Phone Service Line for Deaf to Be 711
California regulators Thursday established the abbreviated code “711” as the statewide phone number for access to the California Relay Service, starting Oct. 1. The relay program uses operators to help callers communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing.
The new number will be used nationwide under a mandate from the Federal Communications Commission. California and other states have in the past used various toll-free numbers, making it necessary for callers to look up the access number used in each state.
To access the California Relay System, a hearing person calls the relay number, and an operator dials into the special typing machine known as a TTY device used by the recipient, or vice versa. The operator acts as a link, typing in the spoken sentences from the hearing caller and reading aloud the typed conversation from the deaf recipient.
The service and the initial connection to 711 are free and are funded through special charges on all phone bills. Callers are charged for toll and long-distance calls.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
