May I forward this?






----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Segalman <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 6:30 PM
Subject: Telephone Access for People with Speech Disabilities


> Everyone interested in helping people with speech disabilities should look
> at   http://www.stsnews.com/   This web page describes a free relay
service
> for people with speech disabilities.  A brief description follows:
>
>
> PEOPLE WITH SPEECH DISABILITIES NOW HAVE A TELEPHONE SERVICE
>
> If you have a speech disability and live in : ARIZONA,
> CALIFORNIA, MARYLAND, NEVADA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WISCONSIN, GEORGIA,
MINNESOTA
> and WASHINNGTON STATE, you can now use a new, free telephone assistance
> service 24 hours a day.
>
> This service, called Speech-to-Speech, provides "communications
assistants"
> for people with difficulty being understood by the public on the
telephone.
> We hope that the FCC will require all states to provide Speech-to-Speech
in
> two years.
>
> If you have a speech disability, you can dial toll free to reach a
> patient, trained communications assistant who is familiar with many speech
> patterns and has excellent hearing and language skills. This operator
makes
> telephone calls for you and repeats your words exactly.
>
> Users now make about 5,000 calls a month nationally. Speech-to-Speech is
> also useful if you use a speech synthesizer. Speech-to-Speech is the only
> way for many people to telephone others not accustomed to their speech.
Many
> Speech-to-Speech users have Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, multiple
> sclerosis, or Muscular Dystrophy. Other users include people who stutter
or
> have had a laryngectomy or ALS.
>
> I have cerebral palsy and Speech-to-Speech made telephone use much easier
> for me. You can try out Speech-to-Speech, report problems or get more
> information by calling 800-854-7784 and asking for Dr. Bob Segalman (in
the
> communication assistant's directory).  See also the new web page on
> Speech-to-Speech:
>
>   http://www.stsnews.com/
>
> Here are the U. S. Speech-to-Speech access numbers:
>
> ARIZONA 1 800 842 6520
> CALIFORNIA 1 800 854 7784
> MARYLAND 1 800-785-5630
> SOUTH CAROLINA 1 877 735 7277
> WISCONSIN 1 800-833-7637
> GEORGIA 1 800 229 5746
> WASHINGTON STATE 1-877-833-6341
> NEVADA 1-888-326-5658
> MINNESOTA 1-877-627-3848
>
> Sweden and Australia have completed Speech-to-Speech Trials.  Australia
> began permanent service on November 1. For Swedish information e-mail:
> [log in to unmask] (Inga Svanfeldt)
>
> and for Australian information
> e-mail: [log in to unmask] (Tom McCaul)
>