Relay Iowa
For individuals who have difficulty speaking or being
understood on the telephone, a relay service called Speech-to-Speech (STS) can
be life-changing! Jim Robinson shares how he heard about STS and how using the
service has impacted his life.
At 45, Jim survived two strokes, the last of which left him
with limited ability to speak. Before learning about STS, Jim was unable to
communicate over the telephone and communicated primarily through text. While
attending a stroke support group where he learned about STS, Jim decided to
give it a try. After the initial call, Jim said he felt more independent
because he could communicate over the telephone again.
“A big obstacle for someone who doesn’t understand your
speech or know about the difficulty you have, is for them to have patience,”
Jim said. “The first thing I noticed when working with the Communication
Assistants was their patience.” Jim noticed great changes right away.
Jim is one of many individuals who realized the benefits of
using STS every day. Relay Iowa also has services such as Captioned Telephone
for people who have hearing loss. For more information about services offered
by Relay Iowa, contact Lori Sporrer at 515-344-8548 or Lori.Sporrer@hamiltonrelay.com.
Telecommunications Access Iowa (TAI)
“I feel more independent because I am treated equally.”
That was a testimony from one of the wireless device
recipients through TAI. Prior to getting an iPad through TAI’s wireless
program, this person was struggling to connect with people to conduct both
professional and personal business. They were facing barriers to get things
done!
“My experience with the iPad is wonderful,” they said. “It
helped me greatly to communicate.” With the iPad, they were able to connect
with society and communicate with their loved ones, friends, co-workers, and
more!
People who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have difficulty
speaking face these real frustrations every day. They do not have the same
degree of access through telecommunications to stay connected.
TAI offers vouchers for individuals who are Deaf, hard of
hearing, or have difficulty speaking that will cover up to 95% - 99% of the
average cost of the equipment. With these vouchers, individuals can purchase
iPads at little or no cost, which come with preinstalled apps to assist
individuals based on their communication needs. For example, for individuals
who have difficulty speaking, there are speech-specific apps.
For more information on all of TAI’s equipment programs,
contact Dylan Heuer at 800-606-5099 or email at dylan@deafservicesunlimited.com.
Connect Iowa Monthly Webinars
Relay Iowa and TAI provide monthly webinars to share about
our services. Please consider attending and sharing these webinars:
Connect Iowa – Senior Solutions on the Telephone
Connect Iowa – Deaf Community Access
- Wednesday, April 21 | 5-6 PM - Click here
to register.
Connect Iowa – Solutions for Veterans with Hearing Loss
- Wednesday, May 26 | 3-4 PM - Click here
to register.
