How can I purchase specialized telephone equipment?

How can I purchase specialized telephone equipment?

Through the Wisconsin Relay System you can obtain telephone equipment that is specialized to make telecommunications accessible to nonstandard phone users. Here’s everything you need to know about Wisconsin Relay and how to make using a phone easier.


What is the Wisconsin Relay?

Wisconsin Relay is a free, completely confidential 24-hour public service that makes the use of the telephone possible and a better experience for many thousands of citizens and visitors of the state who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled.


How does Wisconsin Relay work?

The person dials the toll-free Wisconsin Relay number and gives the communications assistant (often abbreviated as the CA) the area code and number of the person receiving the call. An example of the Wisconsin Relay service is a highly trained CA who voices the typed comments by hte TTY (text telephone) user and types the spoken comments by the other person back to the TTY user. Wisconsin Relay provides several options to meet the needs of people who do not use the standard telephone.


How do I to connect to Wisconsin Relay?

  • Dial: 7-1-1*

  • TTY: 1-800-947-3529

  • Voice: 1-800-947-6644

  • ASCII: 1-800-267-8867

  • Voice Carry-Over: 1-877-490-3724

  • Hearing Carry-Over: 1-800-947-3529

  • Speech-to-Speech: 1-800-833-7637

  • Spanish-to-Spanish: 1-800-833-7813

  • Spanish-to-English: 1-877-490-3723

*Some buildings with a PBX telephone system (often in hotels and offices that have extension numbers) make reaching 7-1-1 impossible. The 800 numbers can be dialed when not able to get through to 7-1-1.


CapTel – A Free Captioned Phone Service

CapTel, short for captioned telephone, users place calls in the same way when dialing with a standard telephone. Utilizing voice recognition technology that displays verbatim captions of the conversation on screen of a telephone or computer screen, the CapTel user can hear and read what the other person is saying.


How do I apply for specialized telephone equipment?

The Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program (TEPP) provides qualified applicants (proof of a disability that makes using a standard telephone difficult or impossible) with vouchers to purchase assistive telephone equipment. A person can apply for a voucher by visiting www.tepp.wipfli.com or calling 1-800-251-8345 (TTY in state only) or 1-608-231-3305 (Voice).


Learn More About Wisconsin Relay.

Wisconsin Relay Website: www.wisconsinrelay.com
Wisconsin Relay Customer Service: 1-800-676-3777 (TTY/Voice/ASCII)
Wisconsin Relay Spanish Customer Service: 1-800-76-4290 (TTY/Voice/ASCII)
CapTel Customer Service: 1-888-269-7477 (Voice/CapTel/TTY)
CapTel Spanish Customer Service: 1-866-670-9134 (Voice/CapTel/TTY)
Sprint TTY Operator Service: 1-800-855-4000


Services Supported By Surcharge.

A few cents per telephone bill surchage makes Wisconsin Relay services possible for the citizens of Wisconsin Sprint is the provider of the relay services for Wisconsin.


7-1-1 Is Not An Emergency Number.

Some people might assume it is okay to call 7-1-1 for emergencies. The 7-1-1 Wisconsin Relay number is for relay service calls only. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that 911 centers be prepared to handle emergency calls from people who use the text telephone. Wisconsin Relay will make every effort to assist a person during an emergency but cannot serve in the same function as 911 centers. Wisconsin Relay does not assume responsibility for handling emergency calls.

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