Deaf Phone Translation

Deaf and hearing-impaired people can communicate through telephone lines using a device known as the teletypewriter (TTY). TTY equipment allows users to type messages back and forth on keyboards through a system connected by existing telephone lines. TTY users often use special abbreviations to save time, and telephone operators often go through TTY training to understand TTY communication.

History

• News organizations and businesses used to send messages through TTYs by connecting them to telephone lines and other machines. TTYs were also used for telegram and military communications. In the 1960s, a deaf physicist by the name of Robert Weitbrecht modified TTYs for use by deaf people. He created an acoustic coupler to convert electrical signals that come from a TTY so they activate the TTY keyboard and print the message. Portable versions entered the market in the 1970s and TTY modems were developed in the 1980s. The late 1980s saw the introduction of TTY pay phones. In 1996 the Federal Communications Commission required wireless telephones to be TTY-compatible.

Names

• Over the years, people have referred to the TTY with a variety of names. Originally, TTY referred only to telegram and military communication equipment. When a smaller version of the equipment entered the market, it was called Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD). FCC also used to refer to the technology as text telephone (TT), which is also a term often used in Europe. The Telecommunications for the Deaf Inc. (TDI), which publishes national directories and guides for the deaf, endorses the use of the abbreviation TTY, which is the most common term used today.

Equipment

• TTY equipment consists of a keyboard, a display monitor, a modem or modular connection, AC power and batteries. Some models also have printers or auto answering machines. As of July 2010, TTY equipment costs between $200 and $1,000 and weighs between 2-5 pounds.

Using a TTY

• To make a TTY call, the user attaches the acoustic coupler or modem to a regular telephone, puts the handset in place and turns on the equipment. Two lights switch on, one to indicate power and the other to indicate phone signals. The phone light changes its flashing pattern depending on the type of signal---for example it goes off if there is no sound and it flashes rapidly if the signal is busy. When the call is connected to another TTY phone, the person answering it usually starts by typing "GA," which stands for "go ahead." A TTY user finishes each message with "GA" to indicate that the other person should respond. At the end of the conversation, a TTY user types "GA to SK," which stands for "go ahead to stop keying."

Abbreviations

• Much like Internet chats or cell phone text messages, TTY users abbreviate words to save time typing. They also often omit punctuation, articles and prepositions to reduce the number of characters they type. Common abbreviations include "XXX" to stand for "mistake," "HD" to indicate "hold" and "Q" to represent a question mark.