The holiday season may be over, but it is always the perfect time of year to give the gift of a CapTel phone if you or your loved one is having difficulty hearing over the telephone. A CapTel phone (captioned telephone) works just like a traditional telephone, except that a typed transcript of the conversation appears on a brightly-lit display screen so that users can read every word as it is spoken.

CapTel can be a life-changing solution for people living with hearing loss.

Here is a letter from Gaye Miller Hill, who says that
her father’s new CapTel phone has made life happier for their entire family:

My dad, Robert Carroll Miller, is a great man and I missed his voice so much. About five years ago, my dad’s hearing impairment worsened to a point that he could no longer hear me when I phoned, so our phone conversations ended. This was a very sad day for me because my dad has so much wisdom and advice to share. He is a master gardener who could always answer my questions: What kind of fertilizer should I use or how to combat the bugs on the vegetable plants? Recently, my brother contacted me about phone services available for individuals with hearing impairments. I started the research and discovered the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired and began the process of acquiring telecommunications equipment. What a great day when Mr. Henry Carter arrived and installed the new phone for dad! My emotions surfaced when I talked by phone with dad for the first time. Dad beamed knowing that now he could talk to his family members whenever he wished. Now I can call him to ask advice, relay important information or more importantly just talk. What a blessing to hear his voice after five years of not being able to communicate by phone. Thanks to everyone who had a part in making life happier for my dad and his family.

CapTel service is free!...
and CapTel phones can be purchased at a special rate of just $99 through Georgia Relay.

For more information, please contact
Georgia Relay at 1-866-694-5824 (Voice/TTY) or visit www.georgiarelay.org.

Get all those questions answered. . . and more at our upcoming ALDA-Peach meeting!
Our presenter will be our own Robin Titterington, a confirmed ALDA-holic!
Robin has served on the board of ALDA, Inc. (for a three-year term, including president), and as the founding president of ALDA-Peach.

In honor of the event, we will have pizza delivered.
Donations for pizza will be accepted!
Please bring soda and whatever else you'd like to share.

Please plan to join us at 2:00 pm
We look forward to seeing you there!

Georgia Relay would like to remind you that you can enjoy the convenience of CapTel wherever you happen to be with Hamilton Mobile CapTel for smartphones. Mobile CapTel allows you to read captions of what’s being said to you during conversations, providing word-for-word transcriptions displayed on your mobile device, similar to captions on a television. Mobile CapTel is free to use, available 24/7 and only requires three simple things:

3) An account with Hamilton Web CapTel – requires a simple, one-time registration at www.hamiltonwebcaptel.com.

With a wide variety of Android, Blackberry, and iPhone smartphones available on the market, Hamilton now provides a convenient Smartphone Selector to determine if your phone is compatible with Mobile CapTel. Just visit http://www.hamiltoncaptel.com/mobile_captel/smartphone_selector/, select your wireless network provider and your phone, and you will find all the information you need to get started with Mobile CapTel.

The newest offering from Mobile CapTel is an app that is optimized for Android Tablets, allowing you to use your Android Tablet to read captions of your conversation while you listen and talk over the phone. To use the app, you will need to use your Android Tablet to download the Hamilton Mobile CapTel app from the Android Market and make sure you have registered for a Hamilton Web CapTel account. Once installed, you will be able to use Mobile CapTel to place and receive calls with your Android Tablet and any telephone (i.e. landline, office, cell phone or smartphone).

To learn more about Mobile CapTel, the Smartphone Selector, or Mobile CapTel for Android Tablets, please visit www.hamiltonmobilecaptel.com.

Hamilton Mobile CapTel Introduces a Free iPhone App

Hamilton Relay, Georgia Relay’s service provider, has made available a free App for your iPhone—Hamilton Mobile CapTel—that provides captions for iPhone calls.

Available nationwide, Hamilton Mobile CapTel works just like a standard CapTel call, allowing users to listen while reading captions on their iPhone
of everything that is said during a call.

Hamilton Relay considers this free App a major addition to their solutions available for the hard of hearing. In the words of Dixie Ziegler, Vice President of Hamilton Relay, "every call is important, and due to the widespread use of the iPhone, we have created a free App that is easy to use, with an intuitive interface that meets the needs of iPhone users in the U.S.”

Hamilton relay is dedicated to delivering the most technologically advanced solutions, and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel App certainly fits the bill. In addition to users being able to listen to what is being said and simultaneously read captions, this App delivers other convenient features, including:

Hamilton Mobil CapTel is currently available on any 3G/3GS iPhone. However, look for this App to become available on a variety of devices in the near future.

