Video Relay Services allow Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to call hearing people using a live interpreter. The Deaf/HoH person uses a video phone with a digital screen and web cam connected to the internet to access an interpreter working at a VRS facility.
In 1990, the United States Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act that stated the Federal Communications Commission must provide functionally equivalent services 24/7 for Deaf/HoH people. At that time, only TTY was available, but as VRS technology began and grew, most Deaf/HoH people made the switch. Since smartphones have become so popular, the landscape of VRS has begun to change too. Video phones that stay in one place in your home or office are fading away. Many Deaf/HoH people are choosing to use VRS services on their smartphones, which enables them to use the service at any time and place. Another new technology is the option for both Deaf/HoH and Hearing consumers to both use web cams to be able to see each other and the interpreter.