Voice

Image Description: All in black, three people, top part of the body, on the top is a man with black hair, has a phone on his left ear, text in black on the bottom of woman, "VOICE", in the middle, a woman with headphones and laptop, text in black on right, "CA", on the bottom, a woman with glasses with a TTY, with text on right, "TEXT", shows arrows pointing to each person how the call process works from VOICE - CA - TEXT.

icon voice

Dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384

Standard (voice) telephone users can easily initiate calls to communicate with deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech-disabled WATRS users. The WATRS Communication Assistant (CA) types the standard telephone user's spoken words to the person using specialized telecommunication equipment and voices the WATRS user's text messages.

711 or 1-800-833-6384 is the WATRS number that connects standard (voice) telephone users with deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and/or speech-disabled WATRS users who use specialized telecommunication equipment.  WATRS users can simply dial 711 to connect with WATRS. This allows easier access, particularly for less experienced WATRS users such as businesses, children, or friends and family members of individuals using specialized telecommunication equipment. 

Occasionally, people who try to place WATRS calls from a corporate office or hotel room using the 711 number may experience difficulties. This may be because the number has not been programmed into the internal telephone system (e.g. PBX or Centrex). Contact your office administrator or local telephone service provider to ensure that the 711 service is available.

WATRS Call Instructions

  • Dial the voice number, 1-800-833-6384 or 7-1-1. (Dialing the 800 number is preferred because the service would be answered by voice first, whereas dialing the 7-1-1 number would be answered via TTY first, unless your telephone number has been branded by the customer service for the system to automatically recognize your telephone number as a voice caller).
  • You will hear the WATRS CA answer WATRS CA 9136 (F) NUMBER CALLING PLEASE? GO AHEAD (GA)." 9136 is a WATRS CA identification number, as each WATRS CA has his/her own identification number which is rotated on a scheduled basis.
  • Give the WATRS CA the area code and telephone number of the party you wish to call. If there are any further instructions, you may give that to the WATRS CA as well.
  • The WATRS CA will process your call, speaking exactly what the specialized telecommunication equipment user is saying or typing to you, as well as typing exactly what you are saying to the specialized telecommunication equipment user. Be sure to talk directly to the specialized telecommunication equipment user, while avoiding "tell him/her..." Say "GO AHEAD (GA)" at the end of each response you make, and you will hear the same from the specialized telecommunication equipment user who is typing. "GO AHEAD (GA)" means you've completed your response, indicating that it's the specialized telecommunication equipment user's turn to respond, and vice versa.