Download the free Hamilton Mobile CapTel iPhone App at the iTunes® App Store.
Search "Hamilton Mobile CapTel"
or download directly at: http://iphone.appmobilize.com/track/185118

iPhone users who are new to CapTel can visit www.HamiltonCapTel.com for more details, or they may begin the one-time registration process at www.HamiltonWebCapTel.com.

Georgia Relay Featured on People 2 People with Jocelyn Dorsey

Terri Byrd has a story familiar to many of us, but unknown to the general public. A bout with meningitis left her deaf at the age of three. Most television viewers are unfamiliar with how hard the deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired have to work to enjoy the simple pleasures hearing persons take for granted.

However, thanks to a feature segment on WSBTV’s People 2 People with Jocelyn Dorsey, the hearing audience got a look into how Georgia Relay, the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired (GACHI) and the Georgia Telecommunication Equipment Distribution Program (GATEDP) made Terri’s life a whole lot easier.

It all began with a visit to GACHI. Terri was a TTY user, but wasn’t feeling as connected to the hearing world as she wanted to be. GACHI staff helped her complete an application for equipment, and also gave her resources for obtaining a hearing aid. All Terri had to bring with her was proof of income and Georgia residency, and proof of a home phone line.

Terri’s request was processed on the same day, and she qualified for free equipment. As Terri also showed proof of an Internet connection, she received a free CapTel 800i from GATEDP and free videophone from Sorenson.

GACHI soon distributed and installed Terri’s new equipment in her home. GACHI also trained her on the use of her new CapTel phone, and set up a signaler to Terri’s lamp. And that was it—in just days, Terri had obtained the latest technology for the deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired free of charge.

On the People 2 People segment, Terri expresses how grateful she is to Georgia Relay, GACHI and GATEDP. In her words, the equipment and services we provide brought her up “to the same level as hearing people.” And thanks to the cameras and crew of WSBTV, an entire television audience learned all we do for the deaf, hard-of-hearing and
speech-impaired community.

Just can’t hear on the phone? Has making a telephone call become a task that you avoid or have other people do for you? If so, there is a solution available to help you reconnect to others via the phone. It’s called Captioned Telephone.

Similar in concept to captioned television, Captioned Telephone allows you to use your own voice while you listen to and read captions of what is being said to you over the telephone.

Captioned Telephone Service can change people’s lives. Comments from individuals who use the service include: “I could not use the phone before and now I use it all the time.” “It is a natural part of our lifestyle and without it, communication would be very limited.” “This is great. Now I can talk to my family where before someone had to call for me.” “I am enjoying my phone...I am looking forward to Captioned Telephone improving the quality of my life toward being more independent.”

Captioned Telephone is a free service available through Georgia Relay, a public service provided by the State of Georgia and administered by the Georgia Public Service Commission. Georgia Relay makes telecommunication simple, dependable and convenient for people who are hearing, deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled.

The service works using a phone line and a confidential captioning service that visually displays everything the other party says during a conversation on the brightly lit screen of a CapTel® captioned telephone. The captions allow the user to read along with the spoken words. In this way, a person can engage in natural conversations with friends, businesses and loved ones, using their own voice and experiencing the independence of making calls without the assistance of the people in their lives. While the captioning service is free, a special CapTel phone is required.

For more information, or to learn more about other telecommunication services available for Georgians who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled, call Georgia Relay Customer Service toll free at 1-866-694-5824 (Voice/TTY) or visit www.GeorgiaRelay.org.

For many people living with hearing loss, using a telephone is often a stressful and frustrating endeavor. Whether attempting a routine call with family or friends, or a more intricate business conversation, conducting a normal phone conversation can be nearly impossible for someone who is unable to clearly understand what the person on the other end is saying.

This is why Georgia Relay now offers captioned telephone technology – known as CapTel for short. Developed by UltraTec, the same company that produces TTYs (text telephones) for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, CapTel was introduced in Georgia in January 2008 and is revolutionizing the way many people communicate over the telephone. While not for everyone, this technology is ideal for those who are late-deafened and have understandable speech. The only equipment needed is a CapTel phone, which looks much like a standard telephone, except with a brightly-lit display screen.

CapTel allows users to talk and listen to the person they have called while they receive a text version of the other person’s words displayed on their phone’s digital screen. As the conversation progresses, users can check their CapTel phone’s screen anytime to ensure accuracy. The captions appear nearly simultaneously as words are spoken, and the phone itself is as easy to use as a standard phone – callers just pick up the handset and dial the number they wish to call. Also, with the exception of the purchase price of the phone and any long-distance charges, there is no cost to use CapTel.

