TN Relay Services Get a Boost

AT&T Tennessee today delivered a check for $466,628 to the Tennessee Regulatory Authority for the Tennessee Relay Service and the Telecommunications Devices Access Program.  TRS and TDAP are services administered by the Tennessee Regulatory Authority to provide free or low cost services for qualifying Tennesseans with disabilities.   

“Relay service and TDAP are critical programs for deaf and hard of hearing Tennesseans,” said Mr. Howell Hathorne, President of Chattanooga's Speech and Hearing Center.  “As the primary underwriter of these services, AT&T continues to be a leader in providing communications services to Tennesseans with disabilities.”

Tennessee Relay Service is a service to Tennessee's deaf, deaf-blind, hard-of-hearing, and hearing and speech-impaired community and provides free, statewide assisted telephone service to those with speech, hearing, and visual impairments.  The program operates under contract by GoAmerica and is regulated by the TRA.  Relay service links conversations between people who use text telephones (TTY’s) or telebraille (TB) devices and people who use standard telephones.

The Telecommunications Devices Access Program was enacted in 1999 by the General Assembly to distribute appropriate telecommunications devices so that persons who have a disability may effectively use basic telephone service. The Tennessee Regulatory Authority was given the responsibility and authority to implement and manage this program. 

AT&T is recognized as an industry leader in services for customers with disabilities. From working with vendors and AT&T's Advisory Panel on Access and Aging on accessibility solutions to providing alternate billing formats, AT&T has a proven track record of helping this important group of customers.  AT&T’s efforts have gained recognition from government and disability-based organizations, including the Department of Labor, Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc., and the American Foundation for the Blind. 

“At AT&T, accessibility is more than just a word — it's a commitment to our customers with disabilities to provide the products and services they need to stay connected,” said Gregg Morton, President of AT&T Tennessee.  “We are pleased to remit these funds to the Tennessee Regulatory Authority for this purpose.”

Source: AT&T Press Release