Telecommunications Relay Services

Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) enable standard voice telephone users to talk to people who have difficulty hearing or speaking on the telephone. Under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act, all telephone companies must provide free relay services either directly or through state programs throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all of the U.S. territories. Businesses, government agencies, family, friends, and employers of persons with hearing and speech disabilities make and receive relay calls everyday.

How Does TRS Work?

TRS uses operators, called "communications assistants" (CAs), to facilitate telephone calls for people who have difficulty hearing or speaking, and other individuals. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules require telephone companies to provide TRS nationwide on a 24 hour-a-day, 7 day a week basis, at no extra cost to callers. Conversations are relayed in real-time and CAs are not permitted to disclose the content of any conversation. Relay callers are not limited in the type, length, or nature of their calls.

What is a TTY (Text Telephone)?

TTYs are also called text telephones. TTYs have a typewriter keyboard and allow persons to type their telephone conversations via two-way text. The conversation is read on a lighted display screen and/or a paper printout on the TTY.

What Types of TRS Are Available?

There are several types of TRS available. Any of these may be initiated by an individual with a hearing or speech disability, or by a conventional telephone user.

• Text-to-Voice TRS
  This type of TRS uses a CA who speaks what a TTY user types, and types what a voice telephone user replies. The first step of this type of TRS is the TTY user’s call to the TRS center. This is functionally equivalent to receiving a "dial tone." The caller then gives the number of the party that he or she wants to call to the CA. The CA in turn places an outbound voice call to the called party. The CA serves as the "link" in the conversation, converting all TTY messages from the caller into voice messages, and all voice messages from the called party into typed messages for the TTY user. The process is performed in reverse when a voice telephone user initiates the call



• Voice Carry Over
  Voice carry over (VCO) TRS enables a person who is hard of hearing, but who wants to use his/her own voice, to speak directly to the receiving party and to receive responses in text form through the CA. No typing is required by either the calling or the called party. This service is particularly useful to senior citizens who have lost their hearing, but who can still speak



• Hearing Carry Over
  Hearing carry over (HCO) TRS enables a person with a speech disability to type his part of the conversation on a TTY. The CA reads these words to the called party, and the caller hears responses directly from the other party



• Speech-to-Speech Relay
  With this option, a person with a speech disability uses a CA specially trained in understanding a variety of speech disorders. The CA repeats what the caller says in a manner that makes the caller's words clear and understandable. No special telephone is needed for this option



• Video Relay Services
  This type of TRS enables individuals who use sign language to make relay calls through CAs who can interpret their calls. The caller signs to the CA with the use of video equipment and the CA voices what is signed to the called party and signs back to the caller. This type of relay service is not required by the FCC, but is offered on a voluntary basis by certain TRS programs. This option is helpful for people who use American Sign Language (ASL), and for people who cannot type on a TTY easily, such as children who are ASL users



• Spanish Relay Services
  Telephone companies must provide interstate (between states) relay services in Spanish. While Spanish language relay is not required for calls within (intrastate) states, many states with large Spanish-speaking populations already offer this service on a voluntary basis

7-1-1 Access to TRS

Just as you can call 4-1-1 for information, as of October, 2001, you can dial 7-1-1 to connect to relay service anywhere in the United States. 7-1-1 will make it easier for travelers to use relay because they will not have to remember relay numbers in every state.

Don't Hang Up!

Some people hang up on relay calls because they think the CA is a telemarketer. If you answer the phone and hear, "Hello, this is the relay service. Have you received a relay call before?" please don’t hang up. Congratulations! You are about to talk to a person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing or has a speech disability, on your phone!