Salt Lake City--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Saturday, Salt Lake City-based Sorenson Communications™, the nation's leading provider of Video Relay Services (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, was presented with the Golden Hand Award by the Utah Association for the Deaf (UAD).
The Golden Hand Award, the organization's highest honor, is presented biennially to an individual or organization that has substantially contributed to the betterment of Utah's deaf community. The UAD, which was established in 1909 to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing Utahns and one of the oldest state associations in the United States, held its biennial conference and the awards presentation at the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in Taylorsville, Utah. Ron Burdett, vice president of community relations for Sorenson Communications, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
Sorenson Communications created the VP-200®, the most deaf-friendly videophone for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Using the VP-200, a television, and a high-speed Internet connection, deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals can connect to a nationwide network of interpreters who place calls to hearing individuals and then relay the conversation between the two parties.
"We are proud to honor Sorenson Communications, a local business that has a strong, supportive presence in the Utah deaf community," said Robert Kerr, UAD president. "Through development and distribution of its videophones and Sorenson VRS, Sorenson Communications has made it possible for deaf people to communicate with each other and with hearing people in their native language, ASL, which is a boon to deaf people across the nation. We also appreciate Sorenson Communications' support of the Deaflympics Expo, the 16th Winter Deaflympics, and their ongoing support of our local community through financial grants."
In response, Ron Burdett, vice president of community relations for Sorenson Communications, stated, "We appreciate this award from UAD. Through our long-time association with UAD has helped us better understand the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Our organizations are both committed to breaking down communication barriers between deaf individuals and the hearing world."
Sorenson Communications provides videophones free of charge to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who use ASL. For more information on the VP-200, visit www.sorenson.com.
About Utah Association for the Deaf
The UAD (www.uad.org) has a long list of accomplishments, including the establishment of Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Utah Interpreter Service, an Interpreting Training Program at Salt Lake Community College, and the Utah Relay Service. Organized in 1909, the Utah Association for the Deaf is one of the oldest state associations in the United States.
About Sorenson Communications
Sorenson Communications™ (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications offerings, including Sorenson Video Relay Service (SVRS), the Sorenson (VP-100® and VP-200®) videophones, Sorenson IP Relay (SIPRelay), and Sorenson Video Remote Interpreting (VRI.)
