What Is an Internet Relay Call?
Talking on the telephone with someone has always been challenging for a deaf person. For years, deaf people have relied on their friends and family to make phone calls for them. Today, they no longer have to. Internet relay calls are services for deaf people by various companies that place calls for them. The deaf person types what he wishes to say and the employee for the company does the talking and then types the responses back to the deaf person.
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Access
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Internet relay services can be accessed through websites, such as i711.com and hamiltonrelay.com. They can also be accessed by sending an instant message to usernames "HawkRelay" and "ThatsHamilton" on Aol Instant Messenger. These services are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some cell phones come with a free relay service, such as i711 on T-Mobile phones. These services are done through text messaging. Most relay services are free of charge--i711 is one of those services.
i711.com
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To access i711's online relay service, start by accessing the homepage of the website. Choose video relay or text relay. Most users choose text relay. Video relay only works if the receiver has video accessibility on her cell phone. To begin a text relay, enter the number including area code, without any spaces, in the empty box below "Type in a number to call." Click the button below that to begin the relay call. You can also customize your call with further options--choose if you want a male or a female speaker, English or Spanish.
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Process
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A small chat room will appear with you and the relay service worker. The worker will tell you if a male or female answered, a voice mail, or no answer. You then type what you want to say. The worker will say it and type to you the response he received. You can continue the discussion for as long as you like. When you are finished, click "End call" at the bottom of the chat room.
Problems
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One major problem with relay services is that most of the public is unaware of them. Many times, when a relay call is made, the receiver will hang up thinking that the caller is a telemarketer. To ensure that your receiver will stay on the line, send him an email or tell him beforehand that you will be using a relay service to call him in the future. Most businesses will stay on the line.
Abuse
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Relay services are also being abused. Occasionally, kids will use these services to send pranks to their friends. Sometimes criminals have used relay services to order goods with fake credit cards and not pay for them. Some merchants will not accept relayed credit card orders. If this happens to you, you should have a friend or family member order the merchandise for you, or shop somewhere else. Most merchants today take orders online as well as over the phone.
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References
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