Telecommunications Relay Service Overview and Information

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) is a vital tool for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities. TRS allows them to communicate with anyone, anywhere, using a relay service.

TRS was established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 to ensure equal access to telecommunications for people with disabilities. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates TRS to ensure it meets the needs of users.

There are three types of TRS: Voice Carriers, Internet Protocol (IP) Relay, and Video Relay Service (VRS). Voice Carriers relay voice calls, IP Relay uses the internet for text communication, and VRS uses video conferencing for sign language interpretation.

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TRS, or telecommunications relay service, is a service that provides a communications assistant to help individuals with communication disorders communicate with standard telephone users.

Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires all U.S. telephone companies to offer this service.

A TRS offers two main options: voice carry-over (VCO) and hearing carry-over (HCO).

VCO allows a person with a hearing impairment to speak directly to the other party and then read the response typed by a CA.

HCO allows a person with a speech impairment to hear the other party and relay the typed response back to the telephone user through the CA.

This service allows individuals with communication disorders to communicate with all telephone users, giving them equal access to phone calls and conversations.

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TRS Services provide assistance to customers with disabilities, including programs for customers with disabilities, and information on how to use voicemail with TTY.

There are various programs available to support customers with disabilities, such as federal assistance programs and telecommunications relay services.

If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can use a TTY to communicate with others, and a specially-trained TRS operator will relay your messages as voice messages.

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Here are some examples of TRS services:

TTY to Voice/Voice to TTY Conversion is a common type of TRS call. It involves a call from a deaf or hard-of-hearing person who uses a TTY to a hearing person.

A TRS operator, also known as a Communication Assistant (CA), Relay Operator (RO), Relay Assistant (RA), or relay agent, relays typed messages as voice messages between the two parties. This allows callers who are unable to use a regular telephone to place calls to people who use a regular telephone and vice versa.

To initiate a TTY to Voice/Voice to TTY call, the person who is hearing should say "go ahead" or "GA" to indicate that it's the TTY user's turn to talk. The TTY user should then type their message, and the TRS operator will relay it as a voice message.

The person who is hearing should respond verbally, and the TRS operator will relay their voice message back to the TTY user. This process continues until the call is ended, at which point the person who is hearing should say "stop keying" or "SK" to indicate that they are ready to hang up.

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TTY to Voice/Voice to TTY conversion is a crucial service for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, enabling them to communicate with hearing individuals through a TRS operator.

Here's a summary of the key terms used in TTY to Voice/Voice to TTY conversion:

Video service is a game-changer for people who use sign language. It allows them to place phone calls by signing instead of typing.

For those who are new to this technology, video relay service (VRS) uses a webcam or videophone to facilitate communication. This means you can have a natural conversation with someone who uses standard telephone.

To use VRS, you'll need high-speed internet service. This ensures that the video connection is smooth and uninterrupted.

Video relay service (VRS) is designed to be easy to use and accessible. It's a great way to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues who use sign language.

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To set up a TRS customer profile, you can call 1-800-676-3777 (Voice/TTY) or 1-800-676-4290 (Spanish) for assistance.

Having a TRS customer profile speeds up call processing and ensures that your preferred long distance carrier is used every time you make a call.

You can reach T-Mobile Accessibility Care by phone or email to set up your profile. Their phone number is 1-800-676-3777 (Voice/TTY) or 1-800-676-4290 (Spanish), and their email address is [email protected].

To contact T-Mobile Accessibility Care by mail, send a letter to their address at 6220 Sprint Parkway, Overland Park, KS 66251-8200.

If you need to fax your request, you can use the number 1-877-877-3291.

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TRS Features offer a range of services to facilitate communication between people with disabilities and those who are hearing.

TRS resources include assistance programs and services for customers with disabilities, such as programs for customers with disabilities, telecommunications relay services, and federal assistance programs.

TRS allows for different call types via relay services, depending on the technical and physical abilities and physical environments of users.

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Some common call types include Voice Carry Over (VCO), which enables a person who is hard of hearing or deaf but can speak to use their voice while receiving responses from a person who is hearing via the operator's typed text.

Other call types include Hearing Carry Over (HCO), which allows a person who is speech-disabled but can hear to use their hearing while sending responses to a person who is hearing via the HCO user's typed text.

TRS also offers captioned telephone services, such as CapTel, which provides amplified telephone and relay captioning service that allows people who are hard of hearing to see word-for-word captions of their telephone conversation on a display window built into the CapTel phone.

