For Immediate Release – 2/14/19
Sioux Falls, South Dakota – Seasoned communications executive Benjamin J. Soukup has launched his newest venture, Mobile Communication Access. MCA is a subscription based mobile app service that delivers the most comprehensive communication accessibility service available. Subscribers to MCA will be able to access over 150 spoken languages, automated captioning for the hard of hearing, American Sign Language video interpreting for the Deaf and spoken video assistance for the blind.
“Access and enabling technologies have come a long way through the years, but we’re still experiencing significant gaps in services,” explained founder Benjamin Soukup who is Deaf himself. “The idea behind MCA is to find enough of a user base – in this case people who speak over 150 different foreign languages, to be able to support translation and interpretation services for the hard of hearing, Deaf and blind community.”
Benjamin Soukup, Founder & CEO
Both businesses or individuals may subscribe to MCA. Individual plans start at $30/month and include unlimited automatic translation and captioning services. Video Interpreting and Vision Assistance may be accessed at $1.50 per minute of use.
President Kevin Barber explained that the individual access to ASL interpreting services on a per-minute basis is unprecedented. “There are many places that mandate interpreting services due to legal requirements, so interpreting agencies cater to those needs. There are very few companies looking to provide communication services in those short but still important moments such as interactions while shopping in the store or talking with a bank teller.”
We successfully concluded a pilot program in South Dakota and are looking to expand the offering to other partners on the local, state and federal levels. “There are existing programs and services such as Video Relay that covers a very specific accommodation need. We’re looking to expand access everywhere. The ability to interact with others allows us to not only be better neighbors but contributing members of a community.”
MCA is available on most internet-connected devices including mobile phones, tablets, laptops and computers. Individuals may purchase plans at https://MobileAccess.us. Businesses with multiple locations may provide translation and interpreting services to all of their employees and customers. Contact MCA to learn more about Enterprise plans and solutions.
Contact: kbarber@mobileaccess.us