Date Last Reviewed:
08/04/2008
TTYs have been installed in several campus offices for hearing-impaired individuals. Each TTY includes a digital screen and keyboard a hearing impaired person can use to type and send telephone messages. The Campus TTY Numbers are available to all members of the public.
Any customer having TTY service may have their listing in the white pages of the telephone directory marked with a TTY indicator. This indicates to those calling you that you have the ability to communicate with them on a TTY. Those wishing to have this indicator on their listing must tell their service representative so it can be arranged.
Customers who cannot use the phone without the assistance of a TTY can now receive one through ITAC (Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation). The not-for-profit organization was established by the Illinois Commerce Commission to provide certified deaf or severely hearing-impaired individuals with a TTY or a Telebraille Device for the hearing/sight impaired at no charge. For information and application packet on receiving a TTY or Telebraille Device, write:
ITAC
800-841-6167 TTY and VOICE
3001 Montvale Dr., Suite D
Springfield, IL 62704
National Braille Press has developed an area code directory in Braille. These books are available for $2.95 and can be ordered from:
National Braille Press, Inc.
88 St. Stephen Street
800-548-7323
Boston, MA 02115
| Office / Department | TTY Number |
|---|---|
| Emergency - University Police | 911 |
| Center For Access-Ability Resources - Main Office | 753-3000 |
| Director, Nancy Kasinski | 753-3000 |
| Coordinator, Jenifer Montag | 753-3000 |
| Coordinator of Interpreting Services (call to cancel interpreters) |
753-3700 |
| Affirmative Action | 753-2303 |
| Athletic Ticket Office | 753-9590 |
| Campus Recreation | 753-9426 |
| Dept. of Communicative Disorders | 753-9125 |
| Grant Towers South - Main Desk | 753-1784 |
| Health Services | 753-1311 |
| Hoffman Estates Campus | 753-8833 |
| Human Resource Services | 753-0870 |
| Institute on Deafness | 753-2000 |
| ITS Helpdesk | 753-2000 |
| NIU Closure Information | 753-9703 |
| Naperville Campus | 753-8999 |
| Program for Hearing Impaired | 753-2000 |
| Registration and Records | 753-0686 |
| Rockford Campus | 753-8768 |
| Telecommunications Services | 753-2000 |
| Office of Campus Recreation | 753-9426 |
| Operator Services-NIU Operators/Information | 753-2000 |
| Program for Hearing Impaired | 753-6503 |
| Registration and Records | 753-0686 |
| Speech and Hearing Clinic | 753-1481 |
| Telecommunications Center | 753-2000 |
| University Health Services | 753-2000 |
| University Libraries | 753-2000 |
| University Police Reporting/Assistance | 753-1212 |
| University Police - Emergency | 911 |
| Weather Status Hotline | 753-9703 |
Illinois Relay Service (also known as Dual Party Relay), is a 24/7 service provided by GTE in cooperation with the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation (ITAC) and AT&T. The service is a communications link between those who use a TTY and those who use a standard voice telephone.
Specially trained operators relay conversations between TTY users and hearing people who use a standard voice telephone. The relay operator types the hearing caller's spoken words to the TTY caller. The operator then speaks the typed words received from the TTY caller to the hearing person. The operator acts as a go-between throughout the entire conversation. All calls made through the Relay Center are strictly confidential. Employees may not disclose any communication they have seen or heard, and no record of the call is kept other than for billing purposes. A special feature known as "voice pass through" makes it possible for a hearing-impaired caller with good speech skills to talk directly to the hearing caller. With this feature, the relay operator types only the hearing caller's voice response back to the TTY caller.
Callers can contact the Illinois Relay Center, located in Chicago, by dialing a toll-free 800 number.
*TTY Callers 711
*Voice Callers 800-526-0857
Calls completed through the Relay Center are billed at regular telephone company rates. There are no extra charges. Billing options include collect calls, calling card calls, and calls billed to a third number other than a NIU number.
Relay operators do not have access to 9-1-1 emergency centers. TTY users should dial their local TTY emergency numbers directly. If, during an emergency, the TTY caller provides a phone number that can be directly dialed, the relay operator will attempt to complete the call.