Avaya Communication Manager Administrator's Manual page 1748

Feature Reference
Supporting TTY Callers
Handling TTY calls with vectors
Unlike fax machines and computer modems, a Tele-typwriter device (TTY) has no handshake tone and
no carrier tone. A TTY is silent when not transmitting. This is why systems cannot identify TTY callers
automatically. However, the absence of these special tones also means that voice and TTY tones can be
intermixed in pre-recorded announcements. The ability to provide a hybrid voice-and-TTY
announcement, when combined with the auto-attendant vectoring capability, can permit a single phone
number to accommodate both voice and TTY callers.
The sample vector that follows allows TTY callers to access a TTY agent. It begins with a step that plays
a TTY announcement combined with a voice announcement. The announcement tells the TTY caller to
enter a digit that will direct them to a TTY support person. The vector then processes the digit entered to
connect the TTY caller to the TTY split (or hunt group). For more information on recording TTY
announcements, see Chapter 13, "Managing Announcements."
In the following example, split 47 (hunt group 47) has already been established and consists of
TTY-enabled agents.
If a TTY caller calls the number that connects to vector 33, the following occurs:
1
After a short burst of ringing, a quick burst of TTY tones is sent to the caller telling the caller to
hold, "HD". Then, a voice announcement follows for callers using a normal telephone
connection. The announcement tells them to stay on the line. Finally, another burst of TTY tones
is sent to the TTY caller which displays on the caller's TTY device as, "Dial 1."
The TTY caller won't hear the voice announcement, but because the step collects digits, it allows
the caller to enter 1 on his or her touchtone phone.
NOTE:
For voice callers, the burst of TTY tones lasts about one second and sounds like a bird
chirping.
2
In vector step 3, since the TTY caller entered 1 in vector step 2, the TTY caller is sent to vector
step 8, at which point the caller is put in queue for a TTY-enabled agent in split 47.
NOTE:
The voice caller is sent to vector step 3 also, but a voice caller does not go to vector step 8
because the caller did not enter 1 at vector step 2. Instead, voice callers continue on to
vector step 4, where they connect to split 48.
3
While the TTY caller waits in queue, he or she hears silence from vector step 9, then the
announcement in vector step 10, and is then looped back to wait with silence by vector step 11.
1748 Administrator's Guide for Avaya Communication Manager
November 2003