Provides confidential telephone relay service between people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired, and those who want to communicate with them. Offers TeleBraille relay for people who are DeafBlind.

Arizona Relay Service | Arizona Relay Service

Programs that allow people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech impairments to communicate through a communications assistant with people who use a standard telephone or the Internet. The communications assistant relays TTY (text telephone or telecommunications device for deaf and hard of hearing individuals) to the telephone user and types that person's response back to the TTY user. Three options when using a telephone relay service are voice carry-over (VCO), hearing carry-over (HCO) and speech-to-speech (STS).  VCO allows a person with a hearing impairment to speak directly to the other party and then read the response typed by a communications assistant. HCO allows a person with a speech impairment to hear the other party and relay the TTY response back to the telephone user through the communications assistant. STS provides assistance for people with speech disabilities who have difficulty being understood on the phone. STS communications assistants are specially trained in understanding a variety of speech disorders, which enables them to repeat what the caller says in a manner that makes the caller’s words clear and understandable to the called party. The relay service allows individuals with communication disorders to communicate with all telephone users. Telecommunication relay services can be reached by dialing 711. 

Telecommunication Relay Services

Provides information and referrals to services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, DeafBlind, speech-impaired, their families, professionals, and other interested people. Advocates on behalf of consumers when needed. Also, license sign language interpreter, offers sign language interpretations and telecommunication relay services.

Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing | Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing

Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals to help them establish eligibility for or obtain needed services when they have been denied benefits or services for which they are eligible, when they need assistance to communicate their needs to a service provider or to otherwise effectively represent themselves, or when they have a complaint about a service. Individual advocacy attempts to reach equitable settlements without resorting to litigation and seeks to meet individual needs without attempting to change social institutions.

Individual Advocacy

The principal executive divisions of state government in the United States including state offices, departments, divisions, bureaus, boards and commissions, that are responsible, by law, for the management and control of public business and property.

State Government Agencies/Departments

Programs that establish and enforce licensing and certification standards for the trades and professions that are subject to regulation, review applications for licenses, administer examinations to demonstrate competency, issue or deny licenses and/or revoke licenses and certificates or take disciplinary action for noncompliance with standards.

Occupational/Professional Licensing and Certification

Programs that offer the services of people who are proficient in sign language, one of a variety of communication systems in which hand and body movements represent words, ideas, objects, actions and other concepts, to help people who are deaf or have hearing impairments and hearing individuals communicate with one another. Included are programs for individuals who are proficient in American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec Sign Language (LSQ) as well as those who use systems like Signed Exact English (SEE), Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE) which involve manually coded English, signed French which involve manually coded French, cued speech in which words spoken by lips are supplemented by cues which aid speech reading, and oral transliteration in which words spoken by an individual are silently mouthed to the deaf person accompanied by appropriate facial expressions and gestures to facilitate conveyance of the information. Sign language interpreters interpret in two ways: voice-to-sign and sign-to-voice. Voice-to-sign means the interpreter is signing to the deaf person what the speaker is saying. Sign-to-voice means the interpreter is voicing to the hearing person what the deaf person is signing. Some individuals want an interpreter who can perform both roles. Others prefer to speak for themselves and limit the interpreter's role to signing to them.

Sign Language Interpretation

Programs that provide information about the causes and origins, preventive measures, symptoms, screening/diagnostic procedures, and/or methods of treatment or management including the latest research for specific illnesses or disabling conditions.