Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)
Telecommunications Relay Service is a dual party relay service which allows telephone communication between a hearing/speaking person and a hearing, speech disabled person using TDD/TTY. TRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is accessible from any telephone. TDD/TTY users dial 1-800-735-2962. Voice users dial 1- 800-735-8262 or 711. When calling give the assistant the telephone number you wish to reach and they will connect your call. Conversations will be relayed and will be kept confidential.
For more information on TRS, you may call the Relay Customer Service Center at 1-800-735-0533 (TDD/TTY) or 1-800-735-0341 (Voice) or the Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing at 1-800-205-9914 (TTY/TDD) or 1-800-999-5737 (Voice). Calls may be placed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
TDD/TTY Users Dial 1-800-735-2962
Voice Users Dial 1-800-735-8262
There are no restrictions on the length or number of calls placed by relay users. Also, there are no additional fees or charges for local calls. Expanding local and long distance calls are billed at reduced rates.
When calling the relay center, give the CA the number you would like to reach. They will connect the hearing person on a voice phone and the hearing/speech disabled person a telecommunications device (TDD/TTY). The CA types the conversation on the TDD/TTY to one person, while speaking to the other person on a voice phone.
When receiving a call form the relay center, the CA will provide a brief explanation of the service if the person has not previously used TRS. Requests for a male/female CA are honored if the caller states such a preference.
Voice/Hearing Carryover (VCO/HCO) is also available upon request. VCO gives the hearing disabled person, who is able to speak the ability to talk directly to the caller.HCO gives a speech disabled person, who can hear, the ability to listen to the caller.
For PC users using the relay service, dial 1-888-762- 2724 (RNC-ASCII) with the software setting as shown below:
• 300-1200 baud
• 8 bit
• No parity
• 1 stop bit
• Half Duplex
For more information, call the TRS Customer Service Center (TDD/TTY or Voice) 1-800-676-3777. VIDEO RELAY INTERPRETING (VRI)
VRI is video conferencing application for computers with a video system. The American Sign Language (ASL) user dials the relay center and a certified interpreter appears on the user’s computer. The ASL user communicates to the interpreter through the video while the interpreter dials out to the hearing party and relays the call in ASL If the ASL user wants to make a VRI call and does not know where to go for VRI, call the Relay Services Administration Office at 1-800-205-9914 (TTY) or 1-800- 999-5737 (Voice). For more information, call the TRS Customer Service Center.
TTY/TDD users dial 1-800-735-0533
Voice users dial 1-800-735-0341
PUBLIC TELEPHONE CALLS USING RELAY SERVICES
People who use relay services to make long distance calls on pay telephones may pay for these calls with a calling card. A calling card allows you to have calls billed to your telephone or to your card account. Calling cards may be used at coin telephones as well as any other telephone. The calls are billed at the same rate as long distance calling card calls that do not use relay service.
Local calls through a relay service from a pay telephone are free of charge.