Howard College TTY Service

The Howard College TTY system may be accessed by calling:
432-264-3700 ext: 211.

TTY Etiquette

In TTY conversations, certain abbreviations eliminate the need to type long phrases.

• GA means "Go Ahead." When you are done typing your message, type GA to show it's the other party's turn to respond. When reading a message, wait until you see GA before typing your response.
• SK means I've "Stopped Keying." Combining the two abbreviations (by typing "GA OR SK") is a polite way to say good-bye, giving the other party a chance to get in any last thoughts before hanging up. Type SKSK to signify that you're hanging up.
• Q is often used instead of a question mark because it's easier to type.

TTY Courtesies

• Allow TTY phone to ring at least 10 times.
• Check TTY with a message "Hello" or "This is ___ GA", before hanging up on a call if you hear nothing or only a series of beeps.
• Omit unnecessary punctuation - uses spaces between sentences; use "Q" to indicate a question.
• Correct a misspelled word by typing XXX and repeating the word rather than backspacing. Misspelled words that are close to the correct spellings within the context of a sentence do not need to be corrected.
• Identify all parties to your conversation as soon as possible.
• To end a conversation, type SK (stop keying) 2 or 3 times. "Bye SK SK" is appropriate. Your caller may conclude with "SK SK".
• Spell out numbers to avoid confusion.
• Discard printouts of TTY conversations immediately. Notes thai the caller wants you to maintain should be copied elsewhere. Recordings should never be kept without the knowledge and consent of parties involved.

Relay Services

Telephone companies offer a nationwide network of relay centers to facilitate calls between TTY users and persons without TTYs. Please refer to your local telephone directory for Relay telephone numbers.