Access for 9-1-1 and Telephone Emergency Services

A. ADA Coverage of Telephone Emergency Services

Title II of the ADA covers telephone emergency service providers and other State and local government entities and instrumentalities. The Department's regulation is published at 28 C.F.R. Part 35. To obtain a copy of the ADA or its implementing regulations, or if you have questions about the ADA, contact the Department of Justice ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice), or (800) 514-0383 (TTY), or access the Department's ADA Home Page.

Q: What types of telephone emergency services are covered by Title II of the ADA?

A: The phrase "telephone emergency services" applies to basic emergency service -- police, fire, and ambulance -- that are provided by public safety agencies, including 9-1-1 (or, in some cases, seven-digit) systems. Direct, equal access must be provided to all services included in the system, including services such as emergency poison control information.

Q: In areas without 9-1-1 services, are PSAPs still required to provide access for TTY users to the telephone emergency services?

A: Yes. Where 9-1-1 is not available and a PSAP provides emergency services via a seven-digit number, it still must provide direct, equal access to TTY callers. It may do so either by having one line for both voice and TTY calls, or it may provide two separate lines -- one for voice calls, and another for TTY calls. Requiring TTY callers to call a separate seven-digit number is not allowed in areas where 9-1-1 is offered, because having to dial a seven-digit number is not equal to the ease of having to dial the simple, familiar 9-1-1.

As with 9-1-1, services for TTY calls on seven-digit numbers must be as effective as those offered for voice calls in terms of time of response, hours of operation, and other features. Also, PSAPs must ensure that TTY numbers are publicized as effectively as voice numbers and displayed as prominently as voice numbers wherever telephone emergency numbers are listed.

Separate Telephone Lines for TTY Users

Q: Can a PSAP dedicate a separate seven-digit line for TTY calls?

A: Yes, but TTY users must also have direct, equal access to all call-taking positions on 9-1-1 lines. A PSAP cannot require TTY users to call a seven-digit number when voice callers may dial the more familiar 9-1-1.