How do deaf make phone calls in the US?

deafdrummer said:
Thanks for the link regarding Sprint IP. I just now saw this today. I signed up for it, and we'll see if it's still operational.
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Be sure to remember to keep us up to date as you search for what works where you are.
 
Sprint relay

I just tried Sprint Relay. I don't know if it works or not. I have to wait 7 days for them to verify me. My information was already there. I thought they had stopped the Deaf Relay Service. If they have stopped I am Not able to make a call. computer is working, seems email has stopped or not connecting. U-verse did that by changing my phone services from AT&T To U-Verse and I have had a problem every since then. I paid to combine my bill but they did not send money to my phone service. My phone has not been out in 20 years. Sadly my phone has been off for4 days because cause of U-verse mistake.
 
As I understand- a speaking deaf person can phone-anyone using a VCO TTY. The other party uses their regular phone..

Aside: I have/use VCO TTY since 1996. I can speak and the Relay operator-711 keys back what the other party is saying. Not difficult to use or understand.

To be very specific- one must have a "landline" phone jack which the TTY is plugged into.
 
I see my VRS VP have a VCO option. Can you use that?

drphil said:
As I understand- a speaking deaf person can phone-anyone using a VCO TTY. The other party uses their regular phone..

Aside: I have/use VCO TTY since 1996. I can speak and the Relay operator-711 keys back what the other party is saying. Not difficult to use or understand.

To be very specific- one must have a "landline" phone jack which the TTY is plugged into.
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As being in VA- I can't answer "mikemike". It should be "easy to test"-do it.

VCO means Voice Carry over.
I understand the operator is "hearing" for "you" keying back on the screen what the other party is saying while "you" can speak.
aside: I live in Ontario Canada and does use a VCO TTY since 1996. 711 operators are located in Quebec City-at the present time.
 
I know this thread is old!

Deafdrummer

Seeing you start posting again got me to wondering what you ever decided on as a way to make phone calls??
 
deafdrummer said:
Hello? How do you make phone calls to hearing people at businesses and doctor's offices in the United States, since the likes of That's Hamilton and even web-based IP-relay services are gone?

I only have a cell phone and computer running off that as a tethered device out in the country with no access to a TTY in the town I live nearby.

I need to call an RV shop in the morning so that I can drive there to pick up a part for my Thetford TOILET, because I can't use water in my travel trailer, which is MY HOME out in the country by the farm. Without it working correctly, I can't shower, I can't potty inside, I can't even cook inside without access to clean water. However, just about everybody shut down IP-Relay, and I cannot get Purple's IP registration to work at all. Damn thing thinks I have an address that doesn't exist. Help, as I have to drive as far away as 100 miles just to pick up a complete water valve system for the toilet, and there's more than 10 versions of that valve system available, and I must get the right one.

Thanks very much!
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Look at the ACCESS software from NexTalk. It doesn't require a phone line, just a network connection and it includes 9 different communication options. NexTalk also includes the phone number you will need for text calls. They arrange the number with the telephone company and then convert all land line calls to network calls.
 
Jane B. said:
I know this thread is old!

Deafdrummer

Seeing you start posting again got me to wondering what you ever decided on as a way to make phone calls??
Click to expand...

Every one seems to have signed up for NexTalk. And the price certainly can't be beat.

As far as making phone calls is concerned, its the way to go.

I get the concept of a captioned phone but one needs voice service and there is no way to text type messages, which limits its usefulness.

What I like about what Gary Tanner mentioned if you have a computer and Internet access, that's all you need to access this software.
 
NormanF said:
Every one seems to have signed up for NexTalk. And the price certainly can't be beat.

As far as making phone calls is concerned, its the way to go.

I get the concept of a captioned phone but one needs voice service and there is no way to text type messages, which limits its usefulness.

What I like about what Gary Tanner mentioned if you have a computer and Internet access, that's all you need to access this software.
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The point of the captioning services on cell phones is that you do not NEED TO TYPE. There are some of us, especially HOH and/or late deafened, that greatly prefer to talk but need the captions to know what is being said to us.

