July 2016 | 2016 Summer Newsletter
California Relay Service (CRS) provides free assistance with telephone calls for those with hearing or speech impairments or memory loss. CRS Communication Assistants use special equipment to assist you with effective telephone communication.
With the use of a Teletype device, you may dial 711 on your telephone to reach a specially trained Communications Assistant, who can relay telephone conversations between you and the person/place you are trying to reach (the called party).
Teletype (TTY) is a small telecommunication device with a keyboard and screen (or printer) used to enable telephone communication. TTY uses a keyboard for you to type your message to a called party and provides a screen (or printed paper) for you to read responses. A Communications Assistant will read your typed message to the called party and then relay their response back to you via screen or print.
Federal regulations specify very strict confidentiality requirements for relay services. No part of any conversation that takes place between callers is revealed or recorded. Find more information about TTY and other devices, on the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program webpage.