California Relay Service (CRS):
CRS is a public service that guarantees all citizens access to prompt, professional and accurate communication through the telephone. Consumers of these specialized services, specifically individuals who are Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing or have difficulty speaking, can communicate on the telephone via text telephone (TTY), Voice Carry Over (VCO), Hearing Carry Over (HCO), Speech-to-Speech (STS) and Captioned Telephone in English and Spanish in order to more easily connect with family, friends or businesses.
How does California Relay Service work?
Dial 711 to connect with California Relay Service. A qualified Communication Assistant (CA) will ask for the area code and the number of the person you wish to have a relay call with. Generally, the CA will voice the typed message from the text telephone (TTY) user to you. The CA relays your spoken message by typing it to the TTY user.
Specialized Services:
California Relay Service offers specialized services for individuals who have difficulty speaking and for Spanish-speaking residents. Specially trained CAs are on hand to assist in these types of calls by dialing the associated number provided. Since CRS offers a variety of services, please refer to the website listed or contact Customer Care for more detailed instructions on the different processes used for a particular call.
Captioned Telephone:
Captioned Telephone is also available and ideal for individuals with hearing loss that can speak for themselves. A Captioned Telephone is like any other telephone with an essential difference: it allows users to listen to their phone conversations while reading captions of what’s said to them.
Access to Services:
711 provides toll-free relay calling. If you are experiencing an issue dialing 711 to reach California Relay Service, please contact Customer Care.
All Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) and English Captioned Telephone services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish Captioned Telephone is available daily from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. PST. Consumers may place relay calls to English-speaking and Spanish-speaking persons within California, across the United States and even internationally. By law, they must handle each conversation with strict confidentiality.
To place a call using California Relay Service, dial 711
Customer Care Information:
1006 12th Street
Aurora, NE 68818
california@hamiltonrelay.com
ca-relay.com
Captioned Telephone
English Customer Care: 888-402-4018
Spanish Customer Care: 887-330-0156
To call a Captioned Telephone user, dial: 866-399-9050
Special points of interest:
Equipment Distribution Program
The California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) offers specialized phones including: amplified phones, text telephone (TTY), Voice Carry Over (VCO) phones, Captioned Telephones, and other equipment to eligible individuals in California who are Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, have difficulty speaking or any cognitive disability.
For more information, visit
https://ddtp.cpuc.ca.gov or call 877-546- 7414 (voice) or 800-867-4323 (TTY).
Emergency Calls: Please note that 711 can only reach California Relay. In the case of an EMERGENCY you should continue to use 911. For emergencies, call 911 or your local emergency service TTY number directly, without using relay. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that 911 centers have a TTY and be prepared to handle emergency calls placed in this manner. California Relay will try to assist you in any possible way during an emergency. However, it is important to understand that relay centers are not 911 centers and do not assume responsibility for emergency calls.
California Relay Service (CRS) is funded by the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP), a program of the California Public Utilities Commission.
