questions about text services for the deaf people

Hello ,I'm new to All Deaf.My name is Lorta 57.I have a question I hope someone can answer it.I can't hear ,but can speak and I'm looking for a way to make phone calls to the hearing people.I found out that try devices are old fashioned.Was wondering what relay service to use to text on laptops or on a smartphone .I was dumb and got the Amazon Fire phone thinking I could use eco on it without a tty .AT&T kinda sucks on the cognitively of voice plans in my area Can anyone advise me of a text plan to use with my laptop or Fire phone.Thanks for any help .Have a great day

You can download an app called text plus. If you want to text for free. Um...idk anything about making calls though. My ASL teacher has mentioned a translator service place she worked for where a deaf person skypes with a hearing whos frequwnt in ASL and signes what the hearing say to the deaf and say to the hearing what the deaf person signed...., im jot sure if that helped but i hope it does

I use Text Plus. It has very good reception with 3G, and I would use it when needed. That app is both on the laptop AND smartphone. Another one is Pinger.

Pinger is TextFree (I have it on the Android)

It sounds like though she is looking for a way to talk directly to hearing people. You'd need to use some sort of text relay (there are a few threads here about that) such as Sprint or Purple or Video relay if you know ASL.

I've tried text relay but for me it's a bit on the slow side and a little challenging for both parties.

I still use TTY (TDD) to call relay service to hearing people. There is a VCO (Voice Carry Over) where you can speak directly to hearing people. You can read the relay but use VCO to communicate with them. I used to try one for VCO. It is okay. But I prefer typing over VCO better. It is up to you to use it.

I am sure it is still being use unless things have change. Mine have not change yet. Just praying and hoping that I can still use TTY. I have use it for so many years. I have not tried videophone where I can sign to the ASL interpreter for relay service making appointments or asking questions about something I want to say. I am just an old fashioned Deaf person who like to cling to old devices like TTY.

Discount service smartphone for deaf

I used carried At&T got payment 48 dollar. Their signal is weak. I have Samsung s4. I am think going back iPhone 6plus or Samsung Note 4. I was looking at Verizon service too high. Have service for deaf?

bebongang finally said it. ANY relay service you just ask for VCO. Each relay company- doesnt matter if it VRS,TRS have thier own way of doing VCO and it also depends on what equipment you have or can get .

You can download software to your pc and use pc microphone and read text. or you can use video hardware and use its own built in microphone. or you can have them call your cell phone and speak directly into the phone like a 3 way call. Or you can use TRS tdd and switch back and forth with headset or you can get the built in headset with direct phone connection etc. You just need to pick the relay service provider in your area that fits your needs/current budget etc.

I currently use Hamilton Mobile Captel when on my cell phone.
http://www.hamiltoncaptel.com/smartphone/what_is_app.html
That one needs voice & date at the same time but works on 3G GSM providers. They do talk of using a hands-free headset that works with hearing aids/cochlear implants but I find the main advantage of that is to say something right when someone you have called finishes their greeting even if you are still reading the captions of what they have said. This is to keep them from hanging up because of the delay while you are reading.

Another one for cell phones is Wireless CapTel by Sprint.
www.sprintcaptel.com/wireless-captel-sprint
Your phone does NOT need to be on Sprint but it does need to be on a carrier that offers "a network connection with high enough bandwidth and low enough latency to reliably process a voice-over-IP call. It is highly recommended that use of this app be done in conjunction with connection through a 4G or Wi-Fi network. Attempting to use a 3G connection is not recommended." Where I am my problem with this one is not bandwidth but latency that is constantly going up and down a little bit very fast. This constant change resulted in the person I was on a call with getting only about every third word I said.

