Hi Sheenagh,

> What are you all doing - my Deaf and hearing colleagues?

As a deaf person I have gone down the NGT path, am about to ditch the
analogue phoneline for work (yay) and just use the NGT app.  However, I am
only 50% happy with NGT and retain considerable reservations about much of
the design decisions taken by BT and ratified by OfCom.  It's one of those
"designed by hearies and it shows" type things...


> I tried to install the NGT app (Next Generation Text) to see how that
> worked, but kept running into administrator-rights problems with the work
> PC, then the minicom died.

The NGT app is certainly harder to use than a Minicom and as you say
requires admin rights to install. We have quite lax work PC install
privileges (and I think IT let me have extra cos I install AT all the
time) so I do have it on work.

NGT won't work on the regular work phonelines cos it needs a "unique
caller line identity (CLI)" to work, which means the phoneline needs not
to either show up as WITHHELD or defer all calls to a central switchboard.
  To dial out via NGT you still need 18001...  Our PBX doesn't allow CLI
or dialing 1800x and there's no willingness to fix that here.

I have agreed with my manager that I use one of my old mobile phone
handsets and a free to me PAYG giffgaff sim with credit on it for any work
outgoing calls via NGT and have a TextNumber set up for occasional agreed
incoming calls. I can reclaim credit-costs through usual expenses as and
when. I anticipate less than £20 a year cos of the NGT rebate and am happy
to do this.


> I would be really interested to know what you are all using - and what are
> finding students will use in addition to email?

We use email mostly. We can SMS out but not receive (which I hope we'll
sort but...).  While my DSO colleagues do phone some students, they
discourage it in most cases because it takes a lot of time and is often
easier by email.  We aim to meet students face to face for complex
discussions.

Deaf/HOH students are usually SO relieved we use email properly that they
don't ask us about phones or are happy with "we aim to reply to emails
promptly".

I did do a Deaf student call recently though with the student talking via
a BSL terp and me on NGT. I explained in advance by email that I am deaf
and use NGT and gave the student my TextNumber and we agreed a call time.
After 5 mins the student said they thought this combo was bonkers so
reverted back to emails...

I only have one student who reports even knowing what NGT is and she uses
email.  Most of my deaf/HOH students "avoid" phones and won't flat out
refuse to use them but struggle a lot. Most of my deaf friends would do
ANYthing other than use a phone.  I do have a work skype account and Gchat
which I can and have occasionally used for text chats with folk which is
at least text to text rather than text via NGT mangling services.


Is there scope here for more training/advice/info on NGT?  OfCom
instructed BT to provide more training and equipment to do that within the
deaf communities because there has been difficulties with the uptake cos
it is "a bit weird".  I am planning once I am more confident with NGT in
offering some of my deaf/HOH students some support sessions with it so
they know it exists...

Natalya