Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.

8630 Fenton Street
Silver Spring, MD

301-563-9112

About Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.

The Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., (TDI) is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting full visual access to information and telecommunications through consumer education and involvement; technical assistance and consulting; application of existing and emerging technologies; networking and collaboration; uniformity of standards; and national policy development and advocacy. The organization serves people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind, and/or speech-impaired. TDI’s main objectives are promoting text telephone compatibility with existing communication devices; increasing toll-free services for TTY users; improving emergency access; and improving communications between TTY and other telephone users through comprehensive telecommunications relay services training. Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc., also develops, implements, and evaluates new strategies for improving the quality and availability of visual tele-communications; encourages progress in key technologies such as television captioning; creates improved specifications and standards for equipment, telecommunications relay, and emergency services; educates the public about and supports legislation to improve telecommunications services; and builds coalitions of consumers and service providers to meet the needs of the deaf, heard of hearing, and speech-impaired. In addition, TDI provides training to industry groups and service providers who need assistance in service implementation. TDI provides a comprehensive overview of deafness and deaf culture; explains the influence of American Sign Language on TTY communication; trains personnel in telecommunications relay and emergency services; and conducts needs assessment studies, manages focus groups, and designs surveys to guide service-improvement projects.