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Tell the FCC Your Thoughts About Employment Restrictions on Video Relay Interpreters

Hands On Video Relay Services (Hands On) of Rocklin, California, along with four other Video Relay Service providers has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to declare the practice of imposing non-competition agreements on video interpreters unreasonable.

In the petition, the petitioners asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to declare invalid non-compete agreements that a competitor, Sorenson Communications, Inc., of Salt Lake City, Utah, imposes on its video relay service interpreters.

The agreements prohibit the interpreters from working for one year in any capacity for a competing VRS provider or entity contracting with a competing VRS provider.


The petition claims that the effect of Sorenson's restrictive employment covenant is to artificially limit the supply of video interpreters, and therefore raise the cost to recruit and hire interpreters. This, in turn, results in higher costs for each VRS minute, thereby raising the overall funding costs for the TRS program, and reducing the services available to serve the deaf community.

For more information, see www.hovrs.com/news.


If you would like to read the petition, click on the following link: fcc.petition.gov.

Sorenson has filed a response saying that the petition should be dismissed. You may review Sorenson's response at the following link: fcc.response.gov.

Do you agree? HOVRS has received tremendous support for the petition. However, the FCC needs to hear directly from interpreters and consumers.

You can tell them your thoughts! If you have an opinion on this, you should contact the following people:
  • Cathy Seidel, FCC Bureau Chief, (202) 418-1400
  • Nicole McGinnis , FCC Deputy Bureau Chief, (202) 418-2877
  • Thomas Chandler, FCC Disability Rights Office Chief, (202) 418-1475
You may also write a short comment to the FCC. You can do that by clicking on this link and fill out the online form: fcc.comment.gov.

How To Fill Out the Online FCC Form:

Below are suggestions and direction on how to fill out the "Electronic Comment File Submission" form:
  1. Proceeding: Type the numbers "03-123"
  2. Mail Correspondence To: Click on Name
  3. Name of Applicant/Petitioner: Type in your name
  4. Law Firm: Leave blank
  5. Attorney Name: Leave blank
  6. Email-id: Leave blank or type your email address
  7. Mailing Address for Correspondence: Type in your street address
  8. City: Type in your city
  9. State: Type in your state
  10. Zip code: Type in your zip code
  11. Ex-Parte/Late Filed: Leave blank
  12. Document Type: Click on comment
  13. File Number: Leave blank
  14. Ignore Send Comment Files to FCC (Attachments) at the bottom of form
  15. Move down the page to "Send a Brief Comment to FCC": Type your comments
  16. When you have finished the online form, click "Send Brief Comment to FCC" button.

Hands On VRS CONTACT:
Kurt Schusterman
Chief Marketing Officer
Hands On Video Relay Services
o: 916-435-3379
AIM: kurtathovrs


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