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The Relay Service
What is the Relay Service?
The Relay Service provides telephone accessibility to people who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or speech disabled. Specially trained Communications Assistants relay conversations between a person using a TTY or VCO phone and a standard telephone. The Relay Service is available at all times, at no cost to the users.What Equipment do you need?
Deaf or hard of hearing users will need a TTY or VCO phone. These special phones will allow you to read what your caller is saying and type a reply (TTYs), or read what your caller is saying and speak a reply (VCOs).Hearing people can use a standard telephone. You can dial your state's toll-free relay number to connect with an operator. Note that many states now have separate numbers for hearing users, TTY users and VCO users to route a call to the appropriate operator right away.
The Basic Service
Deaf users will:1. Dial the state relay number
2. Relay service will answer with "CA 1234" (for operator ID number), "F" or "M" (for operator gender) and "NUMBER CALLING PLS GA." ("GA" denotes "go ahead").
3. Type the number you'd like to dial, and "GA".
4. The Communication Assistant will place the call, and type the other party's spoken words for you to read. They will read your typed words for the other party to hear.
Hearing Users will:
1. Dial your state relay number.
2. You will hear, "Relay Service Communication Assistant 1234 (ID number). May I have the number you are calling to, please?"
3. Give the Communication Assistant the area code and telephone number you wish to call and any further instructions.
4. The Communication Assistant will process your call relaying exactly what the TTY user is typing. The Communication Assistant will relay what you say back to the TTY user. (Be sure to talk directly to your caller. Avoid saying "tell him" or "tell her" and say "GA" at the end of your response.)
VCO Users will:
1. Dial your state relay number.
2. Relay Service CA will answer with "CA 1234" (for operator ID number), "F" or "M" (for operator gender) and "voice (or type) now GA."
3. Voice or type the area code and telephone number of the party you want to call. Be sure you tell the CA it is a VCO call.
4. The CA will type the message "Voice Now" to you as your cue to start speaking. You speak directly to the hearing person. The CA will not repeat what you say, but only type to you what the hearing person says. You both need to say "GA" at the end of your response.