National Relay Service (NRS)

• Reach:

  National

• Focus area:

  General

• Category:

  Non-government

Description

The National Relay Service (NRS) is available to everyone at no additional charge and provides the following services:

• calls can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• training in how to use a Telephone Typewriter (TTY) or Internet relay is free
• you can access anyone in the wider telephone network
• calls can be made by a TTY (a special phone with a small keyboard and screen), computer plus TTY imitation software, Internet relay or ordinary telephone
• the privacy of all parties is respected and all calls are treated confidentially.

All calls through the NRS are relayed through a relay officer, who is online to make sure your calls go smoothly. You can type and read your conversation entirely via a TTY or via a computer or mobile phone connected to the Internet. In some cases, the relay officer will become your voice and read out loud your conversation to the other person. The relay officer will listen to the response and type it back for you to read.

Depending on your own requirements, you can choose one of the following relay call options:

• Internet relay call
  • Internet relay calls are ideal if you are deaf, can't hear well or have difficulty using your voice. You just need an Internet connection
• Speak and read
  • If you can speak but not hear, this is your best call option.
• Type and read
  • If you are deaf or can't hear well and have difficulty speaking or communicating, this is the most useful relay option for you.
• Type and listen
  • If you have difficulty speaking or communicating but can hear adequately, this call option could be useful for you.
• Speak and listen
  • If people sometimes have trouble understanding your speech over the phone, you can use this call option.
• Emergency
  • The NRS provides three ways to contact emergency services - one by TTY, one by ordinary phone, and the third by Internet relay.
• Calling someone with an impairment
  • It is easy to make a call through the NRS to someone who is deaf or has a hearing or speech impairment. The National Relay Service (NRS) is an Australia-wide telephone access service provided for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment. It is also available to anyone who wants to call a person with a hearing or speech impairment.

Abstract adapted from Nationa Relay Service

Contacts

National Relay Service
21a Elliott St
Balmain NSW 2041
Ph: 1800 555 660
TTY: 1800 555 630
SMS: 0416 001 350
Fax: 1800 555 690
Email: helpdesk@relayservice.com.au

Links

• View contact details: National Relay Service
• View website: The National Relay Service