INTRAC RELAY INDIANA

BY ANGIE ARLINGTON

Indiana Telephone Relay Access Corporation (InTRAC) is a not-forprofit corporation established in 1991 by a law passed by the Indiana State Legislature. Its purpose is to provide telephone relay service for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled. InTRAC’s responsibility is to provide relay service, Relay Indiana, to all citizens residing in Indiana.

Relay Indiana is a free service that provides full telecommunication accessibility to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled. This service allows user with special telecommunication devices to communicate with standard telecommunication users through specially trained Relay Communication Operators. This service is currently provided by T-Mobile under contract with InTRAC.

Greg Gantt shares, “Please do not hang up if or when you get a call and hear the words, This is Relay Indiana ...

A person who is deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled is calling you through a Relay Indiana operator.”

“We disseminate information and/ or promote Relay Indiana more to the general population, especially those who may be in contact with deaf, hard of hearing or speech-disabled Hoosiers.”

Relay Indiana helps people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled become more independent when it comes to making telephone calls and having conversations with standard telephone users. “They no longer will have to rely on their family members and/or friends to make telephone calls for them.”

You can easily call 711 from anywhere in the nation and connect with any relay service. While in Indiana, if you dial 711, you will connect with Relay Indiana. If you are in Florida and dial 711, you will be connected with Relay Florida, etc.

Dial 800-743-3333, and you can still be connected with Relay Indiana from anywhere in the nation.

• oice user if a person uses a standard phone and wishes to speak with others who use special equipment to communicate.

• Captel (captioned telephone) when the other party speaks, the relay operator “re-voices” the words simultaneously while the operator’s computer sends the conversation to the captel user in the form of text, which appears on the captel screen.

• TYY if a person is deaf and does not voice, they may use a text telephone.

• VCO if a person is hard of hearing and is able to voice, they may use voice carry-over.

• HCO if a person can hear but is not able to voice, they may use hearing carryover.

• Speech to Speech if a person can hear but has difficulties with unclear speech.

• Spanish to Spanish if someone wishes to have their conversation in Spanish.

• Video Relay Service (YRS) the interpreter/operator will appear on the screen and will place your call in the same way as a standard relay call.

• Internet Relay you will be able to see what you are typing and what the relay operator is typing at the same time.

• Greg wants the community to be aware of the services available. “InTRAC provides free training to social service organizations serving the disability and general community on how to make Relay Indiana calls.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, 15% of children between ages 3 and 17 have encountered some form of a developmental delay.