CSDVRS | A Deaf Mom Shares Her World

Join the Z-Team at the Chicago Z-Fest!

It’s been a busy year for the Z-Team– we’ve launched a new Z videophone: the Z4! Come and join the Z-Team at the Chicago Z-Fest on Saturday, March 20th from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hinsdale South Cafeteria at 7401 S Clarendon Hills Rd, Darien IL. Pizza and pop will be provided. You’ll have a chance to meet folks from the Z-Team and learn about the four different videophones that Z provides.

You can RSVP on the Zvrs Facebook page: Chicago Z-Fest

And guess what, we’ve got some new services coming up– join us to find out what they are!

Some photos from our visit with the folks from St. Louis Deaf Professional Happy Hour:

See you at the Z-Fest!

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Zvrs at DeafNation, The Z Sign, and Z4!

I was browsing through my camera and came across a few photos taken at the Zvrs booth at the recent Deafnation Expo. I first joined Zvrs during last year’s Expo, and this year, I ended up running the booth with the local Z team. We had fun, despite a hectic, very busy day!

After the clean up, the Z Team took a moment to pose for a picture:

After dinner, we were walking back to our cars when Mike Aubry spotted a “Z” high up on a building:

What a cool way to end the day with the Z Team!

Stay tuned to www.zvrs.com and watch for the release of the upcoming Z4 software! This software can be downloaded to a Mac or PC for FREE– and you can have a three-way conversation with the Z4. Check out the new video for more information on the Z4 (with captions):

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The Z Team in Vegas–What a Week!

I finally sat down to upload pictures from the last several weeks and came across photos from my trip to Vegas with the Z Team. I spent eight days in Vegas with my team– four days in team meetings and the other four days at the Deaf Seniors of America conference.

Lori shows the hubby Vegas via the Z

Here’s my buddy Lori– she joined the Z Team the same day that I did. We had our training together in Florida back in January. She’s talking to her hubby on the Z-340, showing him the view outside her room.

Sean talks about The Z

We started off our trip with a talk from our CEO, Sean Belanger and then we had an inspirational talk from Carl Gustin who worked for Kodak and Apple. Carl compared The Z to Apple in their early days, commenting on the amazing amount of passion we have as a team. We do have a lot of energy firing up a room when we all get together!

Each of the Sales Managers teamed up to give presentations– I had a blast being teamed up with U. S. Chung. Even though we didn’t win, we gave the audience some laughs with our presentation. In the photo below, Manny Johnson receives an award for “Salesperson of the Year.” Well deserved!

Manny Johnson receives award

Later that night we all wore our Z shirts and we gathered outside to chat. After a while, people started talking with us– they wanted to know where that “Z” place was in Vegas. “Where’s the Z Club?” “What’s the Z?” “Where do I find the Z?” Shannon joked that we should start sending people on a wild-goose-chase to find “The Z” in Vegas.

Joe Wiegers and Butch Zein

Tony, this way!

Shannon O'dneal--my other mentor

There’s nowhere to go, but UP!

Upward and onward!

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Greetings from Vegas

Where in the world is Karen? In Vegas. Not exactly my favorite place in the U.S. but I’m learning to like it this week because I’m with a great bunch of people from the Z team and the Deaf Seniors of America. I’m working the Z booth all week at the conference, so if you’re in Vegas, stop by Paris and say hi.

On Sunday, we had a free day to explore the strip so a few of us went to the roller coaster at New York. Later that night we went to the Stratosphere and tried the rides on the top. I discovered that I have a new fear of heights. There was one ride that throws you over the edge– ack! Poor Manny Johnson, I ended up squeezing the heck out of his hand when we went over the edge. Later that night, I woke up in the middle of a nightmare– the brakes on the ride failed and down we went.

Thank goodness it was only a dream.

Let's go on the roller coaster!

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Z, The Next-Best-Thing to Being There

“Impromptu gatherings are always the best,” said Karen Calvin on Saturday night. It was nearly two a.m. and the last of our friends were about to head out the door.

It started out as one of those weekends where we planned to work on the basement with our friend Mike. Mike had been coming over with his kids for several weekends and tackling the basement with Joe. Joe emailed another friend, John Sullivan. “We need a tall guy to hold up the drywall,” he said. Tempted with free beer, John said yes.

