Description EBB VRI Group Discussion

DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) - Electronic Bulletin Board Discussion Group

SSA SUB-NUMBER: A-02

BACKGROUND:

SSA is the largest provider of services to the aging population and persons with disabilities in the country. SSA strives to ensure these services are easily accessible to claimants, beneficiaries, and employees. We recognize the transformative power of technology to assist users, whether disabled or not, in obtaining SSA services, and whether people choose to interact with SSA in person, over the phone, or via the internet.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mandates SSA to ensure that a deaf or hard of hearing (DHOH) individual has meaningful access to SSA programs, activities, and facilities. SSA would like to conduct a qualitative recipient access survey with DHOH individuals about their experience with SSA, and to learn how SSA can provide them greater accessibility to our current services, while maintaining standards for everyone.

Goals and Objectives:

To garner feedback from DHOH SSA customers who require a reasonable accommodation of a sign language interpreter and have used the VRI service.

We are seeking feedback to:

• Determine user satisfaction with the VRI picture quality;

• Determine user satisfaction with the quality of the video interpreters;

• Determine user satisfaction with the VRI service wait time;

• Determine what, if any, issues the user encountered with the service and if so, if the issue was resolved; and,

• Ascertain overall user satisfaction with the VRI service.

Methodology:

We are proposing to conduct two Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB) sessions. Similar to a focus group, which is an in-person discussion, EBB is an online discussion on a specific topic. An EBB brings participants together to discuss their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes about specific products, programs, or services. We propose to recruit 20 to 25 individuals per session (conducting two sessions) via an SSA-approved contractor.

The VRI service is currently available in 37 SSA field offices nationwide. When SSA DHOH customers visit one of these 37 offices and use the VRI service, SSA staff will give them a one-page information flyer with details on how they can participate in the EBBs. Once the contractor has secured enough names/emails from which to recruit, the recruitment process will begin. At this time, we expect this to begin in late January or early February of 2012.

IF FOCUS GROUP/BULLETIN BOARD MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A PAYMENT, INDICATE AMOUNT: Payment amount will not exceed $100

USE OF ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD RESULTS:

EBBs are used when participants may not be able to commit the time and travel to attend a focus group, but can participant via an online discussion. SSA will use the results of these EBBs to assess the level of satisfaction DHOH users have with the VRI service, as well as their level of ease using the service. Ultimately, these results will enable SSA to determine the success of the pilot sites and decide on future locations for the service. The findings will also help SSA improve its service to our DHOH customers.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION (Number of responses (X) estimated response time

(/60) = annual burden hours):

Number of Respondents: 40.

Estimated Response Time: 120 minutes.

Annual Burden Hours: 80 hours.

Cost to government: $4,100.

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Deb Larwood

PHONE NUMBER: 410-966-6135

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