TRS Features also include video remote interpreting (VRI), which allows deaf or hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate with hearing people in the same room.

Here are some specific TRS features that are available:

To use WATRS, you simply need to dial 711 or 1-800-833-6384 to connect with a WATRS Communication Assistant (CA).

The WATRS CA will then dial the requested number and relay the conversation between the two callers. Either a person with a hearing loss or speech disability with specialized telecommunication equipment or a person using a standard phone may initiate a call.

You give the desired phone number to the WATRS CA, who then dials that number using another phone line. This allows you to connect with anyone you want to talk to.

The WATRS CA types the standard phone user's spoken words to the person using a specialized telecommunication equipment and voices the specialized telecommunication equipment user's text messages. This way, everyone involved in the call can communicate effectively.

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TRS offers a variety of services to help individuals with disabilities communicate effectively.

Assistance programs and services are available to customers with disabilities, including programs for using voicemail with TTY and telecommunications relay services.

TRS also offers federal assistance programs to eligible individuals.

If you're interested in using a specific type of service, you'll want to know what's available. Depending on your technical and physical abilities, different call types are possible via relay services.

Here are some of the types of services available:

Voice Carry Over (VCO) is a common type of call that allows a person who is hard of hearing or deaf but can speak to use their voice while receiving responses from a person who is hearing via the operator's typed text. This is made possible by a special telephone.

A person who has difficulty hearing on the phone can voice their conversations directly to the other person on the call. The CA then types the other person’s response to the VCO user.

There are many variations of VCO, including two-line VCO and VCO with privacy. Two-line VCO is similar to 2-line HCO, but it allows the HCO user and the voice user to interrupt each other.

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To initiate a three-way call with the hearing person, the user puts the operator on a brief hold. This method is frequently used by people who are Speech-Disabled and like to use some of their residual speech as well as not having to type "GA".

VCO requires a special telephone, which is necessary for this type of call to work. With VCO, the user can have a conversation with the other person on the call, and the operator will type out the other person’s responses.

Two-Line Captioned Telephone is a feature that allows users to give out their home phone number alone, instead of both the captioning service number and the toll-free captioning service number.

This feature is especially useful for users who prefer to turn captions on and off anytime during the call. It can also be used with other relay services, such as STS, for captioned telephone users with speech disabilities.

Two-Line Captioned Telephone is only available to people in states that have 2-Line captioned telephone as part of their relay service, or to federal employees/contractors and American Indians.

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Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is a game-changer for deaf or hard-of-hearing people who need to communicate with hearing people in the same room. It allows them to use sign language to communicate with hearing people, making it a valuable tool for business meetings, doctor appointments, and other important interactions.

VRI addresses a major limitation of Video Relay Service (VRS), which can't be used if the hearing person is in the same room as the deaf or hard-of-hearing person. This means VRI is often necessary in situations where VRS wouldn't be feasible.

To use VRI, you typically need high-speed internet service, just like with Video Relay Service (VRS). This ensures a smooth and reliable connection for the video call.

VRI has proven to be incredibly useful in a variety of settings, including business meetings, doctor appointments, minor surgical procedures, and court proceedings. It's a valuable resource for anyone who needs to communicate with hearing people in person.

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In Canada and the United States, the telephone number 711 is used for the Telecommunications Relay Service. This service allows anyone to make calls, regardless of their hearing or speech abilities.

You can use 711 to make long-distance calls for free with certain TRS providers. This is because the Federal Communications Commission ruled in 2007 that VOIP telephony must also connect to a TRS call center from a working number.

TRS is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories. It's a free service that ensures equal communication access to telephone service for people who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and speech disabled.

Here are some TRS resources you may find helpful:

All calls made through TRS are confidential and no recordings are kept. This means you can use this service with confidence, knowing your calls will remain private.

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Washington Telecommunication Relay Services, also known as Washington Relay, is a free service provided by ODHH to ensure equal communication access to telephone service for people who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing and speech disabled.

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This service allows hearing callers to communicate with deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech disabled relay users and vice versa through specially trained WATRS Communication Assistants (CA).

It's available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories for local and/or long distance calls with no restrictions on the number, length, or type of calls.

All calls are confidential; no recordings are kept.

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TRS Resources are available to help with various needs. You can access programs for customers with disabilities, such as those for deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired individuals.

To use voicemail with TTY, you can follow specific instructions. Telecommunications relay services are also available to assist with communication.

