BT has launched its TextDirect service which offers a simplified way for textphone users, and those who want to phone textphone users from a conventional phone, to connect to Typetalk, the national text relay service.

Textphones are equipped with an alphabetic keyboard and a display screen which enable hearing-impaired users to make phone calls by sending and receiving messages in text form. Operators in the text relay service translate text into voice, and vice versa.

Oftel has allocated short access codes for TextDirect. These codes should be accessible from BT and all fixed line public networks:

18000 for access to the emergency services
18001 for calls made from a textphone
18002 for calls made from a telephone by hearing people.

Some difficulties have been reported by textphone users trying to dial these numbers from their place of work, as numbers beginning with 1 are sometimes barred on workplace telephone switchboards (PBXs). Oftel encourages systems administrators to reconfigure their PBXs so that these numbers can be used for accessing TextDirect. This may require the involvement of the PBX's supplier or maintainer.

Even if there are no textphone users employed in the workplace there may be occasions when hearing users need to phone out to a textphone. This is likely to happen more frequently as companies respond to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act by publicising a dedicated textphone number to access their customer service helplines.

For further information contact Frank Phillips (tel: 020 7634 8871/e-mail: frank.phillips@oftel.gov.uk).

Oftel's textphone number for consumer advice and comlaints is (020) 7634 5370