Pennsylvania Relay

Do you avoid using the telephone because you have difficulty hearing? Are you constantly asking people to repeat themselves during phone calls? While it can be frustrating to use a standard phone when you have hearing loss, there are accessible services that can make telecommunication possibleand easy!With the assistance of Pennsylvania Captioned Telephone Relay Service (CTRS), a free public service offered through the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and powered through Hamilton Relay, individuals who are hard of hearing can communicate with other callers without missing or misunderstanding whats spoken to them.How CTRS Works in Your FavorUsing CTRS, people who are hard of hearing can speak directly to another caller and listen to their responses while reading captions of whats said to them during the call. The free captioning service is available in English and Spanish and produces captions that appear on the easy-to-read, built-in screen of the CapTel device, just moments after the other caller has spoken.Captions are provided by a specially trained Captioned Telephone operator, who uses voice recognition technology to translate what is spoken by the other caller and transforms it into a typed, transcript-like conversation. Those who qualify can apply for a CapTel phone through the Telecommunications Device Distribution Program (TDDP), which provides assistive devices to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or have difficulty speaking. CapTel phones can also be purchased directly for $75 through WCI.Introducing Hamilton Mobile CapTel for iOSWould you rather communicate with your smartphone instead of a CapTel device? No problem! Hamilton Relay recently released its Hamilton Mobile CapTel for iOSallowing you to use the trusted captioning service on your iPhone.The handy app provides accurate captions and conversation transcripts for incoming and outgoing calls, has a built-in voicemail with captions, allows you to personalize how your captions appear, and so much more! The Hamilton Mobile CapTel app is available now for download in the Apple App Store. Visit HamiltonCapTel.com to learn more about this exciting communication solution!Could You Benefit from CTRS?Contact our customer service team at parelay@hamiltonrelay.com or visit parelay.net to learn more!Hamilton Relay is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. dba Hamilton Telecommunications. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.

Pennsylvania (PA) Relay is a free public service that provides telecommunication solutions to citizens who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, or who have difficulty speaking. With support from PA Relay, these individuals can place and receive calls through assistive services and technology. PA Relay has a team of outreach coordinators who visit various communities throughout the state to bring more awareness to this valuable service. Outreach coordinators connect with potential PA Relay users, their loved ones, and community members and inform them about the available solutions that could help them, or someone they know, communicate more efficiently and effectively.  PA Relays outreach coordinators Jenny Pearson and Thadeus Graham took some time to answer important questions about the free public service and their roles on the outreach team to help people understand how they can benefit from PA Relay services and the educational opportunities available through the outreach program. Keep reading to get to know your outreach coordinators!What are the responsibilities of your role as an outreach coordinator?Jenny: As an outreach coordinator, my main focus is educating Pennsylvania residents and businesses about the services provided by PA Relay and how those services work. Its my pleasure to travel throughout the state educating people about PA Relays services and how businesses and organizations can benefit from using PA Relay to connect with potential clients who use accessible telecommunications to conduct business. To do this, the outreach team exhibits at community events, gives educational presentations to local organizations, and provides training to businesses and organizations.   Thadeus: I educate people about PA Relay as well as assist people in gaining access to the free public service. As an outreach coordinator my role is to both assist our relay users as well as introduce people who could benefit from the service to PA Relay. I answer questions, help with equipment installations, provide a point of contact for our users, host presentations, or attend expos and health fairs to make sure everyone is aware of the services that are available to them.  How can PA Relays services help people stay connected, and how do you help people learn more about these specific services?Jenny: In presenting this information at public and private events, the outreach team can inform people on how these services work and why they are important for accessibility and facilitation of communication for people of all abilities.   Thadeus: PA Relays services help people stay connected by returning independence and autonomy to our users. It empowers people who are deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing, or who have speech differences to connect to standard telephone users directly through their adaptive equipment. I help people learn about these services through a variety of methods.  What kind of events do you attend as an outreach coordinator?Jenny: Some types of events the outreach team attends could be health fairs, senior expos, state and local fairs, church groups, chamber of commerce events, conferences, and virtual presentations.   Thadeus: I will attend any event that will have me and that will have a meaningful impact for my fellow Pennsylvania residents. I attend health fairs, senior expos, and host presentations at local organizations. I also work with community leaders to schedule town hall events or even host awareness nights at local sporting events. Ive met with PA Relay users in their homes to help them with their adaptive equipment on a more personal level.  