What is a TTY?

TTY means a Text Telephone, or is sometimes referred to as a Telephone typewriter or telecommunication device for the Deaf. TTY is the more widely accepted term, however, many people use TTYs, not just people who are deaf.

A TTY is a special device that lets people who are deaf, hearing impaired, or speech-impaired use the telephone to communicate, by allowing them to type messages back and forth to one another instead of talking and listening. A TTY is required at both ends of the conversation in order to communicate.

To use a TTY, type the message you want to send on the TTY's keyboard. Most TTY models can be plugged directly into a telephone line. With some models you set a telephone handset onto special acoustic cups built into the TTY. As you type, the message is sent over the telephone line, just as your voice would be sent over the telephone line if you talked. You can read the other person's response on the TTY's text display.

If you do not have a TTY, you can still call a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired by using the National Relay Service (NRS). With NRS, a special operator will type whatever you say so that the person you are calling can read your words on his or her TTY display. He or she will type back a response, which the NRS operator will read aloud for you to hear over the telephone. Call the NRS 13 36 77.

Printacall offers several different models of TTYs for home, office and personal use.