The Maine Relay (or 711) is paid for by the Universal Service Fund and it’s free for anyone to use! It is a communication service, which enables the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Disabled population to communicate with the “hearing” world, with specialized telecommunication devices (TTYs, Video Phones ect) via a Communications Assistant, who “relays” the call. The person who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing can call ANY person or ANY business this way, and therefore have equal access to the telephone.

To learn about:

• How Relay works
• How to connect
• To create/update your Customer Profile
• To access in-depth information an ALL types of Relay

CLICK HERE! - http://www.hamiltonrelay.com/about/whatisrelay.htm

FAQ about Maine Relay

Common Abbreviations Used with Relay

Come to MCD and use our FREE VIDEO PHONE!
Maine Relay Services are provided by Hamilton Relay.

Would you like a presentation to be given to your business or organization about the Maine Relay Service?

Would you like to know how to use your specialized equipment?

Contact Tracy Dumais tdumais@mcdmaine.org to schedule, confirm or find out more about our services. Also, be sure to check out our calendar of events to see when MCD might be coming to your town!

MCD also offers "Remote Office Hours"! This is so that clients who do not live in the Portland area can come to our remote location, fill out an equipment application, exchange/return equipment or have any questions answered.ect. Also anyone wanting more info on the Maine Relay service is encouraged to stop by!

For Remote Office Hours times and locations, please refer to the calendar of events.

What is Relay?

• The Maine Relay Service (TRS) is a free, 24-hour service that allows people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind or Speech Disabled to communicate via the telephone. Through the use of specialized equipment, relay users can communicate freely with hearing friends, family and businesses—or with other relay users.
• Relay Services are mandated by the Federal Communications Commission under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Funded by the state’s utilities service (Universal Service Fund)
• Hamilton Relay provides relay services to the State of Maine.

How Relay works:

• You can access the Maine Relay service by dialing 7-1-1
• You can use Hamilton Relay Service to make calls to another state. There are no charges to access the relay. However, standard long distance charges do apply, so check with your long distance provider for rate information. If you do not choose a long distance company, your call will be billed by AT&T.
• When you place a call through the Maine Relay Service, a highly trained Communications Assistant (CA) facilitates the call for you. The relay user is typically using a text telephone (TTY) or other device that is used to type messages. The CA reads those messages to the hearing party on the other end of the line—and then types the hearing party’s responses for the relay user to read.
• With Hamilton Video Relay, the relay caller uses a Web camera to communicate via sign language. The on-screen interpreter then voices to the hearing caller—and signs the responses back to the relay user.
• Hamilton Relay Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no restrictions on the length of relay calls or how many calls you choose to make.

For in-depth information about all types of Relay CLICK HERE!

AM - morning
ANS - answer
CD or CUD - could
CUZ - because
HD or HUD - hold
INFO - information
LTR - letter
MIN - minute
MSG - message
MTG - meeting
NBR - number

OK - okay
PLS - please
PM - afternoon; evening
R - are
RPT - repeat
SHD - SHUD - should
THRU - through
TMW - tomorrow
U - you
UR - your
WD or WUD - would

GA - Go Ahead (used to indicate that you want the other person to begin typing)

SK - Stop Keying (use to end a conversation)

Q GA - question go ahead (after question)

Do:

• Make sure your TTY is charged or plugged in before making a call
• Make sure the phone is placed properly in the cradle
• Identify yourself at the earliest opportunity
• Use “GA” to end your turn, and use “SK” to end the conversation
• Ask the other person to repeat if the message is garbled or you cant read it
• Use abbreviations only if they are clear in the context
• Spell out numbers if necessary to avoid any confusion
• Indicate if there are other people watching the conversation
• Keep your sentences and responses short

Don’t:

• Worry about misspellings if the meaning is clear in context
• Worry about punctuation
• Save a hard copy of the conversation without permission of the other party
• Eavesdrop or allow eaves dropping