Deaf and speech impaired people's access to telephones

Deaf and speech impaired people's access to telephones

People who are deaf or speech impaired can use a textphone to access telephony. A textphone (sometimes called a Minicom like vacuum cleaners are called hoovers) is basically a keyboard bolted onto a modem cutting edge 1980s technology! In America a textphone is called a TTY. A textphone costs between £200 and £350 new.

  

Images are of a Minicom 6000 a brand of textphone which has a keyboard and a set of acoustic coupling cups on the top, a Geemarc Screenphone which is a modern voice carry over textphone with a handset and large screen but no keyboard and a Uniphone 1140 which is another textphone with a keyboard and a handset

Historically textphone users could only call other textphone users which was an improvement on relying on friends and family to relay or make telephone calls but still limited to people and organisations which owned a textphone. This mode can still be used by textphone users.

Image is a diagram of two textphone users connected to one another with a double ended arrow

Relay services between textphone and telephone users

In the 1980s the first UK Relay service then called TypeTalk was set up by RNID and BT. A relay service involves a relay operator joining the call to type to the textphone user and speak to the telephone user.

I am avoiding using the terms deaf/hearing to be inclusive as not all relay users will fall into the deaf/hearing categories..

Image is a diagram of a relay operator typing and speaking to relay calls between a textphone user and telephone user. The textphone user and telephone user have double headed arrows between themselves and the operator but no connection to one another

The UK relay service is now called TextRelay but many people still call it by its old name TypeTalk. Textrelay has a website at http://www.textrelay.org/

Calls via TextRelay are usually eligible for an automatic 60% call-rebate to account for the extra time these calls take so the users are not disadvantaged by higher call costs.

Making a TextRelay call

A TextRelay call can be initiated or received by either a textphone or a telephone user.

Hearing telephone user initiating a phonecall to textphone user via TextRelay

You need to dial 18002 before the full number of a textphone user to relay the call via TextRelay.

There will probably be some automated recorded instructions in a flat computerised female voice saying something like Welcome to BT TextDirect or TextRelay please hold for connection

These instructions will tell you what to do and should be followed until the operator connects (there can sometimes be a few minutes delay if it is busy).

Once connected the relay operator should ask you if you know how the service works, but if they don't, you can ask them to explain it. The textphone user will be given EXPLAINING TEXTRELAY PLS WAIT... messages at this point so they know what's causing a delay.

The relay operator will explain that you the caller and recipient need to take turns to communicate like a radio conversation. When you have finished your turn you should say "go ahead" or "over". This lets the textphone user know it is their turn.

Each side communicates in turn with go ahead/GA between each. Don't talk if it's not your turn as some relay operators will type that while the textphone user is typing and that causes a mixture of operator typing and textphone typing on the screen which is horrible and confusing for the textphone user.

When you want to end the call after saying goodbye etc you can say "stopping" so the operator knows to type SK SK which is short for 'stop keying'.

If your phoneline doesn't allow 18002 to be dialed (common on some workplace systems) contact your telecoms provider for advice, but be prepared for them not to know very much. Ask them to contact the TextRelay customer service for advice on how to set up their systems.

 

Deaf or speech impaired textphone user phoning someone via TextRelay

A deaf or speech impaired textphone user uses their textphone to dial 18001 before the full telephone number of the telephone user they wish to call. Each textphone has a different way of dialing, you can find many textphone manuals on textrelay's website athttp://www.textrelay.org/downloads.php

Once you have dialed the textphone will display call progress information from TextRelay starting with

Dialing the number: TXD DIALING 18001 0121 ### ####

Waiting for the other side to pick up: TXD RING TXD RING TXD RING

If line is engaged TXD ENGAGED SKSK

Once line is answered, waiting for an operator to connect: TXD CONNECTING TEXTRELAY TXD CONNECTING TEXTRELAY

Operator connects and is explaining TextRelay to the other person: TXD OPERATOR CONNECTED PLS WAIT EXPLAINING TEXT RELAY PLEASE WAIT

You will finally be put through with something like HELLO GA
if the person has given their name already it is 50:50 if the operator passes it on.

It is now time for you to type something yourself - e.g. Hello, this is Natalya, who is speaking pls? GA or Hello, this is Natalya, am I speaking to Ahmed Patel pls? GA

The GA is needed to let the other person know when to speak, you shouldn't type without your GA and they shouldn't try to speak theirs although an operator may relay (type) what is being said anyway. I think some operators tell the other person not to do this, others just type over you resulting in a mixture of in/out typing. This can also happen if you type when it's not your turn. If this happens, I recommend not typing till the typing has finished, and if it is your turn either ask the operator not to do that by typing (note to operator....) or asking the other person not to talk out of turn.

When you are ready to end the call you can sign off Thanks ever so much for your help. Bye SKSK or Thanks, bye. BIBISKSK

I am usually polite and remain on the line till the other person has also said SK SK and THANK YOU FOR USING TEXTRELAY comes up in case there is anything else but many people hang up as soon as they have SKed.

Other messages you may come across using TextRelay on a Textphone

If your recipient hangs up before the operator connects NO ONE ON-LINE, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REDIAL? GA You should be able to say Yes pls GA but sometimes the line is dead and you will need to redial manually which is annoying (and costs you another call connection charge).