CapTel phones are available for purchase at a discounted price of $99 (80% off of the standard retail price) exclusively through Georgia Relay. To download an order form, visit www.georgiarelay.org. If you do not have access to Internet, call 1-866-694-5824 (voice/TTY) to have an order form mailed to your home address.

A limited number of free phones are available to people who are medically and financially qualified through the Georgia Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program. Call GACHI at 1-888-297-9461 (voice/TTY) or visit www.gachi.org for details.

As of January 1, 2009, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that all Video Relay and Internet Relay users obtain a 10-digit number. This number is just like the standard 10-digit number used by most voice telephone callers.

Web CapTel and CapTel equipment and services support the use of both seven-digit and ten-digit numbers.

There are many benefits to using a 10-digit number for VRS and IP Relay. First of all, it is now much easier to place a call to a VRS or IP Relay user. There is no more need for multi-step calling instructions, special extensions, “proxy” numbers or IP addresses. Now, anyone can simply pick up a voice telephone, dial a 10-digit number and be connected to any VRS or IP Relay user through that person’s preferred provider. Secondly, every 10-digit number is assigned to its user’s physical geographic location. This means that in the event that a VRS or IP Relay user places an emergency call to 911, the user’s address is automatically routed to the 911 call center operator, who is able to dispatch emergency services to the appropriate location more quickly.

If you are a VRS or IP Relay user, you must contact your preferred service provider and request to be assigned a 10-digit number. Once you receive your number, you must register this number with your current address through your provider. You will be able to change your service provider or update your location information at any time. After June 30, 2009 VRS and IP Relay services will not be available for anyone without a registered 10-digit number.

Any Georgia Relay user who needs to obtain a 10-digit telephone number for VRS or IP Relay, needs to register a number with a current address, or would like to learn more may do so by contacting Georgia Relay at either V/TTY 1-866-694-5824 or www.georgiarelay.org.

Web Captioned Telephone Service Available Now for People with Hearing Loss Nationwide

AURORA, NE – Hamilton Relay today announced the availability of Hamilton Web CapTel^®. CapTel is a service designed for individuals who have difficulty hearing on the telephone, where captions, similar to the closed captioning provided on most television programs, are offered to support the understanding of telephone conversations. Previously available only through State Relay programs and with a specialized CapTel phone, individuals nationwide can now make CapTel calls via the Web. Web CapTel works with any type of telephone and any type of Internet access device. Hamilton Web CapTel is available at www.hamiltoncaptel.com.

Hamilton Web CapTel requires no special equipment. Along with a standard telephone or mobile phone, individuals can see every word a caller says on a computer screen. All that is required is an Internet connection and a computer or laptop with a standard web browser — no special equipment or special software is needed. Individuals can listen to the caller and read the written captions of everything the caller says.

Hamilton Web CapTel works by providing two telephone numbers, your telephone number and the telephone number you wish to call. When you place a call, the Web CapTel Service calls your number first, then the number of the person you wish to call. You will be able to see the captioning page from the computer monitor and once you answer your telephone, captions will begin and the system is calling out to the person you wish to call. When you are waiting to receive a call, a person dials Hamilton Web CapTel Service at 1-800-933-7219. Web CapTel Service checks to see if you are logged on and waiting for calls, then places a call to your telephone number where you are waiting.

“Hamilton is thrilled to introduce Hamilton Web CapTel,” says Dixie Ziegler, Vice President of Hamilton Relay. ”This exciting web-based service expands Hamilton’s CapTel offering by bringing the flexibility and mobility of the Internet to the CapTel experience that so many people have come to enjoy. Individuals who have missed out on what was being said during a telephone conversation no longer need to. Hamilton Web CapTel allows individuals with hearing loss to ‘see what they say.’ ”

Individuals will view telephone conversations word by word, phrase by phrase, on-screen as the conversation takes place. There is no charge for using Hamilton Web CapTel.

Individuals and organizations who would like more information are encouraged to contact a Hamilton Relay Representative at 800-618-4781 (Voice/TTY) or via Email at help@hamiltoncaptel.com.

About Hamilton Relay

Hamilton Relay offers a variety of services including Internet Relay, Video Relay, Wireless Relay and CapTel. All services are available at www.hamiltonrelay.com. Hamilton Relay provides traditional relay services to 15 states, the Island of Saipan and the Virgin Islands.

CapTel and Web CapTel are registered trademarks of Ultratec, Inc.

Hamilton Mobile CapTel Introduces a Free iPhone App

Georgia Relay Featured on People 2 People with Jocelyn Dorsey

About Hamilton Relay