TTY/Phone, or TTY-only?

yes. my issue is that I DON'T sign.. wish i did, but I'm only in ASL2, nowhere near enough to possibly use VRS. Phone is getting harder and harder too. Also, with ordering online, because i live in a university town, they like to call to confirm your order to make sure it is not a prank-call. Hard to confirm when you can't understand the other person (sooo many of the people who call have accents that it becomes impossible for me to understand them). Not sure how i will get the people to confirm through a TTY.. but theres gotta be a way!!!
*EQL*
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
yes. my issue is that I DON'T sign.. wish i did, but I'm only in ASL2, nowhere near enough to possibly use VRS. Phone is getting harder and harder too. Also, with ordering online, because i live in a university town, they like to call to confirm your order to make sure it is not a prank-call. Hard to confirm when you can't understand the other person (sooo many of the people who call have accents that it becomes impossible for me to understand them). Not sure how i will get the people to confirm through a TTY.. but theres gotta be a way!!!
*EQL*
Click to expand...
A lot of businesses and government agencies have dedicated TTY lines now, where you can make your call directly TTY to TTY without relay. It's sometimes listed in their ads, phone books, or websites.
 
Reba said:
I have a TTY with the printer. It's handy for reviewing information later, such as phone numbers, addresses, directions, dates, etc. It's also useful in case the other party claims you said something that you didn't. Regardless, it can be turned off and on as necessary, so it's an option.

I know people who are either late-deafened and/or fully oral for whom VP or webcam is useless. They don't sign. So TTY's are still useful. Also, in an emergency when electricity and cable is out, a land line TTY on battery will still work.
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I have a tty that does not have a printer.. but it does have a memory so that when you are done chatting, you can scroll up and get the information you need so you can write it down.
 
Reba said:
I have a TTY with the printer. It's handy for reviewing information later, such as phone numbers, addresses, directions, dates, etc. It's also useful in case the other party claims you said something that you didn't. Regardless, it can be turned off and on as necessary, so it's an option.

I know people who are either late-deafened and/or fully oral for whom VP or webcam is useless. They don't sign. So TTY's are still useful. Also, in an emergency when electricity and cable is out, a land line TTY on battery will still work.
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wireless cellphone will work too (you can even hook it up in your car and recharge if you have to).
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
Hi all,
just looking for some comments/thoughts/suggestions.
I will be moving into an apartment with 2 friends (both hearing). Currently, i avoid the phone at all costs (i only talk to my family on it b/c i can understand them ok), but otherwise if I absolutely MUST use the phone, i walk down the road to the payphone-tty. I am planning on getting a tty for the new apartment, but i'm wondering which of these would be best. Also, do people find the printers to be useful or just a gimmic?


TTY-only (similar to this):
Ultratec Supercom 4400
or
Ultratec Superprint Pro80 TTY

TTY/Phone (similar to this):
Ultratec Uniphone 1140 VCO/HCO/TTY

Cell-Phone TTY (similar to this):
Ultratec Compact/C TTY
Click to expand...


I have a uniphone for landline which works great with hearing people. all you have to do is turn the TTY button on and off. I picked this because my husband is hearing and he can use it anytime he want. It look exactly like the one in the picture. It can go back in memory in case you need it.
 
Lighthouse77 said:
wireless cellphone will work too (you can even hook it up in your car and recharge if you have to).
Click to expand...
Not if the towers are down, don't have a car, or you're out of range. It's happened.

There's more to cell phone service than just the phones.
 
well, I think if you are at home, you should know what is out of range or not. I wouldn't get a cellphone if it is out of range in my own home. as far as tower, that's very rare. But even batteries in tty die too. :) just make sure you have backups rather you have cellphone or tty.
 
i think the biggest problem I have with tty and sharing landline phone with hearing people is that I can't tell who is calling in tty and who isn't. I'm scared to pick up the phone because it would not go to answering machine if the phone call is for my husband.
 
Lighthouse77 said:
i think the biggest problem I have with tty and sharing landline phone with hearing people is that I can't tell who is calling in tty and who isn't. I'm scared to pick up the phone because it would not go to answering machine if the phone call is for my husband.
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What about Caller ID?
 
most caller ID just says "N/A" or something like that. People are blocking their number these days.
 
Lighthouse77 said:
well, I think if you are at home, you should know what is out of range or not. I wouldn't get a cellphone if it is out of range in my own home. as far as tower, that's very rare. But even batteries in tty die too. :) just make sure you have backups rather you have cellphone or tty.
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We have lots of areas around here where NO cell phones work, and then others where only old analog cell phones work.
 
:) glad to help LOL

I grew up in the rural area, we could not get cable tv at all and satellite were expensive... our solution? BIG antenna. That's country life for you :) Living simple, that is.

but I live in the city now, so I'm on the go all the time.
 
Lighthouse77 said:
i think the biggest problem I have with tty and sharing landline phone with hearing people is that I can't tell who is calling in tty and who isn't. I'm scared to pick up the phone because it would not go to answering machine if the phone call is for my husband.
Click to expand...

ahh, i never thought of that. i assumed there would be a way to know if it was a tty/relay on the other end or not.
is it possible to switch between tty and phone while the line is in use? do people know to call back (are you able to voice for them to call back?) i would probably use it mostly to call out. most people i train pretty quickly to email me as my email is ALWAYS on.
*EQL*
 
evil_queen_lisa said:
ahh, i never thought of that. i assumed there would be a way to know if it was a tty/relay on the other end or not.
is it possible to switch between tty and phone while the line is in use? do people know to call back (are you able to voice for them to call back?) i would probably use it mostly to call out. most people i train pretty quickly to email me as my email is ALWAYS on.
*EQL*
Click to expand...

yes, if your hearing friends hear a strang phone call, they can push the tty button. and yes, you can voice them and tell them to use a tty..or whatever works. The main thing is that your friend CAN use it as a regular phone.
You don't need a uniphone at all, a tty will work with a regular phoneline. Just hook it up whenever you need to.


But I would stick with Cellphone solely for yourself with a portable tty. Less confusing for you and your roommates so you don't cause them to miss their phone call because you couldn't hear (everytime you pick up the phone, the call will not go through their answering machine) <----- but only if you know you will be making alot of phone calls.
 
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