Typetalk and TextDirect

Our relay assistants are sensitive and well trained and handle each call with complete confidentiality. All relay calls are strictly confidential and no records of any conversations are maintained. Calls to the relay and helpdesk may be monitored for quality and training purposes.

By simply dialling 18002 before the telephone number you want, TextDirect enables communication with friends and family who use a textphone, by providing automatic access to Typtalk.

Typetalk is the national telephone relay service for people with communication difficulties. The service was introduced in 1991, since then over 21 million calls have been made from Textphone users to hearing people and visa versa. Without Typetalk deaf and speech–impaired people would not be able to make telephone calls to hearing people, having to rely on friends and family to ring their bank, doctors etc on their behalf and hearing people would not be able to get in touch with textphone users. Note: a textphone is the equipment a deaf or speech–impaired person would use to type and read the conversations being relayed by the Operator. A hearing person does not need any equipment to communicate with a deaf or speech–impaired person.

Typetalk is managed by RNID (The Royal National Institute for Deaf people) and funded by BT. In July 2001 BT introduced TextDirect. This improved the way customers were able to use Typetalk by allowing them to ‘dial direct’ for the first time. TextDirect offers a single telecommunication service that supports the needs of people with communication difficulties.

Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Typetalk and TextDirect allows textphone users to communicate with hearing people all over the world and visa versa.

The service is simple to use. Calls are charged at standard telephone rates (please contact your telephone service provider for information about how you are billed). A hearing person simply dials 18002 followed by the full telephone number of the person they wish to call. Once the call is answered by a Textphone user a Typetalk Operator will join the line to relay the call. The hearing person will speak their part of the conversation and the Typetalk Operator will type exactly what is being said. The textphone user will then reply by speaking directly to the hearing person or Typing their conversation for the Typetalk Operator to read to the hearing person. If another hearing person answers the call, no Operator will be involved and the call will continue as normal even if you have used the prefix 18002.

How we can help

Typetalk’s relay service and TextDirect is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, however, occasionally you may have questions or problems using Typetalk or TextDirect. Typetalk’s Customer Service Team can help. There are many ways you can contact them. To find out more about customer support click here.

To download a free information leaflets about our services click here.