HOW TO USE A TTY

A TTY or teletypewriter is a communication device used by persons who are deaf or who have speech impairments to communicate via the telephone lines by typing back and forth. The teletypewriter is also referred to as a TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) and a TT or Text Telephone.

TTY LOCATIONS AT UND

Available during normal business hours, 8:00 – 4:30 pm at:

Facilities (24 hrs. a day)	701-777-2796
Affirmative Action Office	701-777-4171
Disability Services for Students	701-777-3425
Enrollment Services Office	701-777-3367
Memorial Union	701-777-4482
A pay telephone in the Memorial Union

Telecommunications (777-4111) has a TTY available to UND departments on a short-term checkout basis.

HOW TO MAKE A TTY CALL

1. Place the telephone handset in the TTY’s acoustic coupler (modem) and turn on the power. If you are not receiving a signal, try turning the receiver around.
   
   

   Two small lights will come on, but only the power light will stay on. The phone light waits to respond to any sounds picked up by the coupler.

   If you have a direct connect TTY, you do not need a separate telephone. Dialing will be done on the TTY keyboard.

   If you are using a payphone, the TTY drawer will open automatically when the TTY signal is detected.

2. Dial the number and watch the phone light, which shows the dial tone, busy signal, or ringing by corresponding light patterns. The light remains on for the length of the sound and goes off when there is no sound. For example, the light flashes rapidly and rhythmically with a busy signal.


3. People answering the phone will respond with their names and a short message followed by "GA" which means "go ahead."


4. You start typing at this point and identify yourself.


5. To end a turn in the conversation, type "GA", and the other person will begin typing again. Each person is expected to take a turn only after receiving a "GA" from the other party.


6. When you are done with your conversation, type "GA to SK", meaning "go ahead to stop keying" or "good-bye", to let the person know you are finishing the call.


7. A TTY message in process cannot be interrupted, even if one knows what the other person is going to type.
   

HOW TO RECEIVE A TTY CALL

1. When you answer the phone, you will hear: a “keying” sound” or a computerized voice announcing “TTY caller” or no sound at all.


2. Turn on the TTY and set the phone handset in the coupler.


3. Type your greeting and your name. For example, “Disability Services for Students, this is Judy. GA”


4. The party will respond via his/her TTY, and your conversation is underway.

TYPING AND SPELLING PROTOCOL

TTY calls take longer, because typing is slower than talking. The following are accepted ways of shortening the typing time:

• Punctuation, such as quotation marks, periods and commas are generally not used.


• Indicate a period by hitting the space bar two or three times.


• Do not use capital letters; the text prints out in all capital letters.


• Don’t correct errors unless the misspelled word cannot be understood within the context of the sentence.


• Correct an error by typing XXX several times directly after the mistake and then retyping the word correctly.

These commonly used TTY abbreviations also save time:

GA = go ahead	SK = stop Keying or good-bye
GA to SK = completing all messages and getting ready to hang up	U =you
SKSK = hanging up	Q = question mark
XXX = mistake	TDD = another name for TTY
HD = hold	MSG = message
THX = thanks	TMW = tomorrow

This is how a TTY conversation looks on the digital readout or paper tape:

Hello ga

HELLO SAM IS MARK THERE Q GA

Yes this is mark how are you q ga

I AM FINE WANT TO JOIN FOR A MIOVXXX MOVIE Q GA

Sure what time q ga

AT 7:00 NIGHT AND M EXXX MEET ME AT MY PLACE GA TO SK

Ok I will see you at 7:00 sksk

TTY ETIQUETTE

1. When calling TTY users, let the phone ring at least 7 or more times before hanging up. Many deaf and hard of hearing users rely on flashing lights to alert them to ringing phones. Flashers can take longer than sound to attract attention.


2. Callers should identify themselves at the beginning of calls. Any one else watching the conversation should also be identified.


3. Callers should use the standard abbreviations of GA, Q, HD, and SK.


4. Always tell TTY users when calls are going to be put on "hold" or transferred.


5. When TTY users type, "Can you read me?" they want to know if the message is clear and without garbled letters and numbers. If the message is garbled, hit the space bar a few times. If this does not clear up the message, both parties should hang up and try the call again.


6. Provide privacy for the person using the TTY. It is not appropriate for anyone other than the person(s) called to watch the typed messages.


7. The paper tape of a conversation should be handled as confidential material.
   

Content excerpted from the NETAC Teacher Tipsheet “How to Use a TTY”, compiled by Barbara Ray Holcomb, associate professor, American Sign Language and Interpreting Education, NTID, Rochester, New York. This publication was developed in 1999 under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (Osers). Available: http://www.netac.rit.edu/publication/tipsheet/TTYa.html[2003, June6].