Telephone Devices for the Deaf TTY
TTY stands for teletype writer. It is also sometimes called a TDD, or Telecommunication Device for the
Deaf or text telephone. TTY is the most widely accepted term however as TTYs are used by many
people, not just those who are deaf. When it comes to TTY’s there are three options that can be used
by individuals who are deaf:
Voice Carry Over or VCO phones are mainly used by late deafened adults who are accustomed
to carrying out voice conversations. VCO phones allow the deaf user to speak responses while
reading what the other person says on the built in screen located above the dialing pad. These
phones are useful as they operate similar to regular phones and often have built in features like
sound amplification to assist hard of hearing individuals. VCO phones rely on the national 7-1-1
relay service which I will discuss in a minute.
The second option for TTY communication is a text only option. These devices consist of a
built-in keyboard, a text line display and can hook directly to a telephone line connection or have
receivers for a telephone handset. The process for using these devices is simple. The sender types
their message and the party on the receiving side reads the message on their device and responds
by typing a message back; all transmission is carried out over standard telephone lines. For calls
made to or from a regular phone, the 7-1-1 service is utilized.
The 7-1-1 relay service is provided by telephone companies and can be accessed for free from
anywhere in the US. The relay service is used to make calls to or from a VCO or Text TTY by
dialing 7-1-1 and telling the operator the number and type of call you wish to place. The 7-1-1
operator will then – depending on the type of call - either speak or read the Senders message to
the receiving party and communicate the response back either verbally or with text. This process
allows TTY and regular telephone users to communicate fairly efficiently no matter what type of
TTY is being used.
Some TTY’s, like the Ameriphone pictured is a combination device with both VCO and TTY
functionality along with features for other users like hearing carry over.
USING THE TTY
There are two ways to connect a TTY, either directly or acoustically
When using Direct Connect devices, the TTY plugs directly through a wire to the phone or
wall jack and allows the TTY to essentially "becomes" the telephone, allowing users to dial
directly from the TTY. To connect to a cell-phone in this manner you must have a TTY
compatible cellphone.
The second option is to connect a TTY Acoustically
This is accomplished by using a regular telephone to dial the call and then placing the handset on
the acoustic couplers of the TTY, or as pictured placing the portable TTY over the speaker of the
handset.
TTY Add on Device
There are various add on accessories for TTY’s.
External displays are good for individuals with low vision or for those uncomfortable with the
small text display on most TTY’s.
TTY SCREENER devices will filter out speech calls by sending a verbal message to the caller
asking them to hang up and first dial the relay service
The Ultrasilent device was designed to mirror a voice processing system and can be used in
conjunction with a business or organizations verbal voice processing and call management
system.
Some TTY’s like the one pictured in the middle have built in printers. These are very common –
especially on older models. Printers are good to have for devices that don’t have any text storing
capability or for users with TBI’s or memory problems. Caution should be used when
purchasing a TTY without a built-in printer. Some models like the Ameriphone Q90 pictured
advertise the ability to add an external printer, yet the external printer is no longer manufactured
and nearly impossible to locate.
Computer Based Communication
MYTTY or Nextalk are examples of software that enables a computer to act as a TTY. This
is handy as it allows users to avoid the cost of a TTY unit and allows them to use a computer
screen for their communication which is bigger than those on a standalone TTY. These services
allow users to make calls from TTYs and other computers that have TTY software.
Internet Relay and Video Relay Services work with computers through the internet. These
services behave much like the traditional 7-1-1 relay used with standard TTY and telephones but
give the users more mediums of communication beyond just text or voice communication.
Examples of internet relay services include (ip-relay.com, i711.com, AT&T, Hamilton, Sprint)
Video Relay Service is a fast-growing service used by deaf and hard of hearing consumers
because it allows them to sign to a real-life interpreter over high-speed internet who then
communicates between the caller and a third party. It also gives users the option of connecting
directly with the person they’re calling through video.
Examples of video relay services include Sorenson, Sprint, AT&T, CAC, ZVRS, Hawk, Hands
On, Snap!, Sprint, and URrelay)
With the wide-spread use of the internet and cell-phones, instant messaging and email have
become the technologies of choice for many users with hearing impairments. For those without
a cell-phone there are services that offer free text messaging over the internet like textem.net.
