The video chat device will support an app for live American Sign Language interpreting services.
People who are "Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, Speech-Disabled or have hearing loss" will be able to use Portal for video chats with people who do not communicate in American Sign Language, via a live human interpreter. That is called a Video Relay Service.
The ZP Better Together, LLC app will be supported by portal. The app is free for everyone. The ZP Better Together's website has a portal for members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
The combination of ZP's apps and video relay service with the Portal's Smart Camera that automatically keeps people in frame is game-changing, according to Meta's Head of accessibility Mike Shebanek. "It gives you the freedom to move and communicate using both hands."
The company formerly known as Facebook dropped like a rock when it introduced the video chat device called Portal at the time of the privacy scandal. It was the first device that would follow a speaker in a video chat and it was a credit to it.
Other companies, like Amazon, have added that feature. The Portal had an edge with people who wanted to move around while video chatting.
The Portal is a somewhat minor player in the device wars. More accessibility is a win.
