Stress and Burnout in Video Relay Service

(VRS) Interpreting
1. Introduction:
a. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Video
Rely Service (VRS) is defined as, A form of Telecommunications Relay
Service that enables Deaf and hard-of-hearing, who use American Sign
Language (ASL) to communicate with voice telephone users through
video equipment rather than through typed text.
VRS is a new field of interpreting that is very beneficial to the Deaf and
hard-of-hearing, but it can also be very stressful on interpreters who
take those calls. Interpreters need to know a wide variety of signs in
order to work in VRS settings and be mentally and emotionally stable
for whatever comes their way. With that, we are taking a deeper look
at the stress and burnout of VRS interpreters in VRS settings.
2. Objectives:
a. Our objective is to find more information regarding stress and burnout
interpreters have when working in VRS settings.
b. To see as future interpreters if VRS is appealing to us.
c. To find methods to reduce the stress and burnout interpreters have.

3. Methods:
a. Survey
b. Interpreters from Sorenson, Purple, and UTRID will fill out a survey. The
survey questions will include, but not limited to the following:
i. Age
ii. How long the interpreter has worked in VRS
iii. Ethnicity
iv. Questions with the format: On a scale of 1-7(1 being low, 7
being high).
4. RESULTS

5. Discussions:
a. Wait until we finalize results