at&t Relay Services
VRS FAQs
Choose a Question about Video Relay
Video Relay Service (VRS) is an online service that allows a person who uses sign language to place a relay call to a hearing person by communicating through a certified Video Interpreter. VRS requires a web-cam and a high-speed Internet connection. A VRS call may be initiated by a person who uses sign language or by a hearing person to a sign language user with a Video Interpreter relaying the conversation.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.?
Yes. Standard phone users may initiate a VRS call to a person who uses sign language by calling 1-888-VRS-9998 (1-888-877-9998).?
Currently, all VRS calls made from the United States to destinations in the United States are completed at no cost to you. For all VRS calls placed to destinations outside the United States, the service remains free but existing toll rates apply.?
In an effort to encourage relay providers to offer VRS, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has agreed to temporarily reimburse providers for all interstate and intrastate VRS calls from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services Fund which is administered by the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA). However, in order to be eligible for reimbursement, the VRS provider must meet minimum requirements mandated by the FCC.?
Calls may be placed to anywhere in the world but must originate from within the United States or its territories, and be communicated in English or Spanish. Calls to Pay-per-Call services are currently not available.?
To take advantage of e911 on AT&T Relay, you need to get your 10-digit phone number. Otherwise, VRS is not designed for 911 services and should not be used to place emergency calls.
With a registered 10-digit number, you can make an emergency 911 call through AT&T Relay. Your registered location and call information are automatically sent to the 911 call center. Emergency responders will know where to find you and be able to send emergency services as quickly as possible.
Without a registered 10-digit number, AT&T is not able to recognize your location to forward it to an emergency call center.? To ensure that your emergency call is handled quickly, please use your telephone or TTY to call 911 directly. AT&T is not liable for any damages arising from or related to emergency calls placed over the AT&T Video Relay Service.?
Yes. While both VRS and VRI utilize a certified sign language interpreter, there is one important difference between the services. On a VRI call, both the ASL user and the hearing person are located in the same room, and the Video Interpreter is in a remote location. With VRS, the ASL user and the hearing person are in different locations, and are connected through the Video Interpreter at the VRS center.?
VRS allows people to use sign language to communicate instead of typing on a computer or TTY. The benefits of VRS include:
- Ability to communicate in sign language
- Increased communication speed; no need to wait for “go ahead”
- Enhanced communication with the use of facial expression and body language gestures
- Improved interaction with automated telephone answering services and voice processing systems
Always. All VRS interpreters are required to abide by the RID/NAD Code of Ethics and the FCC’s regulations regarding confidentiality. Additionally, all interpreters are required to adhere to AT&T’s strict policy on privacy of communication which prohibits disclosing any information about a VRS call including the fact that a call took place.?
Yes. AT&T VRS only employs professionally trained interpreters certified by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) at the IV or V level and/or certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) at the CI-CT/CSC level.?
Yes. Once you are connected to the Interpreter you can provide special instructions such as who to ask for, what extension to call, what prompts to press, etc.?
If you are using NetMeeting software for Video relay, you can enlarge your screen this way:
Note: An enlarged window size may alter the video quality.
- Click on the "Undock" button
- Choose "Tools" at the top of the window
- Click on "Video" from the drop down window
- Click on "Window Size"
If you are using VSoft software for Video relay, you can enlarge your screen this way:
- Resize the VSoft screen to enlarge the video display area. You can do this by making your browser full screen (using the icon in the upper-right corner of the browser window) or by clicking on a border and dragging it to the size you want. (Be sure to click on the entire VSoft border, not the border of the box containing the Video Interpreter’s image.)
- If you’re using VSoft Low, the video quality deteriorates somewhat as the display area is enlarged; if you use VSoft High, this deterioration is negligible.
The Phone Book feature allows you to create and store a personal list of phone numbers. Phone Book is easy to use and requires no special software. Your personal Phone Book can be accessed from any computer. Phone Book entries are stored alphabetically by last name and divided into small groups making it easier to access. Your Phone Book is secured by your username and password. To create a Phone Book, click on “Use Phone Book” and then click on “New User.” A short form will follow.?
Yes. Several IP ports are required to establish the outbound connection. The following table shows the ports, their functions, and the resulting connection.?
Port | Function | Outbound Connection
If you use a firewall to connect to the Internet, it must be configured so that the IP ports are not blocked. To establish outbound video connections through a firewall, the firewall must be configured to do the following:
- Pass through primary TCP connections on ports 389, 522, 1503, 1720, and 1731.
- Pass through secondary TCP and UDP connections on dynamically assigned ports (1024-65535).
If you are able to see yourself in the self-view box but unable to view the Video Interpreter, you are most likely behind a firewall that is preventing you from receiving video images. If this is the case, contact our Technical Support for assistance.