Accessibility for Disability
Kansas Relay Center
(Special Services For The Hearing/Speech Impaired)
Kansas Relay Center (KRC) is a public service which guarantees all citizens access to prompt, professional and accurate communication through the telephone. Consumers of these specialized services, specifically people who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or have difficulty speaking, can communicate on the telephone via TTY/TDD, Voice Carry Over (VCO), Hearing Carry Over (HCO), Speech-to-Speech (STS), Spanish-to-Spanish and Captioned Telephone in order to connect with family, friends or businesses with ease.
Here’s how KRC works:
Dial 7-1-1 or the appropriate toll-free number provided to connect with KRC. A qualified Communication Assistant (CA) will ask for the area code and number of the person you wish to call and will begin the relay call. Generally, the CA will voice the typed message from the text telephone (TDD/TTY) user to you. The CA relays your voice message by typing it back to the TDD/TTY user.
Specialized Services:
KRC offers specialized services for individuals who have difficulty speaking and for Spanish speaking residents. Specially trained CAs are on hand to assist in these types of calls by dialing the associated number provided. Since KRC offers a variety of services, please refer to the website listed or call KRC Customer Service for more detailed instructions on how a particular call is processed.
Captioned Telephone is also available and ideal for people with hearing loss who are able to speak for themselves. A captioned telephone works like any other telephone with an essential difference: it allows you to listen as well as read every word the other party says throughout the conversation on the display window.
Access to Services:
Both 7-1-1 and the 800 numbers are toll-free calls and provide access to the same relay services. If you are experiencing trouble dialing 7-1-1 to reach KRC, please call KRC Customer Service. All services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Consumers may place relay calls to English and Spanish speaking persons within Kansas, across the United States and even internationally. By law, each conversation is handled with strict confidentiality. There is no charge to access KRC, although standard long distance charges apply.
To place a call using Kansas Relay Center:
Dial 7-1-1 or dial one of the toll-free numbers below:
TTY/Voice: 1-800-766-3777
Spanish: 1-866-305-1343
Speech-to-Speech: 1-866-305-1344
Spanish Speech-to-Speech: 1-866-305-1345
Customer Service Information:
1-866-735-2957 (V/TTY)
PO Box 285
Aurora, NE 68818
Email: ksrelay@hamiltonrelay.com
Web: www.KansasRelay.com
Captioned Telephone Customer Service: 1-888-269-7477
To call a Captioned Telephone user, dial: 7-1-1 or 1-877-243-2823
Special points of interest:
Equipment Distribution Program
The Kansas Telecommunication Access Program offers amplified phones, TTYs, Voice Carry Over (VCO) phones, Captioned Telephones and other equipment to eligible individuals in Kansas who are deaf, deaf-blind, or who have difficulty with speech, mobility and cognitive capabilities. For more information you can visit https://www.kansastap.org or call 1-785-234-0200 (V), 1-785-234-0207 (TTY) or 1-785-246-5097 (VP).
Emergency Calls
Please note that 7-1-1 is only to be used to reach Kansas Relay Center.
In an EMERGENCY you should continue to use 9-1-1.
For emergencies, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency service TTY number directly, without using relay. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that 911 centers have a TTY and be prepared to handle emergency calls placed in this manner. The Kansas Relay Center will make every effort to assist you in an emergency. However, it is important to understand that relay centers are not 911 centers and do not assume responsibility for emergency calls.
More information is available from the Kansas Telecommunications Access Program (TAP).