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Ohio Relay

Ohio Relay provides full telephone accessibility to people who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard-of-hearing or speech-disabled.

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Ohio Relay

What is the Ohio Relay?

Ohio Relay provides full telephone accessibility to people who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard-of-hearing or speech-disabled. Specially trained communication assistants (CAs) process relay calls and stay on the line to relay conversations electronically, over a Text Telephone (TTY) or verbally to hearing parties. All calls are completely confidential. Ohio Relay is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no restrictions on the number of calls placed or on their length.

How to place an Ohio Relay call

  • Dial 711 to connect with a relay operator, or
    • 800-750-0750 for English-to-English, or
    • 888-269-0678 for Spanish-to-Spanish
  • Give the relay operator the phone number you want to call.
  • The relay operator will then dial the other party’s number.
  • The relay operator will relay the conversation between you and the other party by typing or voicing.

Ohio Relay Services

TTY Relay

You may use a TTY to type your conversation to a communications assistant (CA) who then reads the typed message to a hearing person. The CA relays the hearing person's spoken words by typing them back to you. Please remember to type "GA" which stands for "go ahead" when you are done with a statement and are ready for a response. "GA" will signal to the CA to relay what you have said to the other person.

Voice Carry Over

Standard telephone users can easily initiate calls to TTY users by dialing Ohio Relay and providing the TTY telephone number. The communications assistant (CA) types out your spoken words to the TTY user and reads back to you the typed replies.  Be sure to talk directly to your caller as if the CA were not relaying your conversation. Please avoid saying, "tell him" or "tell her." For English, please dial 877-644-6826.

Hearing Carry Over

Hearing carryover (HCO) allows speech-disabled users with normal hearing to listen to the person they are calling. The HCO user types his/her conversation for the communications assistant (CA) to read and voice to the standard telephone user. When you first contact Ohio Relay, let the CA know that you want to use HCO.

Speech to Speech

This service is designed for people who have a Speech Disability or those who use an assistive voice device. With Speech-to-Speech (STS), you can call anyone on the phone.  A communications assistant (CA) ensures that you will be heard and understood, with no special equipment required. For English, please dial 877-750-9097.

TeleBraille Relay

You can use a TeleBraille device or TTY with a large visual display to make relay calls.  This service allows you to read the phone conversation in braille or in a large font size at a 15 WPM transmission speed.  If desired, you may specify a different WPM transmission speed to the communications assistant (CA). The CA reads aloud the message you typed to the other party, and then types what the other party says to you.

CapTel

Captioned Telephone (CapTel) enables you to hear, read captions and speak during phone calls. For 2-line CapTel 840 devices, dial the number of the person you want to call and the CapTel phone automatically connects to a captioning service. For one-line CapTel 840 devices, all incoming calls must be routed to the CapTel service first by dialing 877-243-2823 then enter the CapTel user’s phone number. English CapTel services are available 24 hours daily. Spanish CapTel services are available from 8am-12pm EST daily. 

IP Relay

IP Relay allows you to use any computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone to communicate with anyone using the IP Relay service. The communications assistant reads aloud the message you typed to the other party and types the other party’s spoken message and background sounds, if any, to you.

Voicemail/Answering Machine Retrieval Service

When you request the communications assistant (CA) to retrieve messages from a voicemail system, the CA will follow your instructions for dialing, pin entry, access codes, and/or system commands to retrieve new messages, play messages, save, and/or delete messages.

When you request the CA to retrieve messages from an answering machine at your location, simply type “AMR GA” then follow the instructions from the CA.

International Relay

You can make international calls through Ohio Relay by dialing 711 or any Ohio Relay number. People outside the US wanting to call you should dial 605-224-1837 to reach a communications assistant.

Emergency calls

In the case of an emergency, TTY users should directly call 9-1-1 using any phone, including TTY or CapTel. Relay services may be used to call 911 but will not be as fast as dialing 911 directly. Be prepared to provide your full name, description of emergency, and your location. Remember: calls placed directly and immediately to 911 can save valuable time in urgent situations.

Directory assistance

Ohio Relay will relay Directory Assistance (DA) calls between relay users and a DA operator. After obtaining the number, the caller may choose to place the call through Ohio Relay or dial directly.

TTY public payphones

TTY users who wish to use a coin TTY payphone can use Ohio Relay to assist in connecting calls. All local calls are free of charge. Non-local calls may be billed in several ways such as:

  • Collect
  • Third party
  • Calling card or pre-paid card

Billing preferences

There is no charge for  using Ohio Relay within your local calling area. Long distance call rates are determined by your carrier of choice. Ohio Relay gives you several billing options when you place in-state, out-of-state, or international calls. Please notify the communications assistant (CA) of your preferred billing options:

  • Direct
  • Collect
  • Person-to-person
  • Third party
  • Local telephone company calling card
  • Long distance telephone company calling card
  • Pre-paid card

How to Report a Hang Up Incident

If you have experienced a hang up incident when placing a relay call, you may fill out an online form and submit your report through the Ohio Relay website. An Ohio Relay representative will follow up by either sending a brochure, letter, or telephoning the resident or business that is the source of the complaint. This is done as an attempt to better inform that party about relay services and to convey the message not to hang up on relay calls. 

Ohio Relay customer service

Ohio Relay customer service is available to answer questions about TTY calls or to receive customer suggestions, comments and complaints. When calling about a specific incident, please remember to provide the communication assistant (CA) identification number and the date and time of the call. Please visit the Ohio Relay website for service specific contact information.

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