California law requires your local telephone company to provide you with a free TTY and flashing light signaler if you are deaf. You must be a telephone customer (subscriber) or live in the same house, a group home or other residential care facility and be certified as deaf or severely hearing impaired. You are eligible for an amplified handset (and a loud tone ringer) if you are hard of hearing. If you work in a small business, your employer may ask the local telephone company for a free TTY to help you at work.

Federal law requires public TTYs at major airports and railroad, bus and transit stations. Airlines are also required to have TTY reservation numbers. For new buildings built or remodeled since 1993, a public TTY must also be provided if there are four or more public telephones.

Federal and state law also require that some pay telephones in places like airports, transit stations, and federal buildings, have amplified handsets. For all buildings built or remodeled since 1993, at least 25 percent of their public telephones are required to be equipped with amplifiers.

Federal law requires hospitals built or remodeled since 1993 to have TTY access to public phones near their emergency, recovery, and waiting rooms. All hospitals must have a TTY in their emergency rooms to receive TTY calls. If you are an in-patient, you must be provided with a TTY in your room that is usable with the hospital telephones. A hotel or motel should also make a TTY available to you in your room. Emergency 9-1-1 service must be TTY accessible.

Federal and state laws also require that there be statewide TTY relay services so that you may call and be called by hearing people who do not have a TTY. TTY operator services are also funded under California’s program.

Telephone service complaints may be filed with the California Public Utilities Commission. Transportation complaints should be filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation within six months. Hospital complaints should be filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services within six months. Other complaints of federal law violations generally may be filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. (See discussion under Business, Consumer & Public Facilities.)