Typetalk (Info)

Typetalk is a service run by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). It is a telephone relay service which enables deaf, deafblind, deafened, hard of hearing and speech impaired people to communicate with hearing people by telephone.

When claimants use the Typetalk service

• They will call us by textphone, using the BT textdirect prefix 18001
   
• An RNID Typetalk operator joins the line to relay the conversation
   
• The claimant types their part of the conversation
   
• The Typetalk operator reads exactly what is typed to the hearing person

• The hearing person replies saying ‘go ahead’ after speaking (this tells the operator they have finished speaking and the Typetalk operator types exactly what is said)
   
• The claimant can then read the response on their textphone display panel

Note: After receiving a request for or making a Typetalk telephone call you must check for any entries in the Application Notes field in Function CAPTURE APPLICATION, or Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to enter the following message if it is not already present

‘ NL01 – Claimant’s preferred method of communication is by typetalk’

Note: To make or return a telephone call to the claimant dial the BT textdirect prefix 18002