Hi Ray.  To operate packet, you need a device called a TNC, which has a
modem in it.  Instead of connecting to a phone line, this TNC connects to
your radio.  You can however, use your type and speak as a dumb terminal
with a TNC.  The ham call feature simply reads words that have numerals
in them, sutch as callsigns, spelled out.  Window-eyes also has this
feature, called alpha-numeric.

Hope this helps:
JOhn