How does AudioRelay work?

What is AudioRelay?

AudioRelay is a telecommunications relay service (TRS) that provides real-time call captioning for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It allows users to listen to the other party on a phone call and simultaneously read captions of what the other person is saying. The service works by utilizing a relay operator who acts as an intermediary, listening to the hearing user and typing captions for the deaf or hard of hearing user to read.

With AudioRelay, users with hearing loss can have natural conversations on the phone just like someone without hearing loss. The captions are provided in real-time, with only a slight lag as the operator transcribes the audio. This allows for a more seamless conversation flow compared to some other relay services. Additionally, the captions allow users to fully understand what is being said, including properly interpreting tone and capturing accents or pronunciations.

By empowering those with hearing loss to make and receive calls independently, AudioRelay gives them greater connectivity and accessibility. It helps bridge the communication gap caused by hearing loss.

Who can use AudioRelay?

AudioRelay is a free telecommunications relay service (TRS) that allows people with hearing loss or speech disabilities to place and receive phone calls. According to the FCC, TRS services like AudioRelay are available to any individual in the United States who is deaf, hard of hearing, or has a speech disability. This includes anyone who has difficulty hearing over the phone or is unable to speak clearly enough to be understood over the phone.

Specifically, the FCC states that anyone in the U.S. who is deaf, hard of hearing, or has a speech disability is eligible to register for AudioRelay service. There are no restrictions based on the individual’s age, location, type of disability, or language. As long as you have a hearing or speech disability that makes it challenging to use a standard telephone, you can sign up to use AudioRelay.

How to get started with AudioRelay

To use AudioRelay, you first need to register online or through their mobile app. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. You’ll need to provide some basic contact information like your name, phone number, and email address. Once registered, you’ll receive a default 10-digit telephone number that callers can use to reach you through AudioRelay.

You can register for AudioRelay online at their website. There is a simple registration form where you enter your details. You can also download the AudioRelay mobile app for iOS or Android and sign up through the app.

After registering, you can login online or through the app to manage your account settings. This includes options like creating a customized vanity number, reviewing recent calls, and updating your profile. With an account, you’ll have access to all of AudioRelay’s call features and services.

Making a call with AudioRelay

To make a call using AudioRelay, first dial the AudioRelay number. This is typically 711, which will connect you directly to the AudioRelay service. Once connected to AudioRelay, the call assistant will greet you and ask for the number you wish to call. Simply provide the 10-digit phone number of the person you want to reach.

The call assistant will then dial that number and connect both you and the other party to begin relaying the phone call. When you speak, the call assistant types everything you say and relays it by voice to the other person. When the other person speaks, the call assistant voices their response back to you. This allows the call assistant to serve as a bridge, relaying the conversation back and forth.

The call assistant types back word-for-word what the other person says. This allows you to fully participate in the phone conversation. The call assistant will relay the entire phone call by typing your words and voicing the other person’s words until you end the call by hanging up. Using AudioRelay’s call assistants makes it possible to make phone calls seamlessly.

Source: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53412-How-to-use-a-telephone-ip-relay-service

Receiving a call with AudioRelay

To receive calls through AudioRelay, you’ll first need to provide the AudioRelay number to any friends, family, businesses, or other contacts that you want to be able to call you. The main number to give out is 711, which routes directly to the AudioRelay service.

When someone calls the AudioRelay number you provided them, a relay operator will answer the call. The operator will ask who the caller is trying to reach, then look up your account information. The operator will then contact you using your preferred method – a video relay call, an inbound call to your mobile device, etc. – and inform you that you have an incoming call. They will relay the caller’s identity and then facilitate the conversation between you and the caller.

This allows you to receive calls seamlessly using AudioRelay without the caller needing any special equipment or knowledge. The relay operator serves as the intermediary, receiving the audio from the hearing caller and relaying it to you, while also conveying your typed or signed responses back to the caller.

For more information, see this guide on receiving calls with a telephone IP relay service: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53412-How-to-use-a-telephone-ip-relay-service

AudioRelay Call Features

AudioRelay offers a suite of features to optimize your calling experience https://audiorelay.net. Some key features include:

• Voicemail – If you miss a call, the caller can leave a voicemail that gets transcribed into text for you to read.
• Conference calling – AudioRelay supports 3-way calling so you can easily set up conference calls.
• Call waiting – If you receive a new call while already on a call, you will get notified of the new call so you can choose to answer it or not.
• Caller ID – See who is calling before you answer.
• Mute – Mute your microphone during a call when needed.
• Keypad commands – Control calls via simple keypad commands.

With its suite of features, AudioRelay aims to provide an optimized and full-featured calling experience for its users.

Communication options

AudioRelay provides users with a variety of communication options so they can choose the method that works best for them. Users can communicate using TTY (text telephone), VCO (voice carry over), HCO (hearing carry over), voice, text, and more. TTY allows users to type messages back and forth. With VCO, the user speaks directly to the recipient while reading responses typed by a relay operator. HCO allows the user to hear the other person’s voice directly while typing responses to a relay operator. Users can also choose to communicate by voice, text, video relay, and other modes depending on their needs.

The key benefit of AudioRelay is that relay operators are available to relay between these different communication methods smoothly and seamlessly, removing communication barriers between people with various needs and preferences. Whether users want to type, speak, hear, read or use another mode, the relay operators can connect the conversation and translate between modes. This provides more options for users to communicate in the way that is most comfortable and accessible to them.

Source: https://audiorelay.net/

24/7 Availability

One of the key benefits of AudioRelay is that its call centers are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. This constant availability makes AudioRelay an incredibly reliable service for people who are deaf or have hearing loss. Users never have to worry about running into issues reaching the call center, even in the middle of the night or on major holidays. The FCC mandates that all Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) providers, like AudioRelay, must operate their relay call centers 24/7 without interruption. So users can truly count on AudioRelay to be there whenever they need to make or receive a phone call.

Cost

AudioRelay service is free for registered users. The calls are funded through a federal program administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This program helps people who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, or have difficulty speaking use the telephone system.

The FCC authorizes providers like AudioRelay to offer relay services. The providers are then compensated for the costs of providing these services from the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund. This fund is financed by contributions from telephone companies based on interstate and international end-user revenues.

So in summary, there are no costs for the AudioRelay user – the service is provided for free. The costs are covered through the TRS program funded by telephone companies and administered by the FCC.[1]

Why choose AudioRelay?

AudioRelay provides fast, accurate, and confidential call captioning services to bridge communication gaps. Their service enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities to use any telephone to communicate effectively with anyone, anytime.[1] Unlike traditional telecommunications relay services that rely on third-party operators, AudioRelay uses advanced speech recognition technology to generate real-time captions during phone conversations.[2]

With AudioRelay, you get:

• Quick connection times – Calls are connected in approximately 5 seconds or less
• Accurate live captions – Speech recognition technology accurately transcribes 85% or more of words
• 24/7 availability – Agents are available around the clock, every day
• Secure and private service – Calls are kept confidential and private
• Cost-effective – AudioRelay services are provided at no cost to users

In summary, AudioRelay delivers fast, reliable, and secure captioned telephone services to improve communication access and independence for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Their cutting-edge speech recognition technology and round-the-clock support make AudioRelay a top choice.