The question is whether the phone system he is talking about upgrading is
for use by the public or only by staff.
As of October 1, 2001 federal law mandated the institution of a nationwide
relay system. So, dialing 711 anywhere in the United States will now
connect the caller to a relay operator who will place a voice or TTY call
for the caller.
There are very specific requirements for public phones outlined in the ADA
Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) which can be found at www.access-board.gov
or you can contact your local Disability Business and Technical Assistance
Center(DBTAC) by calling 800-949-4232.
Your state may have passed state codes/laws that are more stringent than the
ADA. It is always safest to comply with which ever law is more stringent
whether state, county, city or federal.
I am unaware of any part of the ADA which requires a place of public
accommodation to have a TTY for incoming calls. You should have staff
trained to accept and place relay calls, and it is certainly a good
marketing tool to have a TTY for ease of use and convenience for deaf and
speech impaired patrons/visitors who would like to contact you.
Betty Siegel
Manager of Accessibility
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C. 20566-0001
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Schroder, Leah [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 3:37 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Accommodating hearing impaired visitors--alternatives to
TTD/ TTY?
Thank you for raising this important topic.
TTY/TDD phones are the most preferable form of telephone communication for
people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Relay operators are primarily to
facilitate a phone conversation between a deaf and a hearing person. A relay
operator acts as an "interpreter" between the two parties.
Most importantly, you need to refer to your state and federal Americans with
Disabilities Act regulations. Every state has an ADA hotline that can answer
your questions regarding accessibility requirements. You may be required to
keep a TTY number at your museum.
Best wishes,
Leah
Leah C. Schroder, Assistant Educator
Programs for Visitors with Disabilities and Special Needs
The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019
212.708.9864
212.247.1230 TTY/TDD
http://www.moma.org/docs/visiting/specialneeds/index.htm
Subscribe to our free MoMA Education E-News http://www.momaenews.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Max van Balgooy [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 2:10 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Accommodating hearing impaired visitors--alternatives to
> TTD/TTY?
>
> We're upgrading phone systems at our sites and I was wondering if the
> TTD/TTY terminals are still a common mode of communicating with
> hearing-impaired visitors, or if "relay operators" are becoming more
> common,
> or if there are more convenient/more reliable systems available?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Max A. van Balgooy,
> Director of Interpretation and Education
> National Trust for Historic Preservation
>
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