Sprint has announced today that it has been selected by the state of Arizona to provide the state’s residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled with a full suite of relay services, that will see a specially trained relay person communicate with individuals who are in need of relay assistance. Sprint relay services have a designated operator who corresponds with speech-disabled individuals via a computer or mobile device which types out what they are saying, and is now offered in 35 states, New Zealand, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and exclusively for the federal government.
This adds to Sprint’s TRS portfolio which already sees them as the largest and most technologically advanced TRS provider in the nation, having amassed over 20 years of experience in offering relay services for those who need it. Although Sprint is not the dedicated relay service provider in every single state, their relay services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the places that they are the designated relay service provider, and Sprint mentions that there are no restrictions on call length or the number of calls which can be placed.
For those in the state of Arizona who are either deaf, hard of hearing or speech-disabled, Sprint mentions that specialized equipment that can aid people in using the relay services can be found through the Arizona Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program, which includes amplified volume control telephones, TTY units, electrolarynx devices, captioned telephones, voice amplifiers, and signaling/flashing devices. These devices are free, however you must be a qualified resident of Arizona before you can receive any of the equipment without a charge. Sherri Collins, who is the executive director of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing states that they are “pleased that Sprint has been selected as our state’s provider of this valuable service.” Sprint wants to make sure that people are aware of the newly announced relay services, which is why they’re deploying an outreach program to keep people apprised of the “under development” features and services. Sprint also mentions that more information, if needed, can be found by calling the number for Arizona’s relay service at 602-542-3383.