Advocate Solutions
Resources are available for advocates supporting Relay Texas users like you. You can learn about services, accessibility options, and ways to help people communicate effectively.
Please, Don’t Hang Up: Understanding Relay Calls
Relay services are a vital connection to the world. They allow individuals to make phone calls using a trained operator who helps relay messages between parties. But too often, when a call begins with “This is Relay Texas,” the person on the other end hangs up—mistaking it for spam or a telemarketing call.
For relay users, that simple action can feel like more than a misunderstanding. It can feel personal—like being dismissed, unheard, or unseen.
By understanding what relay calls are and why they matter, advocates can help educate others, support inclusion, and ensure that everyone—no matter how they communicate—has equal access to connection.
Solutions for Advocates
As an advocate, you can help people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, or have a speech disability use Texas Relay in two key ways. You can explain how TTY relay works, where they type their conversation to a relay operator who reads it to the hearing person and types the reply back. You can also assist them with registering for internet-based relay, including Video Relay and IP Relay, so they are able to place and receive calls online.
7-1-1 is not a substitute for 9-1-1 in emergencies. TTY users should call 9-1-1 or their local TTY-equipped emergency center directly.
