Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice of physical distancing makes it difficult for a sign language interpreter to accompany a deaf or a hard of hearing person when the latter visits places such as a government agency, a school, a meeting, or a hospital. It is now almost imperative that a remote sign language interpretation, or a video remote interpretation (VRI) be implemented.

During the time of physical distancing when almost any schooling and medical consultation needs to be done remotely, a non-interoperable VRI system for deaf and hard of hearing persons will exclude them from important social services. It is therefore important to have a standard guideline for a VRI or VRI system, which considers interoperability and future effectiveness.

Considering the immediacy of the need as well as the cost of system introduction and practicality of the implementation, such a guideline is most likely to be based on web-based technologies.

This Technical Paper describes a web-based VRI, based on Web real time communication (RTC), and describes how it can be used in a scenario where community sign language interpreters can participate, as well as ways in which other remote services, online medical treatment and distance education, can harmonize with the Web-based VRI system.