What has been one of your favorite events that youve attended as an outreach coordinator? What made it so memorable?Jenny: I have been an outreach coordinator for six years and have experienced so many amazing events and interactions. Some of my favorite events involve educating seniors and their caregivers about PA Relay and how we can help maintain connections between those who use traditional telephone services and those who use relay services. Hearing loss is a common experience among those who are aging, and to be able to provide these folks with a solution like Voice Carry-Over or Captioned Telephone is incredibly rewarding, especially when they share their experiences with me. Thadeus: My first ever presentation will always be etched into my mind. It was a cold December morning just north of Philadelphia. I had just presented to a group of seniors about PA Relay. After the presentation I helped a few of them download and set up the Hamilton Mobile CapTel App on their phones. The joy they had calling each other and using their new adaptive technology made me realize how much of a difference this can truly make for people. I was hooked on wanting to help as many people as possible after that day.Do you offer educational presentations about PA Relay to local organizations?Jenny: Yes, we do! We provide presentations throughout the state, both in person and virtually. Some of the types of organizations we educate are service providers, health professionals, retirement communities, Deaf and Hard of Hearing support groups and organizations, local businesses and agencies, sporting groups, and church gatherings. All of our presentations are always no cost and can be scheduled at the organizations convenience.   Topics discussed during our presentations are general information about PA Relay, types of services provided and how they work, and how to use the service. The topics can certainly be customized based on the organization. For example, a group may be interested in services for those who are living with hearing loss, so we can tailor our presentation to address those specific services.Thadeus: PA Relay offers a variety of training as well as educational preparations to any interested organization across the Commonwealth. We can also provide training to organizations on how to properly handle relay calls. The Relay Friendly Business Training helps organizations identify relay calls and trains staff on how to properly handle these types of calls.During these presentations we discuss everything from the history of relay services to the different types of services. We discuss PA Captioned Telephone Relay Service and how to acquire adaptive equipment either through the states equipment distribution program, TechOWL, or other means. The topics and timeframe can be customized to meet the needs of the organization.  Is there anything else about your role as an outreach coordinator that youd like people to know?Jenny: As an outreach coordinator, the most important thing I do is connect people to resources they can use to make life a bit easier. Often, I present information to people who do not need PA Relays services, but they know someone who does. When this happens, its so rewarding to hear how they will share what theyve learned from me with those who really need assistance making and receiving calls. This ensures that connections remain strong, and people are able to live life as independently as possible.   Thadeus: The biggest thing I would like people to know is just how life-changing these services are. Even if youre not someone who could use PA Relay, its likely that someone you know could greatly benefit from the service.  How can an interested individual or organization reach you?Jenny: To learn more about PA Relay, feel free to email me at Jenny.Pearson@HamiltonRelay.com or call 610-737-7205! Thadeus: The best way to get in touch would be by emailing Thadeus.Graham@HamiltonRelay.com, or I am available by phone at 412-944-7424.  FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. Advanced speech recognition software is used to process calls, and, in certain circumstances, a live communications assistant may be included on the call. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally administered fund. To learn more, visit fcc.gov. Third-party charges may apply: the Hamilton CapTel phone requires high-speed internet access (Wi-Fi capable) and in some cases, may require telephone service. When using Hamilton CapTel on a smartphone or tablet and not on Wi-Fi, a data plan is required. Hamilton CapTel may be used to make 911 calls but may not function the same as traditional 911 services. For more information about the benefits and limitations of Hamilton CapTel and Emergency 911 calling, visit HamiltonCapTel.com/911. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Pennsylvania Captioned Telephone Relay Service (CTRS) makes telecommunication possible for those who are hard of hearing. The free public service is offered through the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and powered through Hamilton Relay. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission oversees nearly 9,000 entities which provide utility services across the stateincluding telecommunicationsand strives to balance the needs of Pennsylvania residents as well as the utility sectors that serve them. Hamilton Relay provides telecommunication relay services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind or have difficulty speaking, and offers Traditional Relay Services (TRS) and Captioned Telephone service to contracted states throughout the United States. With the assistance of Pennsylvania CTRS, people who find it difficult to use a standard phone due to hearing loss can enjoy phone calls without missing or misunderstanding what is spoken to them. CTRS provides accurate and consistent captioning during phone calls in English and Spanish. Users who are hard of hearing can respond and listen to the other caller, as they normally would, while reading captions of whats been said. Captions are generated by a specially trained captioning assistant who uses voice recognition technology to relay the conversation. Captions appear on the bright, easy-to-read display screen of the Captioned Telephone (CapTel) devicemaking calls more enjoyable and easier to understand.Learn More About Pennsylvania CTRSVisit https://hamiltonrelay.com/pennsylvania/how-it-works/captel-captioned-telephone.html to see how you can use CTRS to your communication advantage! Hamilton Relay is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. dba Hamilton Telecommunications. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.

