Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS)

According to the FCC, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) is a telephone service that allows persons with hearing or speech disabilities to place and receive telephone calls. TRS is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories for local and/or long distance calls. TRS providers – generally telephone companies – are compensated for the costs of providing TRS from either a state or a federal fund. There is no cost to the TRS user.

To learn more about TRS, visit the FCC’s website: www.fcc.gov

HLAA Calls on States to Ensure Integrity of Relay Services Funds

May 17 2011

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is concerned about an alarming trend among state legislatures. Some states are redirecting money collected for the state telecommunications relay services (TRS or Relay Services) fund for purposes other than supporting Relay Services. These funds are collected via a surcharge on the phone bills of state residents. The stated purpose for that surcharge is to support captioned telephone services, Voice Carry Over, TTY and Hearing Carry-Over services provided by the state Relay Service. (Internet-Protocol (IP) Relay and Video Relay Services (VRS) are not covered under this fund.)

FCC Moves Forward with Comprehensive Reforms to Eliminate Abuses and Ensure Viability of Video Relay Service

Apr 18 2011

Washington, D.C. – As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that the video relay service (VRS) continues to provide a crucial telecommunications link for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, the Commission today adopted rules designed to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse that has plagued the VRS program and had threatened its ability to continue serving Americans who use it and its long-term viability.

FCC Acts to Ensure that Deaf-Blind Individuals Have Access to 21st Century Communications Technologies

Apr 18 2011

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Commission established a National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) to enable low-income individuals who are deaf-blind to access 21st Century communications services. The pilot program will help ensure that qualified individuals have access to the Internet, and advanced communications, including interexchange services and advanced telecommunications and information services.

Captioned Telephone Update

Apr 2 2010

Captioned phones are not available to everyone who needs that service. HLAA recently heard from consumers in Delaware who were distressed that they live in the last state to adopt captioned phone services.

Read more on the Public Policy and Advocacy blog.

FBI Arrests 26 in Nationwide Scheme to Defraud VRS Program

Nov 23 2009

Indictments were unsealed today against 26 people charged with engaging in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Joseph Persichini Jr., Deputy Chief Postal Inspector Zane Hill, and FCC Chief of Staff Edward Lazarus.

Consumer Advocates Urge Federal Mandate for Captioned Telephone Services

Nov 13 2009

Led by Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), representatives of consumer organizations joined together to support a federal mandate of captioned telephone services. Joining HLAA at the meeting were American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN), Telecommunications for the Deaf and hard of Hearing (TDI), and via phone, California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCASDHH). We met with an FCC representative in FCC Chairman Genachowski's office on November 5.

HLAA Position Statement on Captioned Telephones in California

Oct 27 2009

Hearing Loss Association of America recently learned that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) included a provision in its Request for Proposals (RFP) for Captioned Telephone Services (CTS) that would require the CTS Caller Assistant (CA) to inform all of the parties on any CTS relay call (that originates from or terminates in California) of the presence of the CTS CA on the call. This requirement is alleged to assure compliance with California state law that prohibits monitoring, recording, or transcribing of telephone conversations unless all parties to the conversation give their express prior consent or have received notice that such monitoring, recording or transcribing is occurring.

IP Relay and 10-digit Numbering

Oct 2 2009

On September 25, the FCC held a workshop to talk about the need for consumers to get 10 digit numbers for their Video Relay Service (VRS) and their IP (Internet) Relay. At the meeting it became clear that many consumers are registering for VRS, but others who are using IP Relay have NOT registered for 10 digit phone numbers for IP.

Do you use IP Relay? If you do, be sure to register with your provider (Sprint, Hamilton, etc) to be sure you can still use IP smoothly after November 12, 2009.

From the FCC:

FCC Seeks to Refresh the Record on Petition to Mandate Captioned Telephone Relay Service (CTS)

Jun 26 2009

Hearing Loss Association of America along with 11 other organizations recently filed a supplement to our 2005 petition requesting the FCC mandate captioned telephones. Captioned phones, such as CapTel, provide people with hearing loss who can use their voice an opportunity to enjoy the use of telephone services in a way that is very nearly the same as those with no hearing loss. We would like to see many consumers add their comments to the proceedings. Watch the HLAA home page for an upcoming action alert on how to file comments in support of mandating captioned telephone services. Or contact the Advocacy Department directly to see what you can do to make captioned telephone service a reality in all 50 states!

FCC Releases Consumer Advisory on the New VRS and IP Relay Numbering and Emergency Call Handling System

Jan 12 2009

“Beginning on December 31, 2008, persons with hearing and/or speech disabilities who use Video Relay Service (VRS) or Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay) – two forms of Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) – will be able to obtain ten digit telephone numbers from their VRS or IP Relay provider. These are the ten-digit telephone numbers used by voice telephone users.