🚀 go-pugleaf

Telstra (Telecom Australia) have installed a number of pay-phones with TTY 
facilities. TTY is a service for the deaf to type short messages by 
telephone. These units use a small screen, keyboard and a low speed modem. 
There is a government sponsored translation service as well (voice to TTY 
and TTY to voice). Government agencies are equipped with units to accept 
enquiries. All communications are in real time (no store and forward).

I was talking today to John Bucknell (ph: 02 2040705, fax: 02 8911806, email: 
remote-printer.Telstra_Sp_SV@6128911806.iddd.tpc.int), Telstra Product 
manager for the Pay-phone TTY's for the deaf, about interconnection to the 
Internet. This might allow better access to Government agencies and large 
organisations. This would allow anyone an the organisation with an Internet 
connected workstation to receive a TTY call. They wouldn't need special 
equipment or software.

Also the public information kiosks being set up under several government 
initiatives could double as TTY terminals.

TTY users could also use an Internet interface at home to obtain information 
direct from on-line services (such as the Australian Whole of Government 
home page). This may lessen the need for them to call a human operator. 
However a tiny TTY screen might not be very useful for displaying this 
information.

Any comments?


Tom Worthington, Director of the Community Affairs Board, Australian Computer 
Society Inc., G.P.O. Box 446, Canberra A.C.T. 2601, Australia
E-mail: tomw@acslink.net.au	Home page: http://acslink.net.au/~tomw/