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Pennsylvania Relay: HCO (Hearing Carry Over)

Pennsylvania Relay: HCO (Hearing Carry Over)

Hearing Carry Over (HCO) is especially useful for people who can hear but who regularly or occasionally have difficulty speaking over the phone. HCO users listen directly to the person called and, through specialized equipment, type their responses to the other party.

Create a Customer Profile so that every call through Relay is immediately connected and processed in HCO mode.

Placing Calls

  1. Using your TTY, dial 711 or the toll-free number for your state.
  2. Type “HCO PLS GA.”
  3. Wait for the Communication Assistant (CA) to both type and say “HCO ON GA,” which indicates Hearing Carry Over has been activated.
  4. Type the telephone number for the person you wish to call and provide any additional instructions, followed by “GA.”
  5. Once the call is connected, everyone on the call will be able to hear each other. Be ready to listen for the voice of the person you are calling.
  6. The CA will ask the person you are calling if he/she is familiar with Hearing Carry Over. If the person is not, the CA will explain how HCO works before the conversation begins.
  7. When you hear that person say “Go Ahead,” type your response to them. The CA will read aloud your response to the other person. Turn-taking continues in this manner until the call is complete.
  8. To end your call, type “GA to SK” or simply type “Goodbye.”

Placing Calls with 2-Line HCO

Requires the use of two telephone lines, one of which must have 3-way conferencing capabilities.

  1. Using your TTY, dial 711 or the toll-free number for your state.
  2. When the CA answers the call, inform the CA that this will be a 2-Line HCO call. You may do so by typing “CA I AM MAKING A 2 LINE HCO CALL. PLS CALL ME BACK ON MY VOICE LINE XXX-XXX-XXXX.”
  3. The CA will dial your voice number. On your screen you will see: “Dialing XXX-XXX-XXXX, Ring 1, 2....”
  4. Answer your voice line by typing: “HELLO CA I AM GOING TO MAKE A 2 LINE HCO CALL. I (WANT/DO NOT WANT) YOU TO IDENTIFY AND/OR EXPLAIN RELAY. I AM GOING TO PUT YOU ON HOLD AND CONFERENCE IN ANOTHER PERSON. I CAN HEAR YOU AND THE OTHER PERSON. I WANT YOU TO VOICE WHAT I TYPE, WHILE I TYPE IT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
  5. When the CA has confirmed, type: “WHEN THEY ANSWER THE PHONE PLEASE VOICE” (type your greeting before dialing your call.)
  6. Ask the CA to hold while you use your voice phone to create a conference call and dial the number of the person you wish to call.
  7. Immediately connect the conference using the “hold,” “switch hook,” “flash,” “conference” or “link” button found on your phone. The term used for conferencing calls may vary according to your telephone company’s features and procedures.
  8. When the called party answers, the CA will read aloud your typed response to that person.
  9. You will be able to hear what the other party says and you will respond by typing. There is no need for either of you to wait for a “Go Ahead” or “GA.”

Receiving Calls with HCO and 2-Line HCO

When you receive a call from someone using relay, the CA will not know that you are a HCO user unless you have a Customer Profile. If you don’t have a Customer Profile:

  1. Individuals calling you may dial 711 or the toll-free Voice number for your state.
  2. Answer incoming calls by connecting your TTY and typing “HCO PLS GA.”
  3. The CA will then activate Hearing Carry Over and both type and say “HCO ON GA.” Your call can then proceed as usual.

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