Resource Guide: TELEPHONE RELAY
Last Updated; July 2, 2009
Maine Telecommunications Relay Service (MERS)
All callers can reach the Relay Service by dialing 711 (V/TTY).
For faster service dial direct:
TTY Calls: 1-800-437-1220
Voice Calls: 1-800-457-1220
CapTel Calls ( to reach a CapTel user): 1-877-243-2823
Speech to Speech Calls: 1-888-890-9256
Spanish to Spanish Calls: 1-888-890-9255
The Maine Relay Service is available 24 hours a day, every day, to provide a communications link between those who use a standard
voice telephone and those who use specialized telephone equipment or assistance because they are D/deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, or have a
speech or physical disability that prevents use of a standard telephone. The specialized telecommunications equipment may be a
Text Telephone (TTY), a telebraille telephone for someone who is DeafBlind, or other type of equipment to address a specific communication disability. There is no extra charge for the relay service.
When a call is placed through the Maine Relay Service, a Communication Assistant (CA) provides the needed communication link between
the two parties. For example, when a call is placed between a D/deaf person and a hearing person, the CA types to the D/deaf caller what
the hearing caller says. Then the CA voices the D/deaf caller’s typed response to the hearing person.
This is known as
Text-to-Voice relay service.
Other types of relay services include:
- Voice Carryover (VCO) – this is available to a caller, such as a person who is Late-Deafened, who wishes to speak instead of
type, but needs to receive responses in typed form. In this case, the other caller hears the VCO caller’s voice and his/her
response is typed by the CA back to the VCO caller.
- Hearing Carryover (HCO) – this type of relay is used by a person who has a speech disability.
The other caller speaks directly
to the HCO user, who then types a response, which is voiced by the CA.
- Speech-to-Speech Relay – this option allows a person with a speech disability to use a CA specially trained in understanding
pronunciation affected by a variety of speech disorders. The CA repeats what the caller says in a manner that makes the caller’s
words clear and understandable to the other caller on the line. The person with the speech disability then hears the response of
the other caller directly. No special telephone is needed for this type of relay service.
Another feature available in association with the Maine Relay Service is Relay Choice Profile, which allows MERS users to provide
information about their call preferences and frequently called numbers to the Relay Service, so that it can be entered into the
computerized Relay Service equipment. Each time the MERS user makes or receives a relay call, that Profile is automatically activated
and makes sure that the call is handled according to the MERS user’s personal preferences.
This can include whether the MERS user wants
the CA to communicate background noise on the call, what local and long-distance telephone service the user has (to assure correct
billing of toll calls). MERS users can also provide frequently-called telephone numbers as part of Profile, to speed up connections
when they place a call. For more information or to arrange for a presentation about the Maine Relay Service, contact the Maine Center on Deafness:
Maine Center on Deafness
68 Bishop Street, Suite 3
Portland, Maine 04101-2451
797-7656 (V/TTY) within the Portland area
1-800-639-3884 (V/TTY) outside Portland
774-7777 (VP)
866-347-0275 (VP)
797-9791 (FAX)
E-mail: info@mcdmaine.org
Website: www.mcdmaine.org
Website: www.hamiltonrelay.com/states/me.htm
