How to Make a Relay Call for Free

Relay calls are phone call services available to those who cannot hear. They are traditionally free to those have difficulty hearing. These are services provided by telephone companies in order to best serve the hearing impaired. A user sits at his computer and types what he wants to say to the party he's talking to, the interpreter reads what he typed to the person on the other end of the phone, then types the response back to the hearing-impaired person.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Go to a free relay-call website like RelayCall.com sponsored by AT&T. Type the number of the person you are calling in the phone number space in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.

2. Click on the "Special Instructions" box if you have special instructions for the operator about your condition or just general information the person should know before you start talking. Once you press the "Special Instructions" button, a new window appears that allows you to type in the information you want the operator to know.

3. Click the "Connect" button when you are ready to dial the call for free. Your call is then connected to the person you are dialing. If you need to dial 911, click the 911 button and you will be connected instantly to emergency help.

4. Type in what you want to tell the person you are dialing. When the party you are calling answers, the operator will type in what the other party says. You can read what the other person says on the gray screen of the website. When you click the "Send" button, the operator then reads what you typed to the other party. The party responds, and the operator types the response back to you.

5. Hang up the free relay call by clicking the "Hang Up" button. You are now disconnected and have completed a free relay call.

Resources

• Make a free AT&T relay call