If the other person hangs up after operator connects: CALLED PARTY HAS HUNG UP, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REDIAL? GA this time saying yes should work as there is definitely an operator there.

Sometimes an operator is pulled out of your call to handle an emergency, you will get an INTERRUPT OPERATOR CALLED TO EMERGENCY CALL type message followed by TXD CONNECTING TEXTRELAY TXD CONNECTING TEXTRELAY while waiting for a new operator who usually connects in within a minute.

Other TextRelay calling prefixes

180015 is for textphone users to dialanother textphone or minicom number to get the 60% call rebate and more useful progress messages. This cannot be used by telephone users. Some telecoms providers don't offer the call rebate even though they should be doing it. You can contact TextRelay's customer service if you want advice on this.

18000 is the TextRelay equivalent of 999 and will get you an operator instantly - they will pull operators off an existing call if needed.

Using TextRelay without a textphone

As of January 2014 it is not very easy to use TextRelay without a textphone. This should change in April 2014 with Next Generation Text Relay (I can't wait!).

While in theory councils and social services can provide textphones many deaf people find that this isn't possible in reality as there's limited budgets and often it's a choice between fire safety and other equipment and a textphone. Some people have had success by challenging initial refusals...

It is possible to set up a laptop and a modem but instructions are hard to find. There is also Aupix PhoneRelay software at http://www.aupix.com/tcphone/relay but this doesn't have the 60% call rebate and can be quite expensive.

Receiving a call from a textphone user

Receiving an incoming call from a textphone user via TextRelay

*ring ring* *ring ring*

Please hold for an operator-assisted call from a textphone user

The computerised female voice telling you that you are the lucky recipient of a TextRelay call

For more information about Textphones and TextRelay see my post deaf and speech impaired people's access to telephony or the UK's TextRelay website.

Hanging up on the scary recorded message is common

This voice is so much like automated spam that I am not surprised so many people hang up on it as soon as they hear "computerised voice". I almost expect to be hung up on by 75% of organisations or recipients not used to receiving calls via TextRelay.

I'll generally forgive one hang-up by someone who hasn't used relay before. However it's often 2, 3 or even 4 or more hangups on the recorded message or even a live operator themselves that gets tiring and stressful. Sometimes TextRelay can redial for me, so I don't get another call-connection charge, but sometimes I have to redial from scratch which is slow due to all the connecty gubbins that has to happen.

Hanging up on TextRelay users is unlawful as well as annoying!

I should also point out that it is unlawful for an organisation to hang up on a relay user or refuse to accept the call as it is disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 access to goods and services by denial of service. There is case law Gordon Waring v DCW Private Hire Cullingworth Taxis.

I have occasionally had staff at an organisation be very rude to me (taxi firms are notorious) and the operator on relay and refuse to take my call. I usually try and follow this up with a complaint because on one occasion they did apologise and promise to train their staff.

Please do take TextRelay calls - hold the line

The best thing to do if you hear Please hold for an operator-assisted call from a textphone user is hold the line and follow the instructions. Even if the message turns out to be spam, they can't charge money to your phonebill while you just listen and it is at worst a few seconds of your time.

You may also hear Please wait. Please wait before an operator connects but they should connect within a minute or two.

TextRelay Operator connects into the call

Once the relay operator (sometimes called relay assistant) connects they will say something like

Hello, you have a call from a deaf or speech impaired person and I will be relaying the call. Please say "go ahead" when you have finished speaking.

You can ask the operator at any time to explain or clarify how to use the service as this may not be automatically offered due to customer preference testing.

Turn taking on a relay call

Calls via TextRelay can currently only allow one person to speak at a time, much like a radio. This is because of the mixed modes of the call.

If you say yes to receiving the call, the textphone using caller will get the first turn to speak. If you have said who you are, this doesn't always get passed on. You can say "Yes, I accept this call, please say it's James on the line. Go Ahead

Once you have said Go ahead the operator will let the textphone user know it is their turn.

The textphone user may type their response to you, or they may speak it (see my TextRelay modes post for more info).

Textphone user is typing their responses

If the response is typed, (possibly the more common way TextRelay is used) the operator will speak what is typed to you. The operator will do their best but may mispronounce unfamiliar words.

When the textphone user has finished typing they will type GA to let the operator know to tell you it is your turn again. When it is your turn the operator will be typing what you say to the textphone user, they are not verbatim typists so speaking slowly and clearly will be helpful.

See my my post about TextRelay modes for more information.

Textphone user is speaking for themselves (VCO)

If the response is spoken, this is a mode called Voice Carry Over (VCO) you will hear the caller as you usually would, but you cannot interrupt or speak until the operator tells you that it is your turn.

It will take 1-2 seconds of apparent silence to switch from the textphone user speaking back to your turn as the relay operator is switched in and out of the call.

The Textphone user does not have the option to hear you speaking - this will change with BT's Next Generation Text Relay due to go live in April 2014!

Textphone user speaks for themselves (for speech impaired users)

Speech impaired people may use the Hearing Carry Over (HCO) mode of TextRelay where they speak for themselves and type their responses for the Relay Operator to speak to you.

In this case the operator will speak for the speech impaired person but your spoken responses will go directly to them to hear as usual.

I don't know much about HCO mode or HCO users. There is also not much about it on TextRelay's website.