Understanding etiquette and using a telecommunications device
Abstract
For those who would like to telephone persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech impaired, this fact sheet from the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, New York) offers an overview of the telecommunications device known as the TTY. The practice shares how the technology works, and offers protocol for communicating with sensitivity and awareness.Issue
Communicating with someone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing may seem overwhelming at first. Understanding how a TTY operates in order to speak on the telephone with the deaf or hard of hearing can help break down barriers between the hearing and non-hearing population.Action
Some Facts and General TTY Etiquette Tips for New TTY Users:
Use the term TTY (teletypewriter) when noting phone numbers -- it doesn't matter whether one is using an older model (teletypewriter) or the newer model (telecommunication device for the deaf - abbreviated as TDD).
TTY is the culturally preferred term and is used by most deaf and hard-of-hearing users because it is a term that includes hearing users. TDD implies that only deaf people use the device, when in fact there are also hearing users.
Outgoing Calls
Let the phone ring ten or more times to allow the deaf or hard-of- hearing person enough time to see the flashing light and respond to it.Receiving Calls
If you hear nothing or a series of electronic beeps when you pick up the phone, assume that this may be a TTY call. Put the phone on the TTY coupler (usually the mouthpiece goes into the left acoustic coupler) and make sure it fits snugly into the acoustic cups. Turn on the off/on switch. (Do not assume it's a prank call and hang up).
After putting the phone on TTY, type a short message identifying yourself and the place of work if appropriate. It is considered polite to type your name immediately after you answer a TTY call.
Etiquette
To speed up a TTY conversation use common abbreviations such as those that are used in e-mail messages. (Refer to the abbreviation glossary in this practice). Do not type punctuation or number symbols because this requires using two keys, which is time-consuming. Omit punctuation symbols and spell out numbers. Some words such as articles and linking verbs are often omitted in TTY conversations.
GA is an abbreviation for "go ahead" and is a turn-taking signal for the other person to start typing. SK is an abbreviation for "stop keying" and a signal that you are done with the call and ready to sign off. HD is an abbreviation for "hold."
In general, don't interrupt until the other person types GA. If you are getting garbled messages or numbers and can't read the message, interrupt by typing "STOP PLS" or XX STOP STOP CAN'T RD U XX" or "HD HD HD" and wait for the other person to respond. Then type something like this: "SORRY I MISSED UR MSG IT WAS GARBLED PLS TYPE AFTER I MEET U AT QQ" or "PLS REPEAT" or "I CAN'T RD U CAN U RD ME Q".
If you make a typing error, type XXX after the error and retype. It's too time consuming to use the backspace key to correct an error. Some errors may not need to be corrected -- particularly if it is easily understood what was meant without the correction.
TTY calls can seem more "business-like" and less social because TTY calls take longer than a voice call. Therefore, most deaf and hard-of-hearing people prefer to keep their calls short to get needed information such as making or canceling an appointment or finding out when and where a meeting will occur. Detailed conversations are saved for face-to-face meetings.
You can show feelings on the TTY by typing "HAHAHA", "SMILE", "GREATTT!", "SUPERRR!" "SIGHHH", "FROWN." Some email acronyms may be used as well.
Typically one to three SKs at the end of the TTY conversation are enough. More than four can appear rude and may indicate that you are angry or want to get away quickly.
Before you finish your conversation, it's polite to type GA OR SK or GA TO SK to allow the person at the other end to close the conversation and make sure both parties have said everything they wanted to say.
If you save the TTY paper print-out you should have the other person's knowledge and consent. This is similar to a hearing person's phone conversation being recorded. Therefore, it may be an unethical invasion of privacy and illegal if the other person doesn't know you're keeping the paper print-out. If there is important information on the print-out such as a date, address or phone number, copy it and then destroy the TTY print-out.
Note: Many deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals use American Sign Language (ASL) as a primary means of communication. Keep in mind that ASL is grammatically different from standard English. Therefore non-deaf users of TTY might not fully understand some of the messages sent and should ask for clarification when this occurs.
Red signal lights on the TTY screen indicate the following:
Steady glowing red flashes: Dial tone
Slow red blinking flashes: Phone is ringing
Fast red blinking flashes: Phone line is busy
Flickering red light: A hearing person answered by voice. Press the space bar a few times to let him/her know it's a TTY call.
TTY ABBREVIATION LIST
ABT- About
ANS - Answer
ASAP - As soon as possible
ASST- Assistant
BIZ - Business
CA - Communication Assistant (Relay Operator)
CC - Close-captioned
CD - Could
CHK - Check
CMTY- Community
CN - Can
COLL - College
CTR - Center
CUL - See you later
CSTMR - Customer
GA - Go ahead
GA TO SK - Go ahead if you have more to say but I'm finished
GOVT- Government
HAND - Have a nice day
HD - Hold
HLTH - Health
HOH or HH - hard-of-hearing
HOSP- Hospital
INFO - Information
ILY- I love you
IMPT- important
KIT - Keep in touch
LK FRWD - Look forward
LTR - Letter
LV- Leave
MIN - Minute
MSG - Message
MTG - Meeting
N - And
NBR or NU - Number
NITE - Night
NP - No Problem
NOYB - None of your business
NTID - National Technical Institute for the Deaf
OIC - Oh I see
OFC - Office
OC - Open-captioned
OPR - Operator
OXOX - Love and Kisses
PRGM - Program
PLS - Please
PPL - People
PROB - Problem
PRO - Professional
Q - Question
R - Are
RD - Read
REC - Receive
SCHL - School
SPEC - Special
SRVC or SVC or SERV - Service
SHD - Should
SK - Stop Keying (end of call)
SKSK - Hanging Up
TERP - Interpreter
THX - Thanks
THRU - Through
TRS - Telecommunications Relay Service
TY - Thank you
TMW - Tomorrow
U - You
UR - Your
URS - Yours
VCO - Voice Carry Over (Relay Service)
HCO - Hearing Carry Over (Relay Service)
XX - Error
Context
In 1963, Robert H. Weitbrecht developed an acoustic coupler that made it possible to connect the telephone to a TTY in order to make phone calls. This device allows people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired to use the telephone to communicate, by allowing them to type messages back and forth to one another instead of talking and listening. A TTY is required at both ends of the conversation in order to communicate.
To use a TTY, you set a telephone handset onto special acoustic cups built into the TTY (some TTY models can be plugged directly into a telephone line). Then, type the message you want to send on the TTY's keyboard. As you type, the message is sent over the phone line, just like your voice would be sent over the phone line if you talked. You can read the other person's response on the TTY's text display.
More and more deaf and hard-of-hearing users are opting for wireless messaging pager systems which allows the user to send and receive email, TTY messages, faxes, text-to-speech and speech-to-text messages, and a text message to any one-way alphanumeric pager. Also, more cellular phones and hearing aids are now compatible with the TTY. As these technologies become less expensive and easier to use, their use will be more widespread.
If you don't have a TTY, you can still call a person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired by using the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). With TRS, a special operator types whatever you say so that the person you are calling can read your words on his or her TTY display. He or she will type back a response, which the TRS operator will read aloud for you to hear over the phone. Toll free TRS services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This relay service can be accessed using 711 nationally. View an online resource for using TRS at: http//www.consumer.att.com/relay/tty/other_voice.html.