As a digital innovation to bridge the communication gap between the hearing and the auditory-challenged communities, Video Relay Services (VRS) are providing a platform for sign language users and spoken language users to interact with each other seamlessly and effectively. For a more diverse and inclusive work environment, many municipal offices across the country are integrating VRS into their daily operation. Through VRS, some municipalities are giving local hearing residents a rare glimpse into the silent, yet eloquently visual world of sign language, rich in expression and nuance to unlock new channels for a deep emotional connection transcending the spoken world.

VRS, supported by interpreters operating in real time, are designed to enable individuals with auditory challenges to participate in a hearing community by ensuring equal access to communication. Users of video-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets or computers make a video call through a VRS application or platform to connect with a VRS interpreter. The interpreter appears on the user’s device screen to translate the silent dance of sign language into the audible pieces of language, and vice versa, in real-time, serving as a medium to relay the message between the parties. VRS interpreters are highly skilled professionals, proficient in both sign and spoken languages. Available 24/7, VRS are integrated into a government-subsidized project promoted by the Nippon Foundation, with a registration system in place for accessing VRS.

The move by municipal offices across the country to integrate VRS in their operation is a big stride towards inclusivity through immersion in the world of sign language. The integration not only is amplifying the work efficiency of officials with hearing impairments, but also enhancing their sense of self-worth within a more inclusive work environment. It is providing opportunities for hearing local residents to witness the potency of visual representation in expressing emotions through sign language interpreters. VRS are encouraging municipal officials, acting as signers, to understand the crucial role of maintaining active engagement in work through their proficient use of sign language, fostering a more interactive experience in communication.

Among the municipal officials exploring their own silent realm of sign language to relate to hearing residents more deeply via VRS are 45-year-old Aya Takamoto and 58-year-old Katsuhiko Shimizu. Takamoto is working as a counselor in one of the ten municipal offices in Sapporo City where VRS are being implemented in the workplace starting from February. Capitalizing on her fluency or experience in sign language, Takamoto is aiding local residents living in the silent world to make them more approachable and adaptable to the realities of the hearing community. Takamoto says, “VRS allow me to communicate independently without relying on hearing colleagues for telephone conversations. The newfound self-assurance in effectively communicating with hearing residents dissolved any feeling of guilt I had towards my colleagues.”

Shimizu, working for a municipal office in Saitama Prefecture, is rediscovering the significance of facial expressions, body postures, and gestures as the visual components of sign language in conveying the depth, nuances, and subtleties of emotions. He says, "The messages woven by interpreters through sign language are challenging my ability to 'hear' the silent symphony, filled with diverse emotional tones from the other end of the VRS calls. The supplementary notes, often limited in text-based methods, are shedding light on a path towards empathy for spoken language users."

VRS are gradually establishing a foothold at the community level, expanding an inclusive, immersive, and interactive communication experience as a valuable conduit bridging different communities. In Tottori Prefecture, where VRS are funded through the prefectural budget and offered free of charge, more than 70 local residents are advocating  familiarizing hearing residents with their unique language. Through the artistic choreography of sign language, they are aiming to clear the fog of misunderstanding and enhance the overall harmony of communication between those two distinct universes.