In July 2006, the New York Commission approved captioned telephone service. New York Public Service Commission Chairman William M. Flynn noted that New York's proposed rollout of 300 captioned phones per month would be the largest monthly installation rate of the service in the country. Lou Piazza, New York Relay administrator, added, "New York Relay is pleased to come to agreement with Sprint to add Captioned Telephone to the variety of services provided by the New York Relay today."
The New York Relay Captioned Telephone Service is a leading-edge technology developed by Ultratec, Inc. of Madison, Wis., that also requires a special CapTel-equipped phone in order to place a call to the New York Relay Captioned Telephone Service. The CapTelphone works like any traditional phone with callers talking and listening to each other, but with one very significant difference -- captions are provided live for every call.
The captions are displayed on theCapTelphone's built-in screen so the user can read the words while listening to the voice of the other party. This allows conversations to flow more naturally, allowing for normal interruptions and expressed emotions. Captioned Telephone services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and there is no charge for the service.
CapTelphones are available on a first-come, first-served basis, one per household at a cost of $99 each. This includes a no-risk 90-day guarantee; if individuals are not completely satisfied, the phone can be returned within 90 days for a full refund. For questions regarding the New York Relay Captioned Telephone or the order process or to receive an order form, please contact 800-233-9130 V/TTY. Individuals may also learn more on the Web or www.captionedtelephone.com/index.phtml.
