Video relay services (VRS) and Voice carry-over (VCO)

Video relay services (VRS)

A VRS is a communication service that allows someone who uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with telephone users using video. VRS will connect the user to a communication assistant through video so that they can communicate with each other through signed conversation. The communication assistant will relay the conversation between the VRS user and the telephone user. VRS conversations to flow much quicker and smoother than a text-based conversation.

Voice carry-over (VCO)

VCO is an accessible technology generally used by people who use their own voice to communicate but cannot hear or are hard of hearing. A VCO user would be connected to a Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS) during a telephone conversation. The TRS operator would type messages to the VCO user and then the VCO user would respond using their own voice to the person on the other end of the conversation.

This method is different from a Teletypewriter (TTY) in that the VCO user will communicate using their speaking voice, rather than typing messages to a CA who would then speak.