Developed by Mark Halley

Competencies Addressed:  Cultural competency , prediction Skills, Comprehension: ASL discourse

Time Required for Activity: 10 mins

Objective: 

To use background knowledge and cultural competency to predict content in an ASL text.

In this video, Ronald Hartman provides testimony to a government official about his experience using Video Relay Interpreting (VRI) in a medical setting.

Prediction

You will watch a video in which Ronald Hartman provides testimony to a government official about his experience using Video Relay Interpreting (VRI) in a medical setting. Knowing what others have told you about VRI, predict what he might have to say about his experience. Consider both the potential positive and negative effects of using VRI instead of an on-site interpreter.

Watch the Video:  Watch the video and note how Ronald describes his experience.

Check Your Work

This is how Ronald described his experience using VRI.

  • Medical staff struggled to set up the machine
    Example from 0:29-0:36
  • Medical staff blamed static in the room
    Example from 0:48-1:00
  • The ER physician was not interested in using VRI
    Example from 1:00-1:18
  • They ended up using speech and speechreading instead
    Example from 1:18-1:31
  • Medical staff working with VRI were unqualified to operate it
    Example from 1:32-1:48
  • Medical staff asked others for help, but no one knew how
    Example from 1:48-1:57

Watch the Video Again:  Now that you have seen the video and know how he describes his experience working with VRI watch the video again. Reflect upon Ronald’s experience with VRI. When might VRI be a good option, and when might it be an unsatisfactory choice?