Define TTY
TTY stands for teletypewriter or Text Telephone. A TTY machine allows people with different disabilities to make phone calls.
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Identification
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During a conversation, with a TTY machine, you type your message rather than talk. The TTY machine then uses a telephone line to relay the typed message, which can be read by the person you are calling, using a second TTY machine.
Benefits
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The TTY machine allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing or suffering from speech difficulties to make and receive phone calls.
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Features
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Like texting, TTY users rely on abbreviations for common phrases, such as SK for "stop-keying," or goodbye.
Equipment
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The TTY machine uses the handset from a regular telephone placed on the base of the TTY machine. When a TTY machine rings in the homes of deaf or hearing-impaired people, a flashing light notifies them.
Considerations
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To use a TTY machine, both parties must have a TTY machine; however, Telecommunications Relay Service is an alternative that allows you to use a TTY machine to talk to an operator who in turn speaks your message to the person you wish to call who does not have a TTY machine.
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