For those with a cell-phone, Push based service can be utilized to alert you when you receive a
new email. The service alerts your cellphone when you receive a new email. You then have the
option of checking your email and replying with your phone or computer.
Daily Living
There are numerous devices available to assist with daily living. I would encourage any of you
who are interested in this section of Deaf AT to visit abledata.com, as the site has an eclectic
listing of what is available. I will spend a few minutes going over some of the general categories
of AT for individuals who are deaf.
There are numerous systems available to alert individuals when someone is at their front door.
There are signalers for the doorbell, door breach alerts and the foot pressure sensor pictured on
the slide.
There are severe weather alerting systems designed for the deaf. These systems will blink or
vibrate after receiving the weather alert.
Telephone flashers are an important daily living item. They work with any phone, and will turn
on and off quickly to alert an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing that the phone is ringing.
This flashing system is also used for other alerting purposes.
Fire and carbon monoxide alerts are available in different forms. Usually the devices will have a
standard unit to detect the smoke or monoxide and then there will be a secondary unit to receive
the alert and signal the individual by flashing a light or vibrating a device that can be placed
under a pillow for night time use.
Combination devices will incorporate several of these daily living devices into one combo unit
like the Alertmaster pictured. These systems can also incorporate a wireless unit that is clipped
to the waist which will flash a light or vibrate to alert you that something is occurring. Another
good feature these units have is a microphone on the base unit that will detect any recurring or
sustained noise and send out an alert, again through flashing lights, audio cues or vibration.
ADA compliance kits are available from some of the manufacturers of these devices that include
an entire set of these items.
Something I came across in my research is a new device called a Vibering. I thought I would talk
about it briefly as it is an interesting device, but also demonstrates how critical it is to be aware
of new inventions and technologies that may help people with disabilities.
The “Vibering” was designed to help the deaf by housing a sound detection and identification
system in a pair of rings and a wristwatch. The rings are to be worn on both hands and are the
ears that not only listen for sounds emanating from behind, they also determine distance, position
and vibrate according to source. The wristwatch aspect identifies the sound wave and presents
this information to the wearer in an easy to read display. The watch is programmed to listen for
certain key phrases from humans like “Excuse Me..”, your name being called and any number of
car noises including the most important one, a car’s horn. The device means to give the deaf
some extra sensory and protect them from being hit by a car.
Another interesting new device was designed in Japan and meant to be used as an alternative
smoke alarm. When it detects smoke, the silent smoke alarm will spray canned wasabi extract
into a room; initial tests have shown it to be effective enough to wake up 13 out of 14 test
subjects within 2 minutes.
Aids to Assist with Driving
Computer Aids Software – Speech to Text
Speech to text capability can be handy in various situations and settings depending on the
situation.
The software listed on this slide (Dragon products, Phillips free speech, macspeech, IBM’s vias
voice and windows/mac speech recognition) are the mainstays of the speech to text market. The
price of this software varies, but it is good to note that Windows and Mac both come with free
speech to text software.
The speech to text software itself is designed to do two main functions; the first is to dictate text
into say a word document or email. The second is for communicating with the computer and
giving it commands. Most programs will do both functions, but some are geared more for one or
the other and this should be taken into account before making a purchase.
Computer Hardware Aids
Listed on this page are some of the computer hardware aids available to assist the deaf
population. These devices use a combination of hardware and software to achieve certain
communication functions.
The Icommunicator – is designed to fill several different roles. It will provide speech to text,
speech to video sign language, speech to computer-generated voice, and text to computergenerated voice all in real time or close to real time.
Speak N Read – converts Speech to text for one-on-one communication.
The UbiDuo – is a text-to-text device where users communicate by typing and reading with up to
four users wirelessly. These devices have been used successfully for communication in
businesses between employees and customers who are deaf.
The Interpretype – is a laptop computer that enables communication between devices via text,
video and speech. It will also connect to internet relay services including video remote
interpreting.
The SignTel Interpreter – enables automated speech or text conversion to Sign Language
Wireless listening systems
Induction Loop
Advantages - No special equipment is needed by people using telecoil equipped hearing aids.
These systems are relatively inexpensive and easily installed in the desired location.