Pennsylvania Relay is a FREE public service that ensures everyone can easily and accessibly communicate by telephoneincluding those who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, or have difficulty speaking. Through dependable services, like Captioned Telephone which allows users to read captions of what is said, Pennsylvanians can stay connected to those who matter most.Offered through the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Pennsylvania Relay allows more people to access the telecommunication services they need to conduct day-to-day phone conversations. In addition to offering communication solutions, Pennsylvania Relay has an outreach team who travels throughout the state providing presentations to local organizations and participating in community events to promote the service to a variety of groups, including schools, community centers, businesses, nonprofits, veterans organizations, senior service providers, and more.These outreach coordinators are available as a helpful resource to you, your loved ones, and the community. Their role includes sharing educational presentations about Pennsylvania Relay services, exhibiting at events, connecting with community members, and assisting with Relay Friendly Businessa program dedicated to training Pennsylvania businesses and organizations of all sizes to successfully engage in Relay calls.Regional Outreach Coordinator Jenny Pearson representing Pennsylvania Relay at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show.Connect with a Pennsylvania Relay Outreach Coordinator Today Interested in scheduling a custom Pennsylvania Relay presentation or inviting an outreach coordinator to your event? Email PARelay@HamiltonRelay.com to make a connection with the outreach teamand dont forget to be on the lookout for the Pennsylvania Relay outreach table at your next community gathering!                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Learn about free services available for older adults with hearing lossAge-related hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one in three people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. This hearing loss can impact many aspects of daily life, including the ability to hear what is said during phone conversations. Fortunately, Pennsylvania Captioned Telephone Relay Service (CTRS) makes it easier for seniors to make and receive phone calls with clarity and confidence. This free service uses a Captioned Telephone (CapTel) that enables users to speak directly to the other party and listen while reading captions of whats said to them on the bright, built-in display screen.To ensure all Pennsylvania residents are aware of CapTel and other assistive telecommunication options, Pennsylvania CTRS also offers free outreach services for businesses, organizations and other groups serving Pennsylvania residents. If your group would benefit from learning more about CapTel, including how it works and how to get a CapTel phone, a Pennsylvania CTRS outreach coordinator would be happy to provide a free educational presentation either virtually or in person. Outreach coordinators are also available to exhibit at local health fairs and other community events. To learn more about Pennsylvania CTRS outreach services or request a presentation, please call 800-974-1253 (Voice/TTY) or email parelay@hamiltonrelay.com. In addition, Pennsylvania CTRS helps local businesses and organizations provide more accessible customer service to individuals using CapTel, Relay and other assistive telecommunication services through the Pennsylvania Relay Friendly Business Program. This program allows businesses to request free, personalized training to make sure their employees are familiar with Pennsylvania Relay and feel comfortable answering and placing calls to customers who are using this technology, eliminating accidental hangups. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Relay Friendly Business Program or request training, please visit: https://hamiltonrelay.com/pennsylvania/relay-friendly-business.html.CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.