Textphones provides accessible telephone communication for deaf people and people with hearing impairments. Textphones enable someone who is typing to have a conversation with someone who is speaking. Text Relay is a free national relay service using operators to connect someone with a textphone to someone using a phone. Textphones are used by those with hearing impairments. Some deafblind people have enough sight to use a textphone.
9.1 Making information available by textphone Consider providing a textphone helpline to support your communications campaign. Textphone users contact your textphone operator, who rings the hearing helpline operator and relays messages to and from them, by typing or talking. Textphone operators should have training in communicating with disabled people. SMS messaging has become a popular alternative to textphones.