How Does CapTel Work?
Placing a call on a CapTel phone is just like using a standard phone, but even better.
Just dial the number of the person you want to call and the CapTel phone automatically connects to a captioning service.*
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You speak directly to the other party on the CapTel phone.
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The other party talks directly to you while the captioner listens.
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The captioner transcribes the other party’s voiced message into captions.
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You listen and read the captions on the CapTel phone.
* This only applies to 2-line CapTel 840. For one-line CapTel 840, all incoming calls must be routed to the CapTel service first by dialing 877-243-2823 then enter the CapTel user’s phone number.
Video: CapTel
What Equipment and Services Do You Need?
First, you’ll need a Captioned Telephone (CapTel)
Captioned calls require a telephone designed to interact with the CapTel Captioning Service. These telephones look a lot like traditional phones, but they have a screen to order to display captions. CapTel phones can also be used as a traditional amplified telephone, without the captions feature.
Second, you’ll need CapTel Captioning Service
Because the telephone does not translate spoken words into written captions by itself, you’ll also need CapTel Captioning Service. The CapTel Captioning Service transcribes your party’s spoken words into written captions, which appear on the CapTel phone display. The cost of the captioning service is covered by the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) funds as part of Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Spanish-to-Spanish Captioning 866-217-3362 is available upon request. Please visit the web site for more information.
Telephone Line Requirements
- Standard analog telephone line:
CapTel requires connection to a standard analog telephone line (or analog port), which is commonly found in households. You cannot connect CapTel to a digital telephone line (often found in offices) or to any other non-analog telephone line. - Users in an office environment should check with their telephone administrator to make sure an analog port is available.
- DSL Line:
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) users can connect a CapTel phone if an appropriate inline filter is installed between the phone jack and the CapTel phone. Inline filters are usually available from the DSL provider.