Effectiveness of Outreach
Sprint has an active outreach programme designed to inform and educate TRS users, potential users, support organisations and the general public over the benefits and operation of the TRS. Since the launch of TRS in New Zealand outreach activities include:
- Appointment and training of 6 Outreach Contractors available to specific user groups concerning their relay needs.
- Presentations at conferences, AGMs and meetings of support organisations.
- Training programmes for staff of support organisations.
- Development of a "Don't Hang Up on Relay" video recording presentation to raise TRS public awareness.
- Development of TRS resource kits for the business sector.
Sprint is currently working alongside NZRAG to plan future marketing strategies to target potential users of TRS. The Relay Advisory Group has estimated that Sprint has to date reached out to:
- 50% of the deaf community
- 30% of the hearing community
- part of the hearing impaired community
- part of the Deaf- Blind community but it is a work in progress
There has been limited outreach to the Speech-Impaired community. The population of this community is difficult to estimate. There has been little outreach to minorities such as Māori and Asian communities.
The New Zealand TRS is still in its infancy. Sprint has extensive experience in developing and deploying Public Awareness and Outreach plans for relay services. It is their recommendation that their New Zealand Outreach activities continue to focus on educating existing and potential users of New Zealand Relay about availability and features, in order to increase uptake of the service and enhance users' service experience.
1. Relay Call Refusals
A little under half the survey participants felt that the people they communicate with understand how to use the TRS to talk to them. For the other half, however, the view was that some, or in a small proportion of cases all, of the people they wished to talk to did not understand its use. This perception was stronger among infrequent users.
In the months following the launch of the TRS there were occasions when organisations refused to handle calls made by people via TRS. In the main the reason for refusal was the receiving organisation's compliance with the Privacy Act. The MED took the matter up with the Privacy Commission and a number of the organisations involved. The Privacy Commission advised that there is nothing in the Privacy Act that prevents organisations from accepting calls from the TRS.
A bulletin was produced by the MED and was sent to all government agencies with the exception of national security agencies. The call refusal problem by public sector organizations has largely disappeared with few complaints being received for several months. There continues to be some problems with private sector organizations such as banks and energy companies. Future complaints will be followed up directly by Sprint with the particular organisations concerned.
In the USA where Relay has been in service for 15 years there are still occasionally instances of call refusals where more education is required.
The continuation of public education awareness programmes is a necessary part of the TRS to improve public understanding and acceptance. This will improve over time as has been the experience overseas. Sprint is planning to launch a "Don't Hang Up" campaign to promote awareness in the general population. Sprint has found such campaigns successful in increasing awareness to the business sector and general population.
Recommendation
An outreach marketing plan is developed by Sprint in consultation with NZRAG and support organisations to improve user participation and public knowledge and acceptance of the TRS.
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