Like Bebonang and DrPhill (who has not chimed in here yet) I use a TTY and my state relay service from my landline at home. Unlike Bebonang I much prefer to use my voice (late deafened) to typing. I even have my TTY on a place that the screen is easy to see but the TTY would be hard to type on. My landline comes in to the TTY and they a phone cord goes from the TTY to a regular voice phone (which can be used by guests without involving the TTY)

There's also IP-Relay for text relay. I use it on my computer, iPhone and iPad.

like above, I still use VCO accessing 711-Relay service Quebec City.I have been doing this since January 1996.
Since I have an UltraTec 1140 which has TEXT feature. I can use that too. Unfortunately, not too many other persons has this as well as regular phones.
I have been advised by Sunnybrook/Toronto-Cochlear Implant section- about 1 out of 2 persons implanted in their experience must continue using TTY-as I do.

Aside: I do in fact have a Cochlear Implant, however it only "picks up dial tone" on regular phone not voice. So, I just continue using my VCO TTY.
I also have and pay for Bell Canada TeleMessage service easily accessed by Relay Service- 877 235 57XXthen give them my home phone number and my access code number. They key whatever the message is and at my request delete.
I also have a Vista regular phone which flashes red at unanswered calls.

I use IP (or IM) based relay services on my cell and computer.

If you want to use a traditional land line connection then an Ultratex uniphone might be a good option.

N.B. If you are hearing with a speech challenge the service you're looking for if you want to be able to hear the other speaker is HCO, not VCO

drphil said:

like above, I still use VCO accessing 711-Relay service Quebec City.I have been doing this since January 1996.
Since I have an UltraTec 1140 which has TEXT feature. I can use that too. Unfortunately, not too many other persons has this as well as regular phones. I have been advised by Sunnybrook/Toronto-Cochlear Implant section- about 1 out of 2 persons implanted in their experience must continue using TTY-as I do.

Aside: I do in have have a Cochlear Implant, however it only "picks up dial tone" on regular phone not voice. So, I just continue using my VCO TTY.

Click to expand...

A reminder (again) that "TEXT" on a TTY is *NOT* a text message like on a cell phone. The only reason the Uniphone has "TEXT" is because it also acts as a hearing phone (typical hearing, or amplified for Hoh). The TEXT mode on the Uniphone switches the Uniphone from "hearing phone" into "TTY keyboard entry" mode (vs using VCO).

As I have used the TEXT feature on my UltraTec 1140 _shift to TEXT and key whatever I want to key. There is NO speaking whatever. The other party KEYS back whatever answer. The Relay service is NOT involved. It also have a "qwerty" keyboard-similar to this computer.

For the above to happen the other party must have a TEXT TTY as well.

aside: I have TEXTED the Tax department a few times.

further aside: if the other party hasn't a TEXT feature just use VCO TTY.
I have used my TTY since 1996.

drphil said:

As I have used the TEXT feature on my UltraTec 1140 _shift to TEXT and key whatever I want to key. There is NO speaking whatever. The other party KEYS back whatever answer. The Relay service is NOT involved. It also have a "qwerty" keyboard-similar to this computer.

For the above to happen the other party must have a TEXT TTY as well.

aside: I have TEXTED the Tax department a few times.

further aside: if the other party hasn't a TEXT feature just use VCO TTY.
I have used my TTY since 1996.

Click to expand...

I know you almost exclusively use your Uniphone for VCO calling, so you're significantly less familiar with how TTY (text) works. I use both the VCO feature and TTY mode on my Uniphone (we have the exact same phone - I've had and used mine since 1995).

I also know that you're older and may not be fluent in current cell phone technology or terminology

What you're describing as "TEXT" on the TTY, is simply a "direct connect TTY to TTY call". It's not a Text message.

Standard TTY to TTY conversations (and TTY Relay) are all "text" input mode.

You haven't "Texted" the tax dept, you've simply contacted their TTY line directly via TTY (vs VCO) and had a TTY/TTY conversation. That's not "texting" that's just having a standard, everyday direct TTY conversation.

What is meant by "text mode" for TTYs and what is meant by "text message" for cell phones are two entirely different things.