Another friend, Dennis O’Brien volunteered his labor and joined us after installing some Z’s all day. His wife Laura and son Shawn came over. Laura texted the Facebook Queen, Lori Krakora, and told her to come on over with her kids. Lori brought her kids, and three other friends of ours–Todd and Karen Calvin and Mark Riedel.

The guys put up just two pieces of drywall and called it quits.

So we spent the night gathered around the kitchen table yakking and laughing. The kids were off playing somewhere in the house– we didn’t hear a peep from them. We talked about everything under the sun: the stinking economy, the difficulty of keeping a business going during hard times, our kids, our future– and our childhoods.

Connecting with Kent from Colorado

It was getting late, probably near midnight, when we decided to call our friend Kent from Colorado. Kent was part of our deaf investment club which disbanded not too long ago. So Kent joined the party virtually through the Z videophone.

“Damn, I wish I was there!” he said.

“Dude, you are here!” I said. We passed the Z-340 around and yakked some more. After Kent hung up, Julie and Jim Chavez called at one a.m. So we planted the Z in front of us and chatted away with the Chavez’s while munching on potato chips. There were grease marks all over the Z-340 from being passed around. Earlier in the day, the Z survived an encounter with spilled milk. I sat back and watched the conversations around me– marveling how neat it was that friends from far away could join us and be involved.

I think we’ve got a new slogan for Z: The next-best-thing to being there.

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The Midwest Academic Bowl, Z-party and Gallaudet Alumni event

I’m up in Delavan, Wisconsin with my friend Sue. We’re watching our sons compete in the Midwest Academic Bowl hosted by Gallaudet and the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. This is David’s second year competing for Hinsdale South and Alex’s first year with the Illinois School for the Deaf. The two boys have known each other since they were babies, born just a week apart. Today is the second day of the competition which begins at eight this morning.

While my kiddo is competing, I’m up here working for CSDVRS at the same time. Last night, we hosted a gathering of local deaf and hard of hearing families for a pizza night. The Z-340 was hooked up to a large TV and people took turns trying it out, making calls and ordering extra pizza as more families arrived later in the evening. Hope Turpin, who specializes in VCO (voice carry over), showed how to make calls using voice to talk directly to the hearing caller. Two of our Wisconsin outreach specialists, Scotty Franz and Gina Sutton joined us too.

Earlier in the day, I accidently dropped my Z-340 on the wooden floor when I had it on my lap during a break in the competition. I was in the middle of answering a call from Hope, who was setting things up at another location. My heart was beating when I picked it up, thinking that I broke it. Thank goodness for that durable cover which kept it intact.

After our event, we headed over to the Delavan Deaf Club to join the Gallaudet Alumni party. We met up with Dean, Susie and Ryan Kelly who also work as Outreach Specialists. Dr. Davila was there and he talked about the students who were competing in the Academic Bowl (”they’re smarter than I was at that age!”) and the long range plan for Gallaudet. I was really impressed to see the amount of giving that the alumnis put forth each year, between $200,000 to $400,000 each year. The club auctioned a few items, including a Gallaudet blanket that was part of a fierce bidding war between an older couple and a younger alumni. Dr. Davila was caught up in the auction fever and he whipped off his tie to auction that off. Susie Kelly suggested that everyone contribute toward the tie to keep it on display at the club. Everyone agreed and the money flowed. Dr. Davila signed his tie and handed it over to the club.

I’m heading back to WSD to watch my son and then heading to Milwaukee for another CSDVRS event tonight at Kozzies. It has been fun getting to know the people from Wisconsin. I’ve discovered that not everyone is a Packers fan and some admit to supporting the Chicago Bears!

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Why Has It Been So Quiet Around Here?

I’ve been out having fun and showing off some Z’s!

Mike Finneran from CSDVRS, Karen Meyer from ABC News, dunno who, Julie Chavez from Dupage Center for Independent Living.

Marion Dramin & Emma Danielson from Sprint, Karen Meyer, Julie Chavez

Watch for an upcoming segment on the ABC News– I will post a link here when it’s up. Mike and I joined the Joliet Deaf Senior Citizens later that day. This group is special to me. I started that group twenty years ago along with a handful of senior citizens. When I left my job, the seniors continued to run the group, growing it simply by word of mouth.

