Messaging with a TTY (Teletype)

Overview

This page describes features and operations that are available on most AUDIX systems, but not all. If something on your system does not seem to work properly, please contact your system administrator for help.

AUDIX prompts will appear on your TTY, telling you what to do at each step. When AUDIX prompts you to dial something, you should use a phone that has buttons (a touchtone phone rather than a rotary phone). The only time you should type on your TTY is when you see the "GA" prompt.

Any time you need assistance on AUDIX, you can dial *H or *4 to find out where you are in the system or to see a list of available options.

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Logging In

Use one of the following methods to log into AUDIX. Option One only works if you have the *R or *7 feature on your company's AUDIX system; check with your system administrator to find out. If you do not have *R or *7, then use Option Two.

Option One: Logging in by dialing your personal extension

1. Dial your own phone number.
2. When you see your greeting appear on the TTY (or when the indicator light flickers), dial *R or *7 on the phone to access the AUDIX system.
3. The AUDIX system displays the prompt, "Welcome to AUDIX."
4. On the phone, dial your own phone number, followed by the pound sign (#).
5. Dial your password, followed by the pound sign (#).
6. The AUDIX system displays your name, states whether you have messages, then lists your options. This means that you have finished logging in.

Option Two: Logging in by dialing AUDIX

1. Dial the AUDIX system.
2. Watch the signal light on your TTY. A flickering light indicates that AUDIX has answered and its spoken log-in prompt is playing. Wait about five seconds while the AUDIX system answers.
3. On your phone, dial your own phone number, followed by the pound sign (#).
4. Dial your password, followed by the pound sign (#).
5. The AUDIX system displays your name, states whether you have messages, and lists your options. This indicates that you have finished logging in.

NOTE:
If there is no response and no indication that you have logged in, hang up and start over at step 1.

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To Record Messages - Dial 1

1. After logging in, dial 1 to record messages.
2. Wait for the "GA" prompt to be displayed on your monitor. When you are finished typing your message, dial the pound sign (#).
3. Dial the extension of the person you want to receive the message and then dial the pound sign (#). The name of person being sent the message will be displayed. If you want to send the message to another person, dial that extension, followed by the pound sign (#).
4. When you are finished recording messages, dial two pound signs (##) and you will be returned to the main activity menu.

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To Get Messages - Dial 2

When you dial 2, your display indicates that you have new messages, what kind of messages they are, when they were sent, from whom, and the sender's extension. You then have the following options:

• To see the message, dial zero.
• To respond to the message or to forward it, dial 1.
• To delete the message, dial *D or *3.
• To save the message in your mailbox, dial the pound sign (#).

If you want to return to the main menu before you have reviewed all of your messages, dial *R or *7. Otherwise, AUDIX will return you to the main menu automatically after the last message is reviewed.

Spoken Messages

You may receive spoken messages in your AUDIX mailbox. When spoken messages are sent through your TTY, your TTY will probably show nothing, or it may show occasional random characters. AUDIX is unable to translate voice messages into text, so you will need to forward the message to a hearing person who can translate it for you.

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To Administer Greetings - Dial 3

To handle both TTY and non-TTY calls, you will have two sets of greetings:

• A Primary Greeting. Your primary greeting is both a spoken greeting followed by a TTY greeting. The first few seconds of the primary greeting will be a brief voice message, indicating that the caller has reached a TTY mailbox. After that, you will add a TTY message to the same greeting, immediately after the voice recording.
• A Secondary Greeting. Your secondary greeting is a spoken greeting only, for callers who are not using a TTY system.

(Contact your administrator and ask to have "multilingual greetings with TTY as the primary call answer language" set up on your system.)

Primary Greeting

To record your primary greeting (a combination spoken and TTY greeting), do the following:

1. Log into your AUDIX system. (See previous sections for instructions.)
2. Dial 3 from the Activity Menu to select greetings administration.
3. Dial 1 to set up the primary (TTY) greeting.
4. Dial 1 to record (or re-record) this greeting.
5. When you see the "GA" prompt on your TTY, remove your handset from the acoustic coupler and record the spoken portion of your greeting.
   
   Consider using the following greeting:
   "This is a TTY mailbox. For voice, dial star one now."

6. Dial 1 to stop recording.
7. Return the handset to the acoustic coupler.
8. Dial 1 again on your phone, wait for the "GA" prompt, and then type your TTY greeting.
   
   Consider including the following information:
   "John Smith is not available now. Please leave a message after you see the GA prompt. When you are done, you may hang up or dial one for more options."

9. Dial the pound sign (#) to approve, and then the pound sign (#) again to indicate that you are finished.

Secondary Greeting

To record your secondary (spoken only) greeting, do the following:

1. Log into your AUDIX. (See previous sections for instructions.)
2. Dial 3 to administer greetings.
3. Dial 2 to administer secondary greeting.
4. Dial 1 to re-record your secondary spoken greeting.
5. When you see the "GA" prompt on your TTY, pick up your handset from the acoustic coupler and record your spoken greeting.
   
   Consider including the following information:
   "John Smith is not available now. Please leave a message after you see the GA prompt. When you are done, you may hang up or dial one for more options."

6. Dial 1 to stop recording.
7. Return the handset to the acoustic coupler. Dial 1 again.
8. Dial the pound sign (#) to approve, and then the pound sign (#) again to indicate that you are finished.

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Tips For Effective Use of TTY AUDIX

Transmission Problems (These can only be corrected by you if your phone is separate from your TTY system.)

• If you see a lot of typing errors in AUDIX messages, AUDIX may be transmitting the messages too softly. Dial 4 to make the AUDIX transmission louder.
• If AUDIX does not respond to touchtone phone button dials while transmitting, the messages may be playing too loudly. Wait until AUDIX stops transmitting, then dial 7 to make the AUDIX transmission softer.

Dialing Through - Setting the Mode for Yourself

If you get an AUDIX message that begins with numbers when you are expecting a written message, your TTY will display a meaningless string of letters. In this case, manually shift your TTY to numbers mode.

Setting the Mode for Others

When listening to messages, receiving TTY users may dial through AUDIX prompts and recorded messages. As described above, dialing through may cause the receiving TTY to display your message in the wrong mode. Therefore, as a courtesy to the person receiving your message, set the correct mode (letters or numbers) before you begin typing your recording.

How to Set the Mode

To set the correct mode, dial the letters or numbers reset key before typing your message. If your TTY does not have letters/numbers reset keys, you can still get your TTY to generate the appropriate reset codes by doing the following:

• If your message starts with letters, type a slash (/) or a number and press the space bar a few times before you type your message. This technique causes the receiving TTY to reset to letters mode.
• If your message starts with numbers, type X or another letter and press the space bar a few times before you type your message. This technique causes the receiving TTY to reset to numbers mode.

The GA Prompt

The GA signal that follows a TTY message means "Go Ahead." This means, in essence, "It's your turn to transmit." Always wait for the GA signal before typing a TTY message.

Speed up/slow down and skip ahead/back up options

Users in spoken languages have in AUDIX the options to play messages faster or slower, skip ahead through messages, or skip backward through messages. You do not have these options when using a TTY because they interfere with signaling between AUDIX and the TTY. Any messages that come in will display at a constant rate.

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Tips for Administrators

• Be sure to set up the AUDIX account with multilingual greetings. Set the TTY greeting as the primary greeting and the spoken as the secondary greeting. This will eliminate the need for two separate phone numbers.
• Notify TTY users that they can use *R or *7 to log in to their mailboxes (if this is available on your system).
• Before distributing login announcements, notify TTY users, or remove TTY users from login announcement lists.

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