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Mobile Phone Flasher Most video services for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearinginvolve an interpreter who relays messages between thoseindividuals and the hearing parties they communicate with. Avideophone with a high-speed Internet connection and a monitor,used either one-on-one or with an interpreter, is preferred by manyAmerican Sign Language users when they want to communicate bytelephone. Heidi Reed, commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for theDeaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH), said, "MCDHH commends thisenhancement to Verizon's customer services for our manyconstituents who use American Sign Language. This addition inservice delivery reflects Verizon's leadership role in meeting theneeds of deaf and hard-of-hearing customers. All of us at MCDHHlook forward to continued excellence in communication accessservices for residents of Massachusetts." People can have a video conversation in ASL with a videophone -- aset-top box with either a built-in camera connected to a broadbandrouter, a free-standing desk unit with a small screen or a Web camsupported by a computer and appropriate software. Each equipmentoption requires a high-speed Internet connection to receive goodpicture quality; lower-bandwidth services will result in pixilationand low frame rates on most products. ASL is a unique language that incorporates hand gestures and facialexpressions, and provides a more expressive and fulfillingtelecommunications experience than either TTY (teletype) equipmentor relay services. "Due to the widespread availability and affordability ofbroadband, more and more deaf or hard-of-hearing consumers have avideophone," said Grenda. "We believe the videophoneoption gives customers a simpler, more user-friendly way tointeract with Verizon for their telecommunications needs." Verizon customer service representatives can recommend services andequipment that make communications easier for people with variousdisabilities. For example, Verizon offers phones that have photoson the buttons to help people with cognitive difficulties, andphones that operate by remote control for people with physicaldisabilities. Some customers with disabilities can get an exemption from chargesfor calls made to 411 or for operator-assisted calls. Verizon canprovide its bill statements in large print or Braille at no extracharge. The company also produces a quarterly newsletter(http://www.verizon.com/forwardaccess ; please enter a phone numberor zip code to access the file) filled with news and informationfor its customers with disabilities. While Verizon does not currently sell videophones, the centersupports sales of other equipment to help people with disabilities.(NOTE: See accompanying list of available equipment.) The Verizon Center for Customers with Disabilities, which iscelebrating its 16th anniversary this year, provides customersupport to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, blind, or havevision, mobility, speech or cognitive disabilities. There are twosuch centers, one in Marlboro, Mass., the other in Oxnard, Calif. When the Marlboro center opened in 1992, its staff of sixrepresentatives handled approximately 4,000 calls a year. Today,the staff has grown to more than 100 representatives who now handlemore than 700,000 calls annually. Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New York, is aleader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wirelesscommunication innovations to mass market, business, government andwholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's mostreliable wireless network, serving more than 67 million customersnationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business,which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions tocustomers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which bringscustomers the benefits of converged communications, information andentertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-opticnetwork. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employed a diverse workforce ofapproximately 232,000 as of the end of the first quarter 2008 andlast year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5billion.