PHONE COMMUNICATION WITH A PERSON WHO IS DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) provides full telephone accessibility for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Locally this service is known as Relay North Dakota.

Trained Communication Assistants (CA) place calls and stay on the line to relay messages either electronically over a teletypewriter (TTY) or verbally to hearing parties. Relay North Dakota is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are no restrictions on the length or number of calls placed. The number is 711 and is the same in all 50 states. This service can be used by hearing or deaf persons.

Relay North Dakota is confidential. All calls will be kept private, and no records of conversations will be maintained. CAs will not share information regarding the content of a relay call unless they are required to do so by state or federal law.

To Place a Relay Call:

1. Dial 711.


2. When the CA answers, give him/her the area code and the number you want to call.


3. Direct your conversation to the TTY user as if the CA were absent. The CA will then
   relay all of your message, word-for-word.


4. Do not direct comments to the CA during your conversation, because these phrases will be relayed to the deaf/hard of hearing person as well.


5. If you leave a message indicate that you have called through Relay North Dakota.

Sample Dialogue:
Dial 711
CA: Relay North Dakota, Agent #1, Go Ahead*
Caller: Hello. Would you please call John Smith at 701-222-2222?
CA: Please hold while I connect your call..."Hi, John Smith here. Go Ahead.*
Caller: Hi, John, this is Sarah....

* Go Ahead is used to indicate the person is done talking and the other party should take their turn.

Other Options:

Text messaging on regular cell phones.

Videophone relay

The deaf person uses a videophone to communicate with the CA (a professional interpreter). The hearing person carries on his/her part of the conversation while an interpreter signs to the deaf person over the videophone. As the deaf person signs their reply, the interpreter voices the response to the hearing person. The phone conversation flows so smoothly that the hearing person may be unaware that an interpreter is facilitating the communication. If the deaf person does not answer, a message can be left.