CapTel^® Services

Captioned Telephone (CapTel^®)

“Don’t Miss A Word”

CapTel^® is a “Captioned telephone”, developed by Ultratec, Inc. It is ideal for people with some hearing loss because even if they miss hearing a word here and there, they can still follow the word-for-word captions on the screen. Plus, CapTel^® users can speak freely, without waiting for captions to display. So, both parties can enjoy a more natural conversation, without interruptions, with minimal delays.

How CapTel^® Works

The CapTel^® phone looks and works like any other phone, with one important difference: A small screen built into the front displays easy-to-read text as it is transcribed by a CapTel^® Operator.

Dialing a call with a CapTel^® phone is the same as dialing with a standard phone. When CapTel^® users place a call, they are automatically connected to the captioning service, which allows them to speak as they would normally and read everything the other party says. There’s a specially trained Relay Operator, invisible to the caller, who transcribes each spoken word. Words appear almost instantaneously on the screen, a feat made possible by CapTel^®’s advanced voice-recognition technology. Incoming callers dial the toll free captioning service first, then enter the CapTel^® user’s telephone number. So, CapTel^® users can read the text and listen to the caller’s words at the same time, capturing everything that is said—whether they hear or read it.

What You Need

CapTel^® phones work with the CapTel^® Service, which is offered at no cost through Relay Colorado. To use the CapTel^® Service, CapTel^® users must have a CapTel^® phone. Although the service is free, CapTel^® users are responsible for purchasing their own CapTel^® phone and any long distance charges incurred.

To request Spanish CapTel^® Materials click here.