Examples of such policies include time limits on phone calls and the restricted availability of the TTY. While people speak at approximately 150 to 220 words per minute, even the best typists only type about 45 words per minute using standard TTY equipment.
While some facilities provide telephone access during specific hours of the day, deaf offenders often find themselves waiting until the evening, when an officer has time to retrieve the TTY or take them to it.
In New York State, Verizon has aggressively put TTYs into public spaces, including New York City's subway stations and area schools and centers for deaf children and adults.
To launch the program in 1996, Verizon donated dozens of TTYs to New York State's 29 library systems.
* The ADA Information Line, (800) 514-0201 (voice) / 514-0383 (TTY); Spanish language service is also available
Contact: www.eeoc.gov; ADA publications, (800) 669-3362 (voice) / (800) 800-3302 (TTY); ADA questions, (800) 669-4000 (voice) / 669-6820 (TTY).
These operators connect a person using a TTY with a standard phone user.
The current Massachusetts relay number, 1-800-439-2370 for TTY calls and 1-800-439-0183 for voice calls, continues to be available for calls
Other names for
TTY are "TDD," which stands for "telecommunications devices for the deaf," or, less common, "TT," which stands for "text telephone."