On-demand video interpreting with Focus VRI

Focus Video Remote Interpreting, or Focus VRI, is our patented mobile app for on-demand video interpreting. It allows clients anywhere in the world to connect immediately to a live video interpreter through an iPad, tablet, or other mobile device and experience high-quality interpreting with clear audio and crisp video at low cost.

Focus VRI provides on-the-spot interpreting in over 100 languages. A live interpreter in the language of your choice appears on screen for your appointment, sees and hears both parties, and interprets in real time. It was developed primarily for the medical and legal industries, and it is also used by local municipalities, sales teams, and travel providers.

Before you use Focus VRI, you will need to register with Focus Interpreting to receive a login and password. Contact our office, tell us how many locations and devices you plan to use, and we will set up your account, issue login credentials, and walk your staff through the app. Once registered, you can request an interpreter on demand, any time of day or night.

Call 800-374-5444 or email info@focusinterpreting.com to register.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires hospitals, clinics, courts, government offices, businesses, and other public accommodations to provide effective communication for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Qualified sign language interpreters are one of the primary auxiliary aids, and VRI is an accepted way to deliver them when an on-site interpreter is not immediately available.

ADA regulations set performance standards for VRI: real-time, full-motion video and audio over a dedicated high-speed connection that avoids lag, choppy or blurry images, and irregular pauses; a sharply delineated image large enough to display the interpreter's face, arms, hands, and fingers regardless of body position; clear, audible voice transmission; and adequate staff training so the equipment can be set up and operated quickly. Focus VRI is intended to support these standards, and we help your staff learn to use it.

Effective communication also means listening to the individual. Government entities must give primary consideration to the communication method the person with a disability requests, and businesses must consult the individual, so when a Deaf participant asks for an on-site interpreter, we can arrange one from our ASL network.

VRI shines when time is short and the interaction is straightforward: walk-in patients, emergency departments, front-desk registration, pharmacy counseling, quick follow-ups, and locations where a qualified interpreter cannot arrive within a reasonable time. It is also a cost-effective option for rare languages and for facilities that need occasional coverage in many languages.

On-site interpreting is the better choice for long or complex encounters, for group settings and family meetings, for DeafBlind or low-vision participants, for patients with limited mobility, cognitive impairment, or altered mental status who cannot use a screen, for young children, and for high-stakes legal proceedings. It is also the fallback whenever connectivity, lighting, or space would compromise a video session.

Many of our clients use both, with VRI for immediate needs and scheduled on-site interpreters for planned appointments. Our coordinators will help you decide, and we never push VRI where an on-site interpreter would serve the participant better.