They are not cross compatible. You cannot use the "text" (keyboard entry) mode on a TTY (or Uniphone) to send a text message to a cell phone. Period. Likewise you can not send a text message from a cell phone and have it be readable to a TTY.

As indicated before- what I keyed is MY experience with UltraTec 1140. I don't use IP/cell phone/computers re telephones.

My TTY plugs into "landline phone jack line".

I am well aware technology has "improved" , however what I keyed is exactly what happens Whether I am "behind" the latest cell phone et al is not a pressing concern of mine.. Comparison to cell phones et al is irrelevant to what I actually do.

As for the Tax department "phone encounter"- the person at the other end did key responses to my query which I read on the screen. I didn't access through 711-Relay service-Quebec.

I am not unduly concerned whether I can key to a "cellphone". using my TTY. Just use this computer rather than my TTY.

drphil said:

As indicated before- what I keyed is MY experience with UltraTec 1140. I don't use IP/cell phone/computers re telephones.

My TTY plugs into "landline phone jack line".

I am well aware technology has "improved" , however what I keyed is exactly what happens Whether I am "behind" the latest cell phone et al is not a pressing concern of mine.. Comparison to cell phones et al is irrelevant to what I actually do.

As for the Tax department "phone encounter"- the person at the other end did key responses to my query which I read on the screen. I didn't access through 711-Relay service-Quebec.

I am not unduly concerned whether I can key to a "cellphone". using my TTY. Just use this computer rather than my TTY.

Click to expand...

Of Course the tax dept didn't use relay - the Tax dept has a dedicated TTY line ( so no relay is needed).

The issue isn't how you use your TTY. (As a note:using VCO isn't the same as TTY mode at all ... there are phones that only do VCO, and aren't TTYs at all. Your experience is as a VCO user, not a TTY user.)

The issue is that your out of ignorance of what "texting" currently means, you are continually offering incorrect information to people who want to know about cell phone technology and computer technology of which you clearly don't have any personal experience. Furthermore, since you use VCO almost exclusively, you also have very limited knowledge of how TTY to TTY calls are traditionally placed. I have used both, daily, for more than 20 years - clearly you haven't.

I'm really sorry this is such a difficult concept for you to understand.

The bottom line is that when people post or ask if a cell phone can "Text" a TTY or if a TTY can "text" a cell phone - the answer is "no".
They can use a relay service to communicate between the two, however at the present time there is no way for any cell phone to independently "be" a TTY and as such no way for the two devices to directly connect/communicate with each other.
Period.

If you still doubt this is the case - please take the time to contact a local Deaf/Hoh organization, or ask any relay operator, audiologist - or heck another TTY user (if you simply refuse to believe me on some twisted principle).

Spreading incorrect knowledge through ignorance is one thing, however after having been corrected multiple times by multiple people over the years, at this point your deliberate perpetuation of false information is simply deceptive to those looking for answers from people they assume in answering actually know what they're talking about.

I have NEVER said that I TEXT cellphones. Reason: I never have.
aside" I have no reason to.

As to "ongoing discussion" re: when I access Relay -my UltraTec 1140 has a "preset hot key" which keys VCO please GA, Relay keys back VCO activated.GA. It uses Menu key and V.
Whether other Relay service use the same as 711-Quebec City- no idea. No interest to me.

From the booklet-UltraTech. 2nd edition September 1995 page 5 "Your Uniphone 1140 is BOTH a text telephone(TTY) and a standard telephone. It can be used to make telephone
callsTTY or Voice Carry Over (VCO) calls.

aside: My UltraTech 1140 was bought at the Canadian Hearing Society/Spadina Rd Toronto in Januray 1996.I believe that they have knowledge in this area.

further aside: I had the kind assistance of various Bell Canada Relay operators when I started using. I am aware that Bell Canada has/does have"some interest" whatever in the newest entity which operates Relay now. No real difference to me as ongoing user of TTY.

I think CapTel would work good for you.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AllDeaf App mobile app

Hope that OP- lorta57 has a "range of opinions" to consider and is able to effect a solution.