TTY
The TTY is a device that allows deaf and hard of hearing people to use the telephone. A conversation is typed on a TTY rather than spoken; allowing a deaf or hard of hearing person to communicate directly with anyone who has a TTY. It is sometimes called a TDD or TT.
The TTY looks like a small typewriter keyboard. It has a telephone modem and a small LCD screen. To use the TTY, a person dials the phone and places the handset in the TTY’s couplers/modem. An electronic signal can then be transmitted across the phone line to another TTY. Other types of TTYs are directly connected to the telephone jack. With this type of equipment, the telephone number is dialed either through the telephone or through the TTY. The telephone handset is placed on the table instead of in the TTY couplers. TTY software is also available that can be installed on a computer allowing a person to use the computer to place and receive TTY calls. The Nebraska Relay Service (NRS) relays telephone calls between two people when one person does not have a TTY.
Link back to the Assistive Devices Loan Program page
Link back to the Nebraska Specialized Telecommunications Equipment Program page