A helping hand with the phone

For folks who have trouble using a standard telephone, help is available–and it’s free. The California Telephone Access Program provides specialized telephone equipment to residents who have difficulty hearing, seeing, moving, speaking or remembering.

When the program was established in 1979, it only provided Teletypewriter machines for the deaf. It has since evolved, and now serves more than 500,000 people with a broad range of disabilities. It provides more than 60 kinds of equipment, including Braille devices, hands-free phones, phones with oversized numbers and phones that amplify outgoing or incoming speech. What’s more, a companion program, the California Relay Service helps deaf and speech-disabled callers by reading teletype aloud and putting speech into readable text.

The services are part of the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP), which is administered by the California Public Utilities Commission, mandated by the state legislature, and paid for by a 0.5% surcharge on all telephone bills.

According to program officials, one in three people will have some degree of hearing loss by age 60. More than 3 million Californians now have disabilities that make using a normal telephone difficult or impossible. With the first round of baby boomers turning 65 this year, even more people stand to benefit from the service.

They won’t have to jump through a lot of hoops to sign up, either.

“It’s very simple,” said Elena Heredia, field operations supervisor for DDTP. “A lot of people, when they learn about a government program, think ‘Oh, there has got to be a long list of info I have to provide.’ This is just one form.”

To qualify for assistance you must be a California resident, have phone service (cell phones count) and have a doctor certify the disability or impediment. The program is available regardless of age or income, and there is no need to re-register once you have been accepted. Application forms are available via DDTP’s website or by calling (800) 806-1191. If using a teletype device, call (800) 889-3974.

7/28/11