3. TTY ACCESS

TTY was originally an acronym for TeleTYpewriter. Today, these devices are sometimes also called TDDs (Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf) or TTs (Text Telephones), though the preferred term is still TTY. TTYs include a keyboard, text display, and sometimes a printer. TTYs allow individuals to make and receive telephone calls in realtime using typed, 2-way communication.

Distribution of TTYs within the Commission - Minimum standards

• Each Division/Office within the Commission should have a working TTY with staff trained and available to answer calls.

• TTY answering machines should be programmed with messages similar to those used on voice mail systems.

• TTYs should be checked regularly for messages with responses generated promptly. Specific individuals should be charged with this task and appropriate back-ups designated.

• The frequency with which TTY answering machines are checked should be comparable to checks of the voice mail system.

TTY Telephone numbers

• When contact telephone numbers for the FCC are disseminated, both voice and TTY telephone numbers should be included.

• If an individual, branch, or division designated as the Commission's point of contact does not have a TTY number, then the TTY number of their office or division must be used. DO NOT use the general 1-800-TELL-FCC TTY number.⁶⁸

TTY Assistance

• For technical assistance, contact:
    CRC Help Desk, 202-418-1200 (press 2), 202-418-0124 tty, crchelp@fcc.gov

• For help in understanding/translating messages received via TTY,⁶⁹ contact The Commission's Section 504 Officer.⁷⁰

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)⁷¹

TRS service (also called Relay, Relay Service, or Relay Center) is mandated by Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)⁷² and allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have speech disabilities to use the telephone. TRS service is available 24 hours a day. It provides the link between callers who use assistive devices such as TTYs, and callers who do not have such equipment. It also serves as an interface between people who have speech disabilities and those who have difficulty understanding them. To contact TRS, dial 711 anywhere in the United States.⁷³ The call will be connected to an operator (also called a Communications Assistant or CA). The Relay Service will ask for the destination phone number. Once this information has been provided, the call will be placed. When the connection is completed, the CA will relay information between the caller and the call recipient. TRS calls can be of several types:

TTY calls
TTY users can contact the Relay Center to make calls to people who do not have a TTY. Likewise, callers who use standard telephones can contact the Relay Center to make calls to TTY users. When using the Relay, the TTY user types a message to the CA who then reads it to the person using a standard telephone. When the person using a standard telephone responds, the CA types the message to the TTY user.

VCO (Voice Carry Over)
With VCO, a caller who can speak intelligibly but who cannot hear conversation on the telephone (as is often the case, for example, with hard of hearing people), is able to speak directly with the person using a standard telephone on the other end of the line. The CA then types the standard telephone user's comments back to the VCO user via TTY. Either VCO users or standard telephone users can initiate and receive VCO calls.

HCO (Hearing Carry Over)
HCO allows people who can hear but who cannot speak clearly (for example, people who have had severe strokes) to use their hearing via a standard telephone while using a TTY to type their comments. HCO users type their comments to the CA who reads them to the person using a standard telephone on the other end of the line. The standard telephone user then speaks directly to the HCO user. Either HCO users or standard telephone users can initiate and receive HCO.

STS (Speech to Speech)
STS services are used by people who have speech disabilities and are neither deaf nor hard of hearing (for example, people who have cerebral palsy). With STS, CAs who are trained to understand people who have speech disabilities, listen to the caller and then repeat the message clearly to the person being called. The person with the speech disability can be either the initiator or the recipient of an STS call.

IP Relay
IP (Internet Protocol) Relay calls are initiated over the internet. To locate a list of IP Relay providers, use a standard internet search engine and search for "IP Relay." To make an IP Relay call, follow the directions on the internet site you select. At this time, IP Relay can only be used to make calls from an internet connection to a standard telephone. Calls cannot be made in reverse -- voice callers using a standard telephone or callers using VCO, HCO or STS cannot initiate an IP Relay call. IP Relay is currently an optional service.

VRS (Video Relay Service)
VRS allows sign language users to send and receive messages in American Sign Language (ASL). Currently, VRS calls must be initiated by the sign language user who must also have the appropriate video equipment and high speed connectivity, e.g., cable modem, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), or ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). The sign language user signs to a CA who is also a qualified sign language interpreter. The CA interprets the message into spoken English for the standard telephone user who then responds in spoken English. The CA listens to the spoken message and interprets it into sign language for the originating caller. At this time VRS is an optional service.

Spanish Relay Service
Relay services must be provided in Spanish for all interstate calls. Calls made within states are not required to offer their services in Spanish though many TRS Centers voluntarily do so. Spanish Relay offers services via TTY, VCO, HCO, and IP Relay. At this time, Spanish Relay is not available for STS or Video Relay Service users. Spanish Relay is only required to provide relay services from Spanish-to-Spanish; it is not a translation service. Either Spanish Relay users or standard telephone users can initiate and receive Spanish Relay calls.

4. DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED IN ALTERNATE FORMATS

Where should they be sent?
Documents that are submitted in alternate formats; i.e., video recording, audio recording, braille and the like, should be forwarded immediately to the appropriate contact person listed on the chart below.

For each format below, consult the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau contact listed:
Audio recording	Braille	Electronic documents	Sign language	Other media or formats
Send To	Send To	Send To	Send To	Send To
Accessible Format Specialist fcc504@fcc.gov	Accessible Format Specialist fcc504@fcc.gov	Accessible Format Specialist fcc504@fcc.gov	Section 504 Officer 202-418-0530 202-418-0432 tty	Section 504 Officer 202-418-0530 202-418-0432 tty

If you cannot determine what type of media you have received, send it to the Section 504 Officer.