Skip to content | Skip to navigation | Skip to other related content

Relay Services

Communication Access Links

Home
RI CDHH Interpreter Referral Service
RI CDHH Equipment Lending Program
CART
Relay Services
Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan (ATEL)

State Traditional Relay:

The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (RI PUC), in accordance to a 1991 amendment of Chapter 39-1-42 of the Rhode Island General Laws, was mandated to establish and administer a statewide relay service with the assistance of the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Hamilton Relay (www.hamiltonrelay.com/state_711_relay/state.html) entered a contractual agreement with RI PUC on August 1, 2001 to provide relay services. More detailed services for Rhode Island can be found on Hamilton's website. The contract is good for 4 years with an option to renew on the fifth year. As part of their obligation, Hamilton Relay is responsible to pick up the 711 calls from the State of Rhode Island.

711 is a national 3-digit number for anyone who wishes to make a call through the Relay service, from deaf/hard of hearing caller to voice caller or from voice caller to deaf/hard of hearing caller, both ways will work. All you need to do is to dial 711 and the relay service operator will pick up your call and ask for the phone number you wish to call.

For more information, please contact Sean Gill, Outreach Coordinator of RI Relay:

Rhode Island Relay
Sean P. Gill, Outreach Coordinator
546 Main Road, Suite 1, 2nd Fl.
Tiverton, RI 02878
(401) 621-2684 Voice/TTY
(401) 685-1390 Videophone
(401) 264-2609 Fax
Email: sean.gill@hamiltonrelay.com

Internet Protocol (IP) and Video Relay Services:

The Internet Protocol (IP) and Video Relay Services (VRS) are funded by the Federal Communication Commission through the National Exchange Carrier Association. IP Relay is used through computer and the internet and behaves very much like a traditional relay used by TTY and telephone. This creates several choices of access for the consumers as to how to make calls. Video Relay Service is a fast-growing and popular service used by deaf and hard of hearing consumers who can sign to an agent, a qualified interpreter, who facilitates the communication between the caller and the third party through the webcam or TV-based Cam device over the high speed internet.