Patent ID: 7200208

Claim:
A method for providing communication services, comprising: receiving, via a network, a request from a hearing-impaired party for establishing a communication link to a hearing party; transmitting, via the network, an interface screen to the hearing-impaired party in response to the request, the interface screen identifying a plurality of instant messaging programs and including a selection area for allowing the hearing-impaired party to select an instant messaging program with which to communicate; identifying a communication assistant; forwarding the request to the communication assistant; establishing, by the communication assistant, a communication link to the hearing-impaired party using the instant messaging program selected by the hearing-impaired party; establishing, by the communication assistant, a voice link with the hearing party; receiving, by the communication assistant, voice messages from the hearing party via the voice link; generating instant messages, by the communication assistant, the instant messages corresponding to the voice messages; and transmitting the instant messages to the hearing-impaired party.