hearing
IP Relay
Internet Protocol Relay Services
KPI
Key Performance Indicator
TRS
Telecommunications Relay Service
VRS
Video Relay Service, video picture based telecommunications relay service
VRS Minutes
Conversational minutes used with VRS
Web RTC
An Internet protocol to develop and deploy embedded video applications for use on web browsers

18. ABSTRACT
Everyday thousands of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing use third-party operators over video relay services (VRS) to interpret their communications from American Sign Language (ASL) to voice in order to place telephone calls to customer assistance divisions of government agencies and businesses.
To improve the quality and privacy of these interactions, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented a direct video calling (DVC) solution that allows these consumers to communicate directly in ASL with FCC call center agents who also know ASL.
The FCC has done this by launching its own ASL Consumer Support Line, as well as developing and sharing an open-source DVC technology solution available for adoption by all.
This session examines the success of the FCC call center’s DVC experience and demonstrates features of the open-source DVC solution that can easily integrate into your existing call center technology platform.