Vermont Telecommunications Relay Service

About Us

Vermont Relay


The Vermont Telecommunications Relay Service is a free service for all Vermonters, connecting deaf, hard-of hearing, deaf-blind and speech-disabled individuals with users of regular telephones. Whether calling on a standard telephone or a text telephone (TTY, a special phone with a typewriter-style keyboard), relay makes communication simple, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Using the Vermont Telecommunications Relay Service is easy. Either the hearing or the deaf person dials 711 to reach a specially trained operator known as a communications assistant (CA). The CA acts as an impartial, two-way "relay" in the conversation, reading messages typed on the TTY to the hearing person while typing responses on the TTY back to the deaf caller.

Relay users no longer need to memorize toll-free numbers to make a relay call. Simply dial     7-1-1 to connect with the state relay provider. Confidentiality for relay users and CA's is assured by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulings.
 

Services

Outreach -- The VTRS provides outreach services to the deaf and hard of hearing - and anyone they need to call - in Vermont. The Account Manager travels the state, making presentations and distributing information. Workshops and training sessions are conducted for those who can hear to educate them about how to use and accept relay calls.

Video Relay Public Work Stations -- Because high speed internet access is not available everywhere in Vermont, several video relay public work stations have been set up across the state to allow users to make video relay calls. All calls are FREE.

Video relay allows a deaf or hard of hearing caller to use American Sign Language (ASL) with a relay operator, who in turn speaks for the caller to a hearing person, and vice versa. The advantage of using video relay is that a caller can communicate in his or her native language. Public work stations can be found at the following locations:

Brattleboro
Austine School for the Deaf
1-888-254-3323 (V/TTY)
60 Austine Drive, Brattleboro

Burlington
University of Vermont
ACCESS Lab - Living and Learning Ctr
85 S. Prospect

Williston
VT Center for the Deaf and HH
802-879-4787 (V/TTY)
147 Knight Lane, Williston

Customer Profile -- A customer Database Profile saves the caller's preferences, which range from their preferred long distance provider to favorite method of communication. It also stores your most frequently dialed numbers.

Address Book Listing


Sunni Eriksen
Send Email
Consumer Affairs Specialist

05620-2601

Voice: 802-828-4015
TTY: 800-734-8390
Fax: 802-828-2342

Communication Profile
TTY, Voice, Hearing


Susan Paruch
Send Email

05620-2601

Voice: 802-828-4015
TTY: 800-734-8390
Fax: 802-828-2342

Communication Profile
TTY, Voice, Hearing