Disadvantages - Individuals must sit within the loop to receive the signal and must have either a
telecoil equipped hearing aid or a loop receiver. The sound quality is uneven and there may be
"dead spots" within the loop. There is a chance or interference from lighting fixtures that would
reduce clarity. Systems for large areas are complicated to install and require high-powered
amplifiers.
Infrared
Advantages - This type of system is easy to operate and there is no problem with electrical
interference. Sound quality is good for persons with mild to moderate hearing loss. Signal will
not travel through walls and around obstacles - this makes this type of system very good for
confidential conversations.
Disadvantages - Since the transmission signal is a light beam, other light sources may cause
signal interference (sun light, fluorescent lights, etc.) Receiver must be in the line of sight of the
transmitter to receive the information (just like your remote for your TV).
FM Radio Waves
Advantages - Within the transmission area, sound quality is excellent and individuals are free to
sit where they want, as well as more around. The device is not susceptible to electrical
interference. This type of system will also transmit through walls and other obstacles.
Disadvantages - The initial equipment costs are higher than some of the other systems. Also,
access to the system is limited to the number of receivers available. The signal will travel
through walls and obstacles, which may be an advantage in some situations and a disadvantage
in others.
Amplification Devices
Captions
Captions display spoken words as printed words on a television screen.
Open captions are added to the video and may be viewed on all television sets, without a
decoder.
Closed captions require specialized circuitry within the television or in a set-top decoder box to
be seen. Closed captioning displays the dialogue, narration and sound effects of a video program
as words on a television screen, similar to subtitles on a movie.
There are various ways to create your own captions including dotsub.com, youtube.com, IBM
ViaScribe, CC JR, Magpie. Dotsub and youtube are web-based services that allow you to upload
a video and caption it. Youtube has recently introduced an automatic captioning function that
uses speech recognition to caption videos for you.
Real-time captioning couples the skills of a court stenographer with computer technology like
rapidtext software to convert the stenographer’s code into regular text in real-time. These
services can be supplied in person or remotely over the internet and are good for classroom or
meeting settings.
ICART or THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR ACCESSIBLE RADIO TECHNOLOGY is
an interesting captioning initiative that aims to make radio accessible by providing real-time
radio captioning. It is still in an early stage but has been used successfully for events of national
import like the 08 presidential elections.
Classroom setting
Audisee
Public AT
Public places must provide TTYs when phones are available for the general public. At least one
TTY should be installed in shopping malls, hospital waiting rooms, stadiums, convention
centers, airports, or any building with more than four pay telephones.
Along with the amplification devices offered by movie theatres for hard of hearing individuals,
some theatres provide Rear window captioning. An adjustable Lucite panel attaches to the
viewer's seat and reflects the captions from a light-emitting diode panel at the back of the theatre.
Keep in mind that if you need accommodations you must let businesses and service providers
know what you need. Be your own best advocate and get the assistive technology you need!
OAM
Laser cane – The user moves the cane in front of them, similar to a standard cane, and it emits
infrared beams, which detect obstructions and drop offs. When something is detected, small pins
under the users fingers project and vibrate to warn the user of the obstacle.
Other examples of O&M products include Braille maps, global positioning devices, Braille or
talking compasses, as well as electronic navigation aids. A Braille map looks like a standard map
but has raised areas to provide tactile feedback to someone without sight. These areas can have
different textures to stand for different things (water can be a raised wave, walls would be solid
lines, doorways would be dotted lines, etc.). Global positioning devices relay information to the
user about where they are currently located and directional information of desired locations with
great accuracy. These devices, which were very expensive, have come down considerably in
price making them affordable for many people.
Braille compass. This device has a flip top that covers a disk with Braille letters representing
north, south, east and west, and raised dots representing the points in between
Electronic navigation aids detect objects in front of the user at various distances ussing high
frequency sound waves to detect objects. If there is an object in front of the person, the device
will vibrate. As the person gets closer to the object, the device vibrates faster. There are similar
devices that can be either hand held or placed around the neck to free up the person's hands. This
device will also vibrate as you get close to an object or emit a sound
Talking GPSAs you walk through the streets, the Trekker or other device mentions points of
interest, tells you street names and intersections, and lets you know where you are relative to
your destination. Get a route to your destination by entering the two addresses, and let the device
guide you. Download new maps from the internet. Voice record feature lets you record your own
notes about your trip or route.
