TDDs (TTYs) for people with hearing loss
TTYs (also called Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf - TDDs or
Text Telephones enable hard of hearing, late deafened, and oral deaf persons to communicate over normal
telephone equipment without the requirement to hear. They type rather
than speak and read rather than listen. The TTY is a recent invention,
compared to the telephone, and it has greatly increased the
communications capabilities of persons with hearing loss. Most states
have programs that allow people with hearing loss to get a TTY at a greatly
reduced or no cost.
For more information about
TTYs, or to purchase a one, see:
Computer technology has made it possible to have access to a TTY
without having to buy one! Instead, you get a program for your computer
that enables it to emulate a TTY. These programs can only emulate ASCII,
so they can only communicate with TTYs that are ASCII-capable.
Fortunately, this includes virtually all modern TTYs. Check out one of
these TTY Programs.
If you've ever
tried to contact anyone in a different country using a TTY, you may know
that it's almost impossible, because different countries use different
protocols for TTYs. Now, the V.18 Protocol is
promising to enable TTY communication between different countries.
With
the proliferation of cell phones, you may have wondered if you can use a
portable TTY to communicate wirelessly. The answer is, "Yes, you
can". Read all about how to do it in Wireless TTY Calling.
June 2001 - Is the TTY obsolete? Is it on its way out, being replaced
by more modern technology? Here's one person who
thinks so!
July 2001 - Here's a report on Dr. Harry Lang's TDI workshop entitled "From
the Telegraph to the TTY - The Deaf Experience in the History of
Communication" - a really fascinating history of the TTY.
