Step

Responsible Party

Action

1.

DHS Employee

Communicates with a client, client applicant or member of the public who is hard of hearing, deaf or speech impaired (TTY User), who uses a Text Telephone (TTY) by contacting the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service. The TTY is a phone with a typewriter-style keyboard, a screen displaying text, and/or a paper printout to record the conversation.

Voice#: 1-800-735-1232 or 711
Spanish Voice/TTY#: 1-800-735-3896

2.

Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service (OTRS) Communication Assistant

Obtains the telephone number of the TTY User from the DHS employee.

The OTRS Communication Assistant will place a call to the TTY User using a text telephone. Once the TTY User responds to the telephone, the Oregon Relay Service Agent will introduce the telephone call from the DHS Employee by typing information into a TTY. The typed information will be transmitted to the TTY User.

3.

DHS Employee/Oregon Relay Service

Talks directly to the TTY User while the Oregon Relay Service Communication Assistant types the conversation verbatim into a TTY, which then is transmitted to the TTY User. The Communication Assistant will type everything that is spoken by the DHS employee or that can be heard through the employee’s telephone receiver, including side conversations and comments, environmental noise.

The DHS employee will speak slowly and clearly and will observe directions or requests from the Communications Assistant.

When the DHS Employee is finished speaking and ready for the TTY User to respond, the DHS Employee will end the sentence with "GA" (Go Ahead).

4.

Oregon Relay Service/ TTY User

The TTY User types a response through their TTY, which is transmitted to the Oregon Relay Service’s TTY.

Once the text is received by TTY at the Relay Service, the Relay Service Communication Assistant relays the typed words verbally to the DHS employee.

5.

DHS Employee - Oregon Relay Service

When the call is complete, the DHS Employee will end with "Goodbye. GA to SK" (SK = Stop Keying).

If the TTY User is also ready to hang up, they will respond with "Goodbye. SKSK" and will disconnect from the call.

The Communication Assistant will inform the DHS Employee the TTY User has disconnected and will terminate the call.

Step

Responsible Party

Action

1.

Client, client applicant or member of the public (TTY User)

Dials the Oregon Telecommunication Relay Service (OTRS) by using a Text Telephone and connects with a Communication Assistant.

TTY#: 1-800-735-2900
Spanish Voice/TTY#: 1-800-735-3896

2.

OTRS Communication Assistant

Obtains from the TTY User the telephone number of the DHS employee to be called.

Using a text telephone, the OTRS Communication Assistant will telephone the DHS employee. Once the DHS employee responds to the telephone call, the OTRS Communication Assistant will verbally introduce the Relay Call/TTY User and will provide instruction for communicating effectively.

3.

TTY User

Communicates by typing sentences on the TTY which is then transmitted directly to the OTRS Communication Assistant’s TTY and then read to the DHS employee.

4.

DHS Employee

Responds verbally to the Caller while the Communication Assistant types the conversation verbatim into a TTY, which then is transmitted to the TTY User.

The Communication Assistant will type everything that is voiced by the DHS employee or that can be heard through the employee’s telephone receiver, including side conversations and comments, and environmental noise.

The DHS employee should speak slowly and clearly and will observe directions or requests from the OTRS Communications Assistant. When the DHS employee is finished speaking and ready for the TTY User to respond, the DHS employee will end the sentence with "GA"(Go Ahead).

5.

OTRS/TTY User

The TTY User types a response through their TTY, which is transmitted to the OTRS TTY device.

Once the text is received by TTY at the OTRS, the Communication Assistant relays the typed words verbally to the DHS employee.

6.

DHS Employee/
OTRS/TTY User

When the call is complete, the DHS Employee will end with "Goodbye. GA to SK" (SK = Stop Keying).

If the TTY User is also ready to hang up, they will respond with "Goodbye. SKSK" and will disconnect from the call.

The Communication Assistant will inform the DHS Employee that the TTY User has disconnected and will terminate the call.