711 Service

Telephone Relay Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

Persons with hearing or speech disabilities, or persons needing to contact them can connect to Telephone Relay Services (TRS) by simply dialing the digits 711 from any phone in the United States.

With Relay Services for the Deaf - accessible by dialing 711 or a toll-free number, and everything is GREAT, right? Wrong! In spite of the Americans with Disabilities Act, public service announcements or commercials, and the fact relay numbers are prominently published in phone books, there is not that much awareness of relay services for the deaf among the hearing public.

The simple, fast and free 711 Telephone service just announced by the FCC will automatically connect the caller to one of the more than 100 separate phone numbers of the nation's telephone relay services without having to remember and dial a seven or ten-digit access number. Being able to dial the same three digits nationwide to access TRS, instead of having to be familiar with each state's unique access number, makes TRS much more accessible in our mobile society, according the FCC.

Telephone relay services enable people who do and those who do not have hearing or speech disabilities to communicate with each other using special text display telephones (TTY). When a user places a call through a TRS provider (or relay center), a human communications assistant (relay agent) relays the conversation by either typing or speaking aloud the content depending on the needs of the callers.

Consumers who are unable to get 711 TRS access in their area after October 1, should call the FCC's Consumer Center at 1-888-CALL-FCC (voice) or 1-888-TELL-FCC (TTY), or by e-mail at access@fcc.gov.

Under the new rules adopted last year by the FCC, 711 TRS dialing must be provided by all telecommunications carriers in the United States, including wireline, wireless, and payphone providers. The FCC rule also encourages all PBX suppliers to configure their systems for 711 access to TRS.

In addition, to ensure the efficient, effective, and successful use of 711 access to TRS, the FCC required carriers and relay providers, in cooperation with the states, to engage in on-going and comprehensive education and outreach programs to publicize the availability of 711 access.

Benefits of Telephone Relay Services for the Deaf

Telephone Relay services give deaf people a sense of freedom. Telephone Relay service also help with their social lives. Relay service has given deaf people a great new way to communicate with others.

Having telephone relay services make life easier and enables deaf people to search for jobs, allows them to call hearing friend(s) whenever they want, and keep in touch with relatives that don't have TTYs. Now deaf people can call anywhere to ask questions or make complaints.