Barbara Hucek and her husband, Wendell were one of the original seniors and leaders in the group. She reminds me so much of my Aunt Velma, that’s probably why I love her!

We made a call to Chris Wagner at the CSDVRS headquarters in Florida. As we zipped the Z-340 around the room, the seniors all had the chance to say hi to Chris. Mike Finneran talked about 911, the ten-digit numbering and showcased the Z-100 and Z-150.

We finished off with a Pizza Night with some local people, giving them a chance to see the videophones and ask questions.

Tonight, there will be another opportunity to see the Z videophones at Duppies Night at 7 p.m. at the Other Side, 2436 N. Clark Street.

On another note, if you want to know why my hair is quickly going gray:

When the Oldest Kid Starts Driving.

Happy Friday the 13th!

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The Newest Trend: A Z-phone Party

What better way to kick off a new job than to throw a party to show off some new toys?

On Saturday, I invited a few people over to see the new Z videophones from CSDVRS:

In the photo below, Roberta explains her experience with the Z-150 that she uses at work. With her previous videophone, she had difficulty with phone calls coming in. The z-150 has firewall transversal technology which works well with complex network systems.

Dennis O’Brien explained the various features and services that CSDVRS provides and also explained that Yes You Can use CSDVRS with other videophones. We also covered the new 10-digit numbering system and why this number is important for 911 services.

By the end of the night, people were saying this:

If you work for the federal government, here’s some information on how you can obtain a Z videophone for your workplace:

The Z™ Videophones from CSDVRS Now Available to Federal Employees

Clearwater, FL [February 3, 2009] – CSDVRS, LLC, is now authorized to distribute its The Z™ 150 videophones to federal employees via the Department of Defense’s Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP). “This is an exciting step forward for federal employees who require high quality video that supports firewall traversal and encryption ability, such as The Z™ 150 for the purpose of secure visual communication.” said Chris Wagner, CSDVRS Vice President of Marketing. “Federal employees who are deaf or hard of hearing can now request The Z™ to be provided to them at no charge through CAP, which is a remarkable program that CSDVRS is proud to provide videophones for.”

The Z™ 150 uses the same technology as some of the most advanced videoconferencing systems in the world, and was designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing callers in partnership with world-renowned videoconferencing leader Tandberg. With a built-in 8.4-inch LCD screen and an easy-to-use keypad, federal employees can make calls with the touch of just a few buttons. The space-efficient videophone has a multitude of features, including incoming phone call flasher, call history, video/audio privacy, speakerphone/microphone capability, access to video remote interpreting services, and the ability to work with Internet firewalls commonly found in federal workplaces.

CAP provides free assistive technology and services to people with disabilities, federal managers, supervisors, and information technology professionals. The program also increases access to information and works to remove barriers to employment opportunities by eliminating the costs of assistive technology and accommodation solutions. This is accomplished through partnerships with federal agencies and vendors such as CSDVRS.

“In the federal government, fast and reliable connectivity is paramount,” Sean Belanger, CEO, CSDVRS stated. “CSDVRS works closely with our customers to deliver world-class, dependable video communication solutions, such as the Z-150 videophone that enhance operational efficiency and, ultimately, allow deaf and hard of hearing federal employees to communicate effectively in their workplace.”

Federal employees may request for a Z-150 by visiting www.tricare.mil/cap <http://www.tricare.mil/cap> or e-mail z150@csdvrs.com for more information. More information about CSDVRS products and services may also be found at www.csdvrs.com.

About CSDVRS
CSDVRS, a video relay services provider, launched its inaugural service to the nation in 2000. By 2001, CSDVRS became the nation’s only 24/7 provider, and also was the first to offer Spanish VRS, video mail and personal 800 numbers. CSDVRS was developed by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals based on feedback from the nation’s deaf and hard of hearing community. While other providers have followed our lead, CSDVRS is dedicated to that same spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence that took VRS from a dream to reality, by becoming the nation’s premier VRS provider.

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Join the Z-Team at the Chicago Z-Fest!

Zvrs at DeafNation, The Z Sign, and Z4!

The Z Team in Vegas–What a Week!

Greetings from Vegas

Z, The Next-Best-Thing to Being There

The Midwest Academic Bowl, Z-party and Gallaudet Alumni event

Why Has It Been So Quiet Around Here?

The Newest Trend: A Z-phone Party

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