Assistive Technology for the Deaf:

Thailand ExperienceWantanee Phantachat

National Electronics and Computer Technology Center

National Science and Technology Development Center

Ministry of Science and TechnologyAug 26, 2014

2

Outlines

• General information of Thailand and Statistical data of pwds

• Background situation: barrier of communication

• Telecommunication Relay service

General Information of Thailand

Country: ThailandLocation : South East AsiaGeography Maximum Length : 1,620 km. Maximum Width : 775 km.Land Area : 513,115 sq.km.

Land Boundaries : 4,864 km.Neighbor Border : Laos PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar and MalaysiaPopulation : 65.6 million (8 million in Bangkok)Disability Population: 1.8 millionDeaf Population: 0.249 millionSpeech impaired Population: 20,000 persons Older Population: 8 millionNational Religion : Theravada BuddhismGovernment : Constitutional MonarchyHead of State : King Bhumibol AdulyadejHead of Government : Prime Minister Yingluck ShinawatCurrency : Bath (THB)

Current statistical data of Thai Pwds

• Up today, there are 1,463,466 persons with disabilities that registered in pwd registry of National Office for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (NEP)*.

• There are 249,184 persons with hearing loss (deaf).

• Deaf populations is second largest within disabilities group (16%) behind physical handicapped (46%)*

4*Source: National Office for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (updated on June 2, 2014)

Source: National Office for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (updated on March, 2013

Physical Handicapped, 626,646 , 46%

Deaf/Hard of Hearing, 217,968 , 16%

Blind, 151,317 , 11%

Mental Illness; 109899; 8%

Multiple Disabilities; 97594; 7%

Mind/Behavior, 90,169 , 7%

No Disability Stated; 54930; 4% Austistic, 3,862 , 1%

Learning Disabilities, 3,618 , 0%

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Current statistical data of Thai Pwds

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Barrier in Communication

• How does the deaf communicate? using sign language to

communicate. using lip reading to perceive

information. using text or pictures to

communication and perceive information.

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Communication problems

• Communication distortion leading to less understand the information.

• Can not communication to hearing people using sign language directly, sign language interpreters are necessary persons to help transfer information.

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Thai Telecommunication Relay Service (TTRS)

By Wantanee Phantachat

Advisor to TTRS CenterPresentation at

International Workshop on Assistive Technology in I-create 2014 , Singapore

Date: August 22, 2014,

Venue: ITE, College East, Singapore

• National Telecommunication Commission is established in 2004, one of the policies is USO

• National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) of Thailand was established in 2011 as a broadcast and telecoms regulatory body in Thailand.

• At present NBTC forms the Universal Service Obligations (USO) Division which relies funding around 3.75% from revenue of telecommunication corporation to promote and develop telecommunication for remote areas and disadvantaged people.

• Universal Service Obligation Master Plan (2012-2016) aims to provide the telecommunication services for persons with visual impairment and persons with hearing impairment at least 100,000 persons to access to information.

• NBTC expects to receive 20,000 billion baht in 5 year of USO plan to put in USO fund

• USO office spent 0.00015% in Telecommunication Relay service.

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Background

Establishment of TTRS

• TTRS established in 2011• TTRS is not for the profit organization,

working under Universal Foundation for People with Disabilities.• TTRS is annually supported and funded 2

Million USD by NBTC equal to 0.00015% of USO Fund

• TTRS has to provide the commission with proposal every 5 years for the plan and expenditure according to 5 year USO Plan.

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THAI TELECOMMUNICATION RELAY SERVICE

SMS, M

MS

ฉุ�กเฉุ�น

สนทนาวิ�ดี�โอผ่�านตู้�� TTRSสนทนาวิ�ดี�โอผ่�าน

อ�ปกรณ์�ส��อสารเคลื่��อนท��

สนทนาข้�อควิามสนทนาวิ�ดี�โอ

Services of TTRS

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6 services of TTRS

2 New service of TTRS

Speech enhancement service for persons with

Laryngectomy

SMS/MMS Relay service

IP Text relay Service

Video relay Service

VRS via Mobile app

VRS via Kiosk Emergency relay service

Captioned Phone Relay Service

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Telecommunication Relay Service System and Application

TTRS-Message

Menu Text message Relay Service Emergency Relay Service TTRS News

Membership Registration

Contact TTRS agent for membership registration

Setting, picture, and location

Text Message

Medical Emergency Relay Service

Information

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Public Internet Kiosks

• 30 Kiosks were installed around Thailand.

