Senior executive appointed to deaf and hard of hearing community video service

HANDSCOMM, Inc., the management company for Hands On Video Relay Services Inc. (HOVRS), announced the appointment of senior telecom executive Andy Lange as chief operating officer, senior vice president of marketing. Hands On Video Relay Services offers the latest communication technology to facilitate natural interaction between the deaf and hard of hearing community and hearing people. Lange has more than 13 years of telecom industry experience. Most recently he was senior government account executive of Sprint Corporation where he had responsibility for the southeast and western United States. Before joining Sprint, Lange spent five years with Communication Services for the Deaf as Vice President of USA RELAY and as special assistant to the CEO for strategic planning. Lange worked at AT&T where he performed variety duties in AT&T's Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) business. "Andy is a proven leader who will play a critical role as HANDSCOMM extends the deployment of our video relay service," said HANDSCOMM President Ronald E. Obray. "He has broad management and telecommunications experience. I am confident he will build on HANDSCOMM's strong foundation and further advance our position in the marketplace." Lange holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Gallaudet University and a Master's of Organizational Management from Phoenix University. He also serves as president of the National Association of the Deaf and as president of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association. "I look forward to working with Ron Obray and his team at HANDSCOMM," Lange said. "We are entering an exciting growth period for video applications to the deaf and hard of hearing communities."HANDSCOMM's flagship service, HOVRS, uses the Internet to provide video access to nationally certified interpreters who translate the visual language of American Sign Language into the auditory language of a hearing person. Anyone with a computer, a high-speed Internet access line (like DSL or a cable modem), and a low-cost web camera can use HOVRS. Deaf and hard of hearing people can access the service through the HOVRS Web site at http://www.hovrs.com. Hearing people may access the service through a nationwide toll-free number, (888) VRS-9998). Founded by a 20-year veteran of the sign language interpretation industry, HANDSCOMM employs dozens of nationally certified ASL interpreters. According to Obray, it is the company's mission to provide video relay availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. HANDSCOMM is dedicated to providing quality video relay services by combining excellence in video technology and the most fluent certified video interpreters.