Here are some TRS resources to consider:

You can also use the 711 number to access TRS, which is a free service that connects you to a TRS call center. This number is available in the US and Canada.

To avoid hang-ups on relay calls, consider changing the way you have your relay calls announced. You can ask the CA to begin with a customized greeting, such as "This is a customer of your business calling through the WATRS."

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Filing a complaint is a straightforward process. You can start by calling the toll-free number 1-888-225-5322 for voice calls or 1-888-835-5322 for TTY calls.

If you prefer to submit your complaint online, you can do so on the FCC website. Alternatively, you can also reach out to the FCC's TTY call center at 800-244-1111.

To help you get started, here are the contact details for filing a complaint:

If you need to file a complaint, there are several ways to do so. You can call the toll-free number at 1-888-225-5322 (voice) or 1-888-835-5322 (TTY) for assistance.

To make a voice or text telephone (TTY) call, dial 800-244-1111. This number is available for those who need to communicate through a TTY device.

You can also submit your complaint online through the FCC website. This is a convenient option if you prefer to file your complaint electronically.

If you need to fax your complaint, the FCC has a dedicated fax number: 866-826-4839.

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Fraud in the US is a significant concern, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receiving over 4.5 million complaints in 2020 alone.

The FTC reports that identity theft is the most common type of consumer complaint, accounting for 25% of all complaints received.

Identity theft can occur through various means, including phishing scams, where scammers trick victims into revealing sensitive information.

In 2020, the FTC reported a 22% increase in complaints about phishing scams compared to the previous year.

The FTC also reports that consumers lose an average of $1,300 to identity theft.

The majority of identity theft complaints involve credit card fraud, with victims reporting an average loss of $1,400.

Consumers can report identity theft to the FTC online or by phone, and the agency will provide a complaint reference number.

The FTC also recommends that consumers place a fraud alert on their credit reports to prevent further damage.

Consumers have the right to a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once a year.

By taking these steps, consumers can protect themselves from identity theft and other forms of fraud.

The FCC plays a crucial role in regulating telecommunications relay services. They oversee Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires telecommunication relay services to ensure people with hearing loss and speech disabilities have functionally equivalent access to telecommunication services.

The FCC establishes rules and makes decisions that affect people with hearing loss and speech disabilities, states, telecommunication providers, and relay providers. They gather public comment before making these rules and decisions.

At the FCC, they regulate TRS, including Captioned Telephone Service, Internet-based relay services, and video relay services.

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Language Support is a crucial aspect of telecommunications relay services.

Spanish speakers can use relay services to communicate with others who also speak Spanish, making it easier for them to access the services they need.

The CA can relay a call between two Spanish-speakers, one with a hearing or speech disability and a hearing person, providing a convenient solution for those who prefer to communicate in their native language.

Video relay service is a convenient option for people who use sign language, allowing them to place phone calls by signing instead of typing.

A standard telephone can be used to place a relay call, making it easy for hearing people to converse with those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled.

Many variations of call types are possible, including connecting callers with different abilities over the telephone network.

Voice callers in the United States can access the service with a universal number: 711, which will guide them through the process of completing the call to reach deaf callers.

The 2-line HCO service allows an HCO user to call a TRS operator, who in turn calls the HCO user on a second telephone line, serving as the voice line.

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A standard telephone can be used to place a relay call and easily converse with a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled.

You can use a standard telephone to connect with people who have different abilities, thanks to relay services. This way, people with disabilities can communicate with each other over the telephone network.

To place a relay call, simply dial a standard telephone and follow the instructions provided. This is a convenient option for those who prefer to use a standard telephone.

Many people have successfully used standard telephones to make relay calls and connect with others.

IP CTS is a type of captioned telephone service that allows users with some residual hearing to listen to the other party and read captions simultaneously.

It uses the internet to provide the link and captions between the CTS user and the service provider, rather than the traditional telephone network.

Prior to 2005, captioned telephone service was only available to people in states with a captioned telephone service as part of their state relay program.

In 2005, the FCC made IP CTS a part of the federally mandated services, making it more widely available.

IP CTS requires an internet connection to deliver the captions to the user, and most configurations rely on a regular land-line telephone for the audio portion of the call.

Some configurations allow the use of VOIP to carry the call audio, giving users more flexibility.

IP CTS has also enabled captioned telephone service to be provided on smartphones and tablets, opening up new possibilities for users.

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