What are Relay Service and Voice Carry Over calls?

Telecommunications Relay is a free service that allows people who are hard of hearing or deaf to talk to people who use a standard telephone. A person called a Communications Assistant will answer when you call the Relay Service. The Communication Assistant calls the person you wish to reach and relays voice or text (TTY/TDD) messages between the parties.

In a VCO call, the person with a hearing loss speaks directly to the other party. The Communication Assistant relays the response from the other person, which appears as text on the VCO phone screen. You just read and talk.

Making VCO calls is easy! You just read and talk...

Pocket Speak and Read VCO Phone

Use any phone, anywhere! The new Pocket Speak and Read will easily attach to mobile phones, pay phones, cordless phones as well as traditional phones and call boxes. Simply place the device on the earpiece of the phone using the attached elastic straps and call the state Relay service. Then talk into the mouthpiece and read their responses. (Person receiving VCO call must change their TTY to Baudot). Easy to carry, it comes with its own carrying case which features a belt loop.