A service that enables people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or people who have language or speech disorders, to communicate by using a text telephone (TTY). The telecommunications relay service works by connecting calls between people using a TTY and those using a regular telephone by relaying messages between the parties using a trained Communications Assistant.
Telecommunications Relay Service, also known as TRS, Relay Service, or IP-Relay, is an operator service that allows people who are Deaf, Hard–of–Hearing, Speech–Disabled, and DeafBlind to place calls to standard telephone users via TDD (TTY), personal computer or other assistive telephone device. Most TRS operators use regular keyboards to transcribe spoken voice as text for relaying. However, some TRS services may use stenotype or stenomask equipment, similar to those used by court reporters and closed captioning systems.