Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!tymix!tardis!oliveb!bunker!wtm
From: jhall@ihlpm.att.com (John R Hall)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: TISD TDD Relay Service
Message-ID: <15934@handicap.news>
Date: 2 Jun 91 12:04:24 GMT
References: <15855@handicap.news>
Sender: wtm@bunker.isc-br.com
Reply-To: jhall@ihlpm.att.com (John R Hall)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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Index Number: 15934

I called up TISD a couple of months ago to enquire
about their service.  I wanted to know who runs
the business, if it was a for-profit or volunteer
operation, and details about billing.  The operator
I spoke to could not or would not provide any of
this information.  She said I would need to talk to
the president of the company, so she took my name
and number and said he would call me.  I have not
heard from him yet.  This might have something to
do with me saying I work for AT&T, although I was
not calling in an official company capacity.  Based
on that encounter, the lack of information in response
to my questions, and the very high price of this
service, I decided not to recommend it to my Deaf
friends.

As far as state relays being able to make out of
state calls, this is a restriction based on state-
by-state legislation.  It is not a technical restriction
of the equipment nor a requirement or desire of the
relay service provider (such as AT&T).  Obviously, this
issue will have to be resolved before the ADA deadline
of July 26, 1993.

Until the relay issue is resolved, though, one alternative
method you might try is to use call forwarding.  Since
there is a monthly charge for call forwarding from your
local telephone company, you would have to decide for
yourself whether it is worth it.  Basically, you would
forward your phone to the out-of-state destination that
you wish to call.  Then you call your state relay service
and have them call your number which then gets forwarded.
This method is not fool-proof.
--John