If you have fast enough and stable enough cell service the CapTel version that Sprint developed (no you do not have to get your cell service from Sprint) uses VOIP and NO VOICE MINUTES.
www.sprintcaptel.com/wireless-captel-sprint
 
I have trouble with VP lately. I'm not able to remember the conversation. I keep ask the interpreter to repeat until I understood the situation. I have no trouble with TRS which I miss it dearly. Sprint's TRS is so awful and so terrible slowly.
 
PowerON said:
I have trouble with VP lately. I'm not able to remember the conversation. I keep ask the interpreter to repeat until I understood the situation. I have no trouble with TRS which I miss it dearly. Sprint's TRS is so awful and so terrible slowly.
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PowerOn,

NexTalk's ACCESS will give you TRS again, regardless of where you live.
 
PowerON,

Yes it does have a monthly charge. $6.95. For that you get a dedicated number which is used for both video and text calls (This alone would cost you at least $19 dollars a month if you asked your local telephone company to give you "dial tone" only service, while video phone service can be as much as $30 dollars a month).

For $6.95 a month, you get the following:
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
Video Relay Service (VRS)
Video Phone
Text Relay Service (TRS)
TTY Calling (Send and receive)
Voice Carry Over (VCO)
Hearing Carry Over (HCO)
Encrypted Messaging and Chat

All of these are in a single software solution.
 
I use Sprint IP text relay on the internet or on my iPhone, or the InnoCaption app (until they temporarily suspended the service....???)
 
cdmeggers said:
I use Sprint IP text relay on the internet or on my iPhone, or the InnoCaption app (until they temporarily suspended the service....???)
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I do not use text relay (I have typed and then used a computer keyboard for many, many years but much prefer to use my voice on calls!). So it is VCO with my state relay on my landline or a captioning app on my cell phone.

Of the captioning apps InnoCaption had also become my favorite. Hamilton's version of CapTel also works for me but I find InnoCaption much smoother, etc.

InnoCaption's suspension is associated with their handling of 911 calls. To quote their web site "In order for the suspension of service to be as temporary as possible, the InnoCaption team has been working closely with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a third party company who specializes in emergency call handling."
http://innocaption.com

I sure hope this suspension turns out to be very short as they are my preferred service.

Disclaimer: I have no interest in their service other than as a very satisfied customer.
 
PowerON said:
That's few reason, why we need to have text relay service exist in market. Videophone is no good:
• Loss Hearing with no knowledge ASL
• Deaf who choice to not learn ASL
• Rural with no data coverage and/or no high-speed Internet
• Certainly condition on Usher Syndrome and/or RP (sp) prefer TRS instead TTY nor VP during difficult visual
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That is very interesting. I have heard of apps that transcribe messages in english or spanish and I know of one App that Actually Lets your Text Message Places like a doctor etc...

They get all of the local data and can send a message to a particular business or a group of them (say you need a quote). With one Text you can get multiple quotes on a project, book an appointment with your doc, find a nearby yoga class, etc. Their name is BizzBook (www.BizzBookApp.com)

Here is the link on Apple Store: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bizzbook-local-services-on/id985059893?mt=8
 
deafdrummer said:
Hello? How do you make phone calls to hearing people at businesses and doctor's offices in the United States, since the likes of That's Hamilton and even web-based IP-relay services are gone?

I only have a cell phone and computer running off that as a tethered device out in the country with no access to a TTY in the town I live nearby.

I need to call an RV shop in the morning so that I can drive there to pick up a part for my Thetford TOILET, because I can't use water in my travel trailer, which is MY HOME out in the country by the farm. Without it working correctly, I can't shower, I can't potty inside, I can't even cook inside without access to clean water. However, just about everybody shut down IP-Relay, and I cannot get Purple's IP registration to work at all. Damn thing thinks I have an address that doesn't exist. Help, as I have to drive as far away as 100 miles just to pick up a complete water valve system for the toilet, and there's more than 10 versions of that valve system available, and I must get the right one.

Thanks very much!
Click to expand...

I posted this earlier as a response to someone else's question, and I think it will help you. Check out bizzbook, they let you text local places.
Here's the link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bizzbook-local-services-on/id985059893?mt=8
 
Sorry, I forgot to keep this updated. Sprint IP relay is running again. I've been using them for a while now.
 
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