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Show Deaf May Communicate Over Phone The telephone may have been a luxury when it was first Invented, but it has become a necessity to almost everyone in the world even to the point that ' phones are frequently installed in automobiles. There are approximately 10,000 people living in Utah who don't rely on the telephone, however. These people are deaf, and without a Teletype (TTY) machine, the telephone is useless to them. For the 500 who are lucky enough to have a TTY machine in their homes, however, the telephone becomes a valuable tool which enables them to com municate with other deaf persons and hearing people (usually relatives), who also have a TTY. Commenting on the use of a TTY machine, Dr. Robert G. Sanderson, coordinator for Services for the Deaf, said: "To deaf people, it is like the telephone has Just been invented." "It's a toy, a joy, a headache, a blessing, and a necessity! And it's a tremendous educational tool because it motivates deaf people to improve their language skills for their own understanding and for that of their friends and relatives who can now communicate with them," Sanderson explained. Mountain Bell recently installed a TTY in its Salt Lake Repair Center so that its deaf customers would be able to communicate with the telephone company through the use of their machines located in their homes. The TTY machine at the telephone company has a toll-free number and is manned 24 hours a day. Barbara Graham, Mountain bell community relations representative, explained the procedure which makes it possible for a deaf person to communicate with the telephone company whenever he or she has a question on the bill, needs service transferred, etc. "The deaf person activates the TTY machine by using an electronic acoustic coupler and the ordinary telephone. He then types the message, which comes across on the TTY machine located In the repair center. "The Customer Services Manager gets an answer for the customer, and notifies the repair center so that the answer can be typed to the customer," Mrs. Graham said. Teletype machine shown above makes it possible for deaf telephone customers in Utah to communicate with telephone company. Mountain Bell employees shown above are Barbara Graham, left, community relations representative and Dianne Sjoberg, special facilities. |