Miniguide is a vibrating and audible electronic mobility aid designed for use by individuals who are
blind, deaf blind, or have low vision. This ultrasonic device detects obstacles from 1.5 to 26 feet away to
augment information from other mobility aids, such as a cane or dog guide. Two sensors covered by mesh
at the front of the unit send and receive the echo-location signals. A durable plastic casing covers the rest
of the unit. The aid vibrates to indicate the distance to objects; the faster the vibration rate the nearer the
object.
Computer Software Aids
Screen readers are software programs that enable the user to read selections by the word, by the
line, by the paragraph or the whole page. There are many types of programs available and each
has different features. The screen reader program will read all the information displayed on the
screen. This includes text, menus, and dialog boxes.
Screen Magnifiers/High contrast are programs that internally magnify the information on a
computer screen or change the contrast to make words or objects stand out more depending on
the users preference.
An exciting trend in screen magnification is that there is a program to magnify along with other
accessibility programs included in the Windows and Mac operating systems. This feature enables
the user to magnify the objects on the screen up to nine times its original size. With the feature
included in the operating system, there are no concerns about incompatibility that may arise with
programs that are installed later. There are also 3’rd party programs like ZoomText available and
do a better job in general, or a better job with specific content.
Screen Readers like JAWS or Windows Eyes will read the text aloud to the user. This is good
for blind users or those with very low vision. Depending on the program, access to all
information accessed by a computer can be displayed.
Web accessibility:
When producing content for the web be sure to put in Alt tags that will allow pictures and other
non-text objects to be readable be a screen reader. You can check the accessibility of your
website by visiting
Computer Hardware Aids
Video Mag
Some can take picture and zoom in/out, good for the topshelf on the grocery store.
Refreshable braille display
Braille keyboards look similar to a standard keyboard but have raised Braille letters on the
corresponding keys to enable a user to access it. Users can also purchase Braille letter stickers
that can be placed on the keys of their existing keyboard.
Barcode readers can be a dedicated device or a downloadable application.
Nearly a million bar coded descriptions. Many provide extended package details beyond just the
description, such as nutritional data, ingredients, and warnings
CellPhones
Nokia cellphones e-book readers (free download)
Nokia Text to Speech: will read text messages aloud
Nokia textphones allow you to type and read your conversation during a call
Iphone, landmark recognition
Sources for electronic books
Telephone Devices
The Braillephone
is a portable braille telephone device designed for use by individuals who are deaf blind. This device can
be used for telephone communication or it can be used for face-to-face communication between a person
who is deaf blind and any other person using a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or deaf
relay service. In addition, the system is designed to enable those who are deaf blind to access most
computer systems, as well as Internet communications.
Deaf/Blind Communication
Deaf/blind communicatorHas two separate portable components: a BrailleNote and a DB-Phone. These
two components communicate wirelessly with each other using Bluetooth. The system provides three
types of communication for deafblind users: face-to-face, TTY, and SMS Texting. The DB-Phone can be
activated and handed to a sighted person for face-to-face communication. A message is both spoken and
displayed on the DB-Phone stating, “Hi, I’m blind and I can’t hear. To communicate with me, type a
message on this keyboard and press (the return arrow).” Whatever the sighted person types on the DBPhone in text is sent to the DB-BrailleNote and displayed in Braille. The user can then type a response on
the DB-BrailleNote and send it to the DB-Phone, and so the conversation continues. The user can also
communicate with other deaf blind individuals. The BrailleNote has a land-line connector and built-in
TTY software that allow the user to engage in a TTY conversation either directly or through a relay
service. Text messaging is also possible
SCREEN BRAILLE COMMUNICATOR
The Screen Braille Communicator enables the user to communicate with sighted people who may not
know Braille by way of a Braille keyboard. One side of the communicator has a Braille keyboard and a
refreshable Braille display, while the other side has an alphabetic keyboard and a visual display.
