Using Relay
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The Telecommunications Relay Service, or TRS, is a federally mandated free service for phone calls between hearing people and people who have difficulty hearing or speaking.
The deaf or mute person you want to call must have a TTY (also known as a TDD). Simply dial 7 1 1 anywhere in the United States to reach the relay service. If you forget the 7 1 1 number to the relay service, you can always look up the local number in the phonebook.
The operator (sometimes people call them "relayers") will ask you for the number of the person you wish to call, and they will dial it for you. Once the person you are calling answers the phone, the relayer will speak as if they were that person, saying exactly what the person types.
Speak as if you're talking directly to the person. Don't says things like, "Tell her I am going to be there," or "Can you tell him I'm going to be late?" The relayer will type exactly what you say. Remember to speak slowly and clearly enough for the relayer to type what you're saying.
At the beginning of the conversation, identify yourself or else the relayer will just type that a male or female is talking. Also, remember that the relayer will type any others sounds they hear. You cannot flush the toilet, thinking that the person you are calling will not be aware of it because they are using a TTY.
You need to take turns talking, similar to using two-way radios. When the person using the TTY is done typing what they want to say, they will type "GA," and the relayer will say "Go ahead." Then it is your turn to speak. When you are done talking, say "Go ahead." When the person using the TTY is ready to hang up they will type something like "GA to SK," meaning "Go ahead to stop keying," and the relayer will tell you the person is ready to hang up. If you are ready to hang up too, just thank them and say goodbye.
If you have something more to say, you can continue the conversation. If you want to end the conversation, after you are done with your turn talking, say, "Go ahead to stop keying." When the person using the TTY hangs up, they will type "SK" or "SKSK," and the relayer will tell you the person is hanging up.
Click here for common TTY and relay abbreviations.
If a person using a TTY calls you via relay, the operator will explain that they are from the relay service and have a phone call from a person using a TTY. (The person may actually be using a computer and the Internet, signing with a webcam or typing, instead of a TTY.) They will ask if you have used relay before. Unfortunately, many people who are not used to receiving calls via relay mistake it for a telemarketer. Listen closely, and if you forget how to have a conversation through the relayer, simply ask for instructions, and they will assist you.
That may sound more difficult than what you're used to using the phone, but just think how deaf people must use relay to call hearing people everday. Also, many deaf people really appreciate you contacting them directly instead of always relying on their hearing friends to relay messages to them. For one thing, it allows them to be involved in planning and decision making. Other means of telecommunications you can use to contact deaf people include text messaging, pagers, video phones (VP), email, instant messaging (IM), and chatting on the Internet.