This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Georgia Relay Recognizes Better Hearing and Speech Month

Dial 7-1-1 to access free public telephone services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking

 

Atlanta (May 5, 2014) – Georgia Relay recognizes Better Hearing and Speech Month this May. Sponsored by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) since 1927, this annual observation provides opportunities to raise awareness about hearing and speech difficulties and to promote resources that can improve the quality of life for the nearly 40 million Americans who experience difficulty hearing and/or speaking.

Georgia Relay provides up-to-date technologies and a variety of assistive devices that enable people in Georgia who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking to communicate by telephone.

Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

To benefit from Georgia Relay, state residents may take advantage of any of these resources:

Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

·         Dial 7-1-1 to make a Georgia Relay call.

A free public service, Georgia Relay enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking to communicate with standard telephone users. Relay services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and anyone can initiate a Georgia Relay call simply by dialing 7-1-1.

Georgia Relay offers state-of-the-art features designed with the users’ needs in mind, including traditional Relay (text telephone), Voice Carry-Over (VCO), Hearing Carry-Over (HCO), Speech-to-Speech (STS), Spanish and more. Detailed descriptions and calling instructions for each service are available online at www.georgiarelay.org or by calling Georgia Relay customer service at 1-866-694-5824 (V/TTY).

·         See what’s said with Captioned Telephone (CapTel®).

Georgia Relay CapTel service is designed for individuals who have difficulty hearing on the telephone and are able to speak for themselves. Through the use of a CapTel phone, users listen while viewing word-for-word captions of what’s said to them during phone conversations. Captions appear on the bright, built-in display screen of the CapTel phone just moments after the other party has spoken. You may benefit from CapTel if you are: deaf with understandable speech; someone with a cochlear implant; hard of hearing; a VCO user; a late-deafened adult; or someone who can no longer use an amplified phone.

CapTel service is provided at no cost to the user. CapTel phones are available for direct purchase for a reduced cost of $75. Web and mobile versions of CapTel are also available for Mac/PCs, Smartphones and Tablets. To learn more about CapTel, or to purchase a CapTel phone, please visit www.georgiarelay.org.

·         Apply for no-cost telecommunications equipment.

Administered by GACHI, the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment Program (GATEDP) provides telecommunications equipment at no-cost to qualified applicants whose disabilities prevent them from using a standard telephone. Available assistive devices include text telephones (TTYs), amplified telephones, VCO phones, HCO phones, CapTel phones, signalers for the phone and door and more. To learn more about GATEDP or to apply for equipment, please call 1-888-297-9461 (voice/TTY) or visit www.GACHI.org/gatedp.

·         Find Relay-friendly businesses with Georgia Relay Partner.

A free, educational program for Georgia businesses, Georgia Relay Partner helps reduce the number of hang ups Relay users sometimes experience when making business calls. Open to all Georgia-based businesses, Georgia Relay Partner provides businesses of all sizes with the free training and marketing materials they need to answer and place Relay calls with confidence.


To find a list of Georgia Relay Partner businesses that are trained in answering and placing Georgia Relay calls, or to request that your business become a Georgia Relay Partner, please visit www.georgiarelay.org.  

·         Meet Georgia Relay’s outreach team or request a free presentation.

In order to educate as many Georgia residents as possible about Georgia Relay, Georgia Relay’s outreach team regularly exhibits at community events throughout the state. To see a list of upcoming events, please visit Georgia Relay’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GeorgiaRelay.


Georgia Relay’s outreach team also offers free presentations for businesses, organizations and other groups. To request a presentation, please contact Ellen Rolader, Georgia Relay outreach coordinator, at ellen.rolader@hamiltonrelay.com.

If you or a loved one has difficulty hearing or speaking over the phone, there are services and equipment available to keep you connected. For more information about Georgia Relay, please visit www.georgiarelay.org or call 1-866-694-5824 (voice/TTY).

 

About Georgia Relay
Georgia Relay provides services that enable people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking to communicate with any standard telephone user. Free specialized telephones are available to applicants who financially and medically qualify through the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (GATEDP). Georgia Relay is easily accessed by dialing 7-1-1 and is overseen by the Georgia Public Service Commission. For more information about Georgia Relay and its services, please visit www.georgiarelay.org or call 1-866-787-6710.


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?