- Click 'Make an internet relay call' on any page of the website
- Type the area code and phone number you want to call into the input box
- Type the letters in the image into the other box (this is a security measure)
- Click 'Connect'
Note that if you are making a 1300 or 1800 call then you will be asked to select your state/territory from a dropdown list.
How it works
Once you are connected, the relay officer will ring the person you want to call, and you can then start typing your side of the conversation in the message window.
When you have finished the first block of text, just click 'Send'.
You can also use the message window to type any instructions (best to put them in brackets) to the relay officer.
The relay officer becomes your voice and reads aloud to the person you are calling what you type on your computer, then listens to what the other person says and types it back for you to read.
Equipment needed
You will need a computer (either PC or Mac) with an internet connection:
Computer: Windows 98 with Pentium II or later; or a Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Memory: 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended).
Internet browser: Internet Explorer 5.5 and higher, Netscape 6.1 and higher, Firefox 1.1 and higher, and Safari 1.0 and higher.
Making calls from work
You only need general access to web browsing to make an internet relay call from work. If your employer has rules against web access, they should be sympathetic to your needs as a hearing-impaired or speech-impaired staff member who needs to make legitimate calls at work. Your employer is welcome to contact the NRS Helpdesk to discuss the best way to deal with their internet access policies.
Other ways to make a call
Another option is to make your internet relay calls using instant messaging. This is often better if you have an older computer, limited computer memory or limited bandwidth.
