any deaf relay / TTY operators out there?

[GrushaVashnadze]

Help! Researching for a story...
Has anyone ever had any personal experience as a relay operator for the deaf, using a TTY/minicom?
(I guess this is a question for the oldies, as I think the technology more or less died out after the invention of mobile phones and the SMS...)

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Help! Researching for a story...
Has anyone ever had any personal experience as a relay operator for the deaf, using a TTY/minicom?
(I guess this is a question for the oldies, as I think the technology more or less died out after the invention of mobile phones and the SMS...)

Relay UK (was TypeTalk, then Next Gen Text Relay) is still going. The standard of operators is appalling, mind you, because there's hardly any trained palantypists any more now that Hansard (the record of the Houses of Parliament) and TV live subtitles (captions) don't use them - the Association for Verified Speech to Text Reports doesn't have many members - which sucks if you're deaf and haven't magically picked up sigh language overnight.

PM me.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Help! Researching for a story...
Has anyone ever had any personal experience as a relay operator for the deaf, using a TTY/minicom?
(I guess this is a question for the oldies, as I think the technology more or less died out after the invention of mobile phones and the SMS...)

Most government agencies, doctors, lawyers, ... won't communicate via text.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I had a friend who was back in the 90s. Said it’s one of the most depressing jobs he ever had. He was required to only ever transcribe what was said and vice versa, which meant, for example, when the obviously abusive boyfriend who was gaslighting his deaf girlfriend, telling her she was lucky she had him because no other hearing guy would have her, he could only relay that exactly. Same thing with obvious scam calls. Every once in a while, there would be something funny, like relaying phone sex in the most neutral tone of voice possible, but those types were few and far between.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Nowadays you can chat to the relay ops while on hold, which makes it less boring for both of you.

 

[GrushaVashnadze]

And the story's up now, here:

TypeTalk

Thanks to @Kumquatqueen for all his help and advice!

Grusha