How to Use Deaf Telephone Service

Deaf telephone service is a free service in the U.S. and Canada called Telephone Relay Service. The service allows hearing and hearing-impaired individuals to communicate clearly over the telephone. The system uses an operator as the intermediary who translates between the two parties. Depending on the need, the operator translates from typing to speech or from speech to typing. Anybody can use this system by dialing 7-1-1 on a working telephone. Hearing-impaired users require a special device called a TDD (telecommunication device for the deaf) which has an attached keyboard that submits text to the operator.

Instructions

• 1

  Dial 7-1-1 from either a telephone or a TDD device.

• 2

  Give the operator the number you wish to connect to. Hearing-impaired individuals will type or speak the number. Hearing individuals speak the number.

• 3

  Communicate through the operator through speech or writing the initial message you wish to tell the call recipient.

• 4

  Wait while the operator connects you to the call recipient and delivers your initial message. Look at or listen to the response as the operator writes or speaks it to you, respectively.

• 5

  Respond to the operator. Wait while they communicate to the recipient and get back to you. Repeat this exchange until you are finished with the conversation and hang up.