KROWN TACTILE RING SIGNALER (MODEL K-TTRS)
Krown Tactile Ring Signaler is a tactile ring signaler designed for use by individuals who are deaf, deaf
blind or hard of hearing. The system includes a wireless telephone transmitter and vibrating personal
pager. This wireless system permits the user to receive signals from up to 80 feet away. Features include
visual, audio and vibration alert indicators, a transmitter that plugs directly into a phone jack.
ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SYSTEM
Emits a tone or beeping as well as the possibility to include tactile markers to let individuals know when
it is safe to walk.
Voice
Many devices and software programs designed to either take voice commands or produce their own
text-to-speech function such as dragon naturally speaking and the lightwriter device. Also:
Voice-activated Thermastat
Talking Thermometer
Talking Crayons - Insert crayon into I-Crayon module and Dora the Explorer announces the color.
Talking Prescriptions.
Talking Photo Albums
Everyday living strategies
Food
Pot Watcher Cooking Aid where a heat-resistant glass disc rattles against the pot when the water
starts to boil, alerting the cook to avoid boil-over.
Talking microwaves,
Liquid level indicators that beep or vibrate with the cup is about full
To identify food for the blind, use magnetic letters, braille labels, varying numbers of rubber
bands around cans or boxes, or use charms of different sizes to signify.
When shopping: call stores ahead and the store will usually provide an employee to walk with
you or you can always bring a friend along to help
For someone who just lost their vision, set up plates like a clock, use plate guards or when not
available use chips or bisquits to scoop foodood on the plate, tray, or area, like a clock
Low-tech Magnification
Various magnifiers of all shapes and sizes available. Also magnifiers with different color
contrasts for reading.
Binocular Glasses available for watching TV, sporting events, movies, or any other distance
viewing activity in which a magnified image would be helpful.
Writing aids/guides
Writing grids for paper, checks and other common writing functions available. Usually made of
plastic and go on-top of the paper with fields to write in the appropriate place.
Recreation
Beeper Basketball Standard size basketball includes beeper unit that attaches to bar between rim
and backboard and bell with chain that hangs from backboard into middle of net
Plastic bag alternative
Hide and Seek Cats. When a hiding spot is found and the Hide&Seek Cat is activated, it will
repeat "I'm over here!", every 30 seconds until found. Once found and picked up, it says "You
found me!
Clothes
Can use a common system like always wearing button-down shirts with kackies pants and tshirts with jeans so as to always have on matching clothes. You can also sew buttons or other
small things to signify cloth color and other properties.
Can buy pre-threaded needles
Mark washer and dryer. Always wash with cold water.
Shop for clothes with someone whose taste you trust.
Grooming Strategies:
Buy combined shampoo/conditioner, or products that have different shape bottles, or mark one
(shampoo or conditioner) consistently with a rubber band.
Use a grid type routine to make sure you cover all areas when shaving. Electric shavers decrease
the possibility of nicks.
Time Management
Consider talking watches and alarmclocks, or a Brailled watch. Some have several alarms to alert
you to different events or changes during the day. Consider a small tape player to keep notes,
provide directions between places, keep track of schedule, etc.
Large Clocks/calendars and High contrast clocks are also good for low-vision individuals.
TV
Money
ENHANCED NOTE TELLER 2
The Enhanced Note Teller 2 is a portable vibrating paper money identifier designed for use by individuals
who are deaf-blind. It can identify U.S. paper currency from $1 to $100 in both the new and old bill
formats, but instead of speech output the Enhanced Note Teller 2 uses vibration codes to indicate different
denominations of currency.
Can also ask the person behind you in line if you received or are paying with the correct change
Consider online bill-pay and banking with screen-reader software rather than using bills and envelopes.
Develop a functional signature, some consistent form of initials and/or name.
Financial Assistance
Reasonable accommodations for an employee with a disability may include:
Modifications or adjustments to a JOB APPLICATION PROCESS that enable a qualified
applicant with a disability to be considered for the position such qualified applicant desires, or
Modifications to the WORK ENVIRONMENT, or to the manner or circumstances under which
the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable a qualified individual with a
disability to perform the essential functions of that position, or
Modifications or adjustments that enable a covered entity's employee with a disability to enjoy
EQUAL BENEFITS AND PRIVILEDGES of employment as are enjoyed by its other similarly
situated employees without disabilities