CONNECT R HAMILTON RELAY PROVIDES SERVICE TO: California Relay Service Colorado Relay Relay Connecticut District of Columbia Relay Georgia Relay Idaho Relay Illinois CapTel Indiana CapTel Relay Iowa Kentucky Relay Louisiana Relay Maine CapTel Maryland Relay MassRelay Michigan Relay Minnesota CapTel Mississippi CapTel Montana Relay Relay Nevada Relay New Mexico Nebraska Relay New York CapTel Relay Oklahoma Ohio Relay Oregon Relay Pennsylvania Relay Pennsylvania CTRS Rhode Island Relay Saipan Relay South Carolina CapTel Tennessee Relay Vermont CapTel Virginia Relay Washington Relay Wisconsin CapTel Wyoming CapTel FALL 2025 The holiday season brings plenty of joy and laughter, whether at family gatherings, festive concerts or busy stores —but it can also pose unique challenges for people who experience hearing loss. Between the crowds, background noise and overlapping conversations, staying connected and comfortable can take a little extra preparation. Here are a few tips for keeping the season bright: Plan your shoppingwisely. Malls and stores are often at their loudest during evenings and weekends. If possible, shop during off-peak hours when it’s quieter and easier to communicate with sales staff. Online shopping can also help you avoid noisy environments altogether. Choose visual alerts. Don’t let cooking the turkey be any more stressful than it already is — there are kitchen timers, smoke alarms and doorbells that offer light or vibration notifications. These visual cues can make multitasking easier when you’re juggling recipes and guests. Find accessible performances. Many holiday concerts, plays and community events now offer captioned or interpreted performances. Check local event listings or call ahead to ask about assistive listening devices or reserved seating for better sound clarity. Take advantage of technology. If you use hearing aids or a Hamilton® CapTel® phone, make sure your devices are fully charged and working properly before the festivities begin. A quick maintenance check before travel or large events can save frustration later. Remember to rest. Listening in noisy environments can be tiring. Take short breaks to give your ears and brain time to recharge. With a bit of planning and support, you can fully enjoy the sounds and moments that make the holidays special and not miss a laugh, a tune or a memory. HamiltonRelay.com • Voice/TTY 800.618.4781 • 1006 12th Street, Aurora, Nebraska 68818 HAMILTON RELAY CUSTOMER CARE 800-618-4781 info@hamiltonrelay.com CAPTEL CUSTOMER SERVICE 888-269-7477 Tips for Navigating a Joyful Holiday Season with Hearing Loss
SEE WHAT THEY SAY When hearing loss makes phone calls challenging, it can feel like you’re missing out on life’s meaningful moments. But there’s hope. Hamilton® CapTel® Captioned Telephone solutions for home, work or on the go will transform how you experience phone conversations, letting you SeeWhat They Say® in real time. It’s all powered by more than two decades of trusted captioning technology that’s helped thousands connect — and it’s available at no cost for people with hearing loss! Staying connected with what matters most shouldn’t be a struggle. It should be as easy as saying, “hello.” Explore available solutions at HamiltonCapTel.com today! Our Team Members Gather for Training FEDERAL LAWPROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROMUSING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNEDON. Automatic speech recognition software generates captions of what the other party to the call says, and, in certain circumstances, a live communications assistant may be included on the call tomake needed corrections and/or add call details. The captions are then sent to the phone. There is a cost for eachminute of captions generated, paid froma federally administered fund. To learnmore, visit fcc.gov. Third-party charges may apply: the Hamilton CapTel phone requires high-speed internet access (Wi-Fi capable) and in some cases, may require telephone service. When using Hamilton CapTel on a smartphone or tablet and not onWi-Fi, a data plan is required. Hamilton CapTel may be used tomake 911 calls but may not function the same as traditional 911 services. For more information about the benefits and limitations of Hamilton CapTel and Emergency 911 calling, visit HamiltonCapTel.com/911. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. © 2025 Hamilton Relay. Hamilton Relay is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. d/b/a Hamilton Telecommunications. Over the summer, our outreach and account management teams gathered in Omaha, Nebraska tomeet for our semi-annual summit. The teamparticipated in training on CapTel phones and services, received Speech-to-Speech and Spanish Relay refresher courses and gathered valuable insight through professional development. We’re committed to ongoing growth, so we can better connect with the communities we serve by providing outreach that informs, empowers and builds lasting relationships. HAMILTON RELAY HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP Do you know a high school senior who is deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind or has difficulty speaking and is seeking scholarship opportunities to continue their education? Hamilton Relay is currently accepting applications for the Hamilton Relay High School Scholarship which will be awarded in Spring 2026. A graduating high school student will be selected from each state where Hamilton Relay is the contracted Relay and/ or Captioned Telephone service provider. In each state, a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one eligible applicant. All applicants must meet eligibility criteria and submit their application by March 31, 2026. Formore information, visit hamiltonrelay.com/ scholarship. CELEBRATING THE ADA This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark piece of legislation that opened doors, broke down barriers and strengthened the rights of people with disabilities across the nation. At the heart of equal communication is access. Relay services make it possible for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind or have difficulty speaking to connect with others through the phone. Whether you’re using a TTY, CapTel, Speech-to-Speech or mobile app, Relay empowers independence, connection and community. On this ADA anniversary, we’re proud to honor the progress made and commit to ensuring accessible communication for all.
Relay Friendly Business Program Offers