• This year 90 new model of Kiosks will be installed.

Services Service Level Agreement set

to: Success of picked up calls must be equal or greater than 85% of times

Success of responded times must be equal or quicker than 20 seconds per call

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Activities of TTRS

Problems encounter:

– One of most frequent problems: quality of video due to poor internet speed at consumer’s point

– Installation kiosk at schools for the deaf, had to put separated ADSL line to prevent low internet speed at schools

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Activities of TTRS

Improvement– New interpreter agents are

given training workshop sessions with other organizations especially NEP and Ratchasuda College and Suan Dusit University

– Once a year, held a meeting with selected one hundred frequent called consumers to share feedbacks

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Activities of TTRS

Method and Good Impact

• Language Access– Thai to Thai Sign

Language, Thai Sign Language to Thai

– Thai Sign Language is natural and first language of deaf people

– Thai text conversation help hard of hearing people who do not know sign language

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Method and Good Impact

• Recognition– Gain respect

for deaf people• Understanding

– Family of deaf children understand what children need

• Independence– Deaf users can

contact anyone, anywhere

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• Collaboration– Create partnership with local deaf

organizations, government offices for person with disabilities, public place such as police station, hospital, schools to create access for deaf people

• Innovation– Constant creation for better quality

of service such as relay through mobile phone, operator room setting, sign language interpreting on WebTV

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Method and Good Impact

Kiosk VRS IP Text Relay

SMS Emer-gency VRS

MMS

Jan-May 2012 21331 18917 2888 2358 484 151

Jan-Dec 2013 42554 21893 4718 15230 706 1477

Jan-Dec 2014 16093 7117 2316 20276 351 NaN

2,500

7,500

12,500

17,500

22,500

27,500

32,500

37,500

42,500

The result of TTRS services in 2012, 2013 until May 2014

(Unit: times)

Nu

mb

er

of

Inco

min

g C

all

s

The result of TTRS services in 2012, 2013 until May 2014

(Unit: call)

7:0

0

7:3

0

8:0

0

8:3

0

9:0

0

9:3

0

10:0

0

10:3

0

11:0

0

11:3

0

12:0

0

12:3

0

13:0

0

13:3

0

14:0

0

14:3

0

15:0

0

15:3

0

16:0

0

16:3

0

17:0

0

17:3

0

18:0

0

18:3

0

19:0

0

19:3

0

20:0

0

20:3

0

21:0

0

21:3

0

22:0

0

22:3

0

23:0

0

25 3068

35 21 2779

4191

128

295

102125173

44109

229

751

391

81

181

21 491 22 7 33 41 16 37 31

0 0

จำ านวินสายท��ไม�ไดี�ร#บในแตู้�ลื่ะช่�วิงเวิลื่า ป* 2555

67112

241

6196 90 98 122122

226272

456421

329

219204229245

656

843

623

346

485

271

169204

10551 50 32 33 33 13

In 2013

Abandon calls per hours: VRS & KIOSK in 2012-2013

Challenge

• Speed–Lack internet coverage around

Thailand–Currently on 3G, faulty speed in

some spots• Interpreting

–Small number of interpreters thus long queue at during highest number of calls

• Interpreters–Quality of interpreting, more

experience and training needed

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• Technology–Require use of better telecommunication technology means more money for deaf consumers to buy, many deaf do not make enough money

• Funding–Require large amount of money to improve technology infrastructure and service

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Challenge

Annual Users Feedback Seminar

• Selected 80 most users with most frequented use

• Evaluate only callers, not receiver

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Users Satisfactory Evaluation Service Preference

• VRS 45%• Kiosk 35%• Text 19%• SMS 13%• MMS 7%

32Webcam Kiosk Text SMS MMS

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

45%

35%

19%

13%

7%

Percentage of Users Satisfactory by Service Preference

Future Plan

• Improve Emergency Relay Service• Video phone to be installed in all

deaf clubs (77 clubs) in 77 provinces.• Deaf individual can purchase video

phone for personal use• Relay through mobile phone/tablet

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ITEMS

Medical Emergency architecture

    SMS   Mobile Application

VRS

Medical Emergency architecture

Thank you

TTRS Thailand