ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments

1. What does direct and equal access mean?

“Direct access” means that PSAPs must directly receive TTY calls without relying on an outside relay service or third-party services.

“Equal access” means that the telephone emergency services provided for TTY users are as effective as those provided for people who make voice calls. Access must be equal in terms of:

• response time;

• response quality;

• hours of operation; and

• all other features offered (e.g., automatic number identification, automatic location identification, automatic call distribution).