MassRelay Service Options

MassRelay is a free, confidential 24/7 service enabling hearing people or people who do not use a text telephone (TTY) to communicate over regular telephone lines with people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, late deafened, or speech disabled.

Make the Call with MassRelay 
MassRelay is free*, and is available 24-hours a day, every day – making it possible for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking to communicate over the telephone.

Several relay service options are available to accommodate the needs of various users.  Primarily, calls are conducted through the use of an assistive communications device such as a TTY, deaf-blind communicator, or other specialized equipment.

When you connect with MassRelay, a Relay Operator (OPR) will facilitate your call – promptly, professionally and accurately.  All relay calls are confidential and no records are kept of relay conversations.

TTY

If you own a text telephone, you’re able to have your messages relayed to whoever you call and have their responses typed back to you.

To start, you can call 800)-439-2370. For Spanish, you can call 866-930-9252.

Once connected with a relay operator, you should be prompted with “NUMBERS PLS GA” meaning the operator is ready for you to input the phone number that you’d like to call. To indicate that you’re done typing, be sure to write “GA” which means “go ahead”.

STS (Speech-to-Speech)

STS is especially useful for people who have difficulty speaking or being understood on the telephone. STS Relay allows standard phone users to communicate with individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking and who may use a TTY, TeleBraille, or other assistive telecommunications device.  A Communication Assistant facilitates the call by relaying messages between the individuals, according to their communication needs.

VCO (Voice Carry Over)

VCO is an effective service for people who have hearing loss and use their voice on the phone.  VCO users speak directly to the person being called and, through specialized equipment, read what is spoken by the other party.

HCO (Hearing Carry Over)

HCO is especially useful for people who can hear, but who regularly or occasionally have difficulty speaking over the phone.  HCO users listen directly to the person called, and through specialized equipment, type their responses to the other party.

All services are available in Spanish.

To learn more about the free services offered through MassRelay, contact customer service:

Phone: 800-720-3479 
TTY/ASCII: 800-720-3480
Spanish: 866-930-9252

Email: customerservice@massrelay.com

*Relay and Captioned Telephone services are free and standard long distance charges may apply.

Fact Sheet last updated on: 4/3/2023

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Disclaimer: INDEX is pleased to provide you this information. Please note,  this information is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to take the place of professional advice. We encourage you to check other resources of such information. No endorsement by the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, DisabilityInfo.org,  INDEX, or affiliates, should be inferred. We reserve the right to remove, to modify, or to add any information at any time, for any reason, and without notice.