People use phones to make appointments, connect with family or call 911. What if it wasn’t as simple as picking up a telephone? There are resources available in Maine to help make using the telephone easier: Maine Relay and the Telecommunications Equipment Program (TEP).

 

Maine Relay is a free service which allows those with hearing and/or speech disabilities to access telecommunications services. The service allows users (such as captioned telephone, TTY, VCO or HCO or smart phone app) to communicate with standard voice telephone users through specially trained relay operators (captioners). Learn more: https://www.maine.gov/trs/home

 

The Telecommunications Equipment Program (called TEP) was established by state law to provide ‘no’ or ‘low’ cost adaptive telecommunications equipment to any Maine resident who cannot use their home’s conventional telephone due to a physical or cognitive disability. The program was established to assist low-income residents, and most clients pay nothing for the phone equipment they need. Learn more: https://drme.org/deaf-services/tep

 

Maine Relay outreach is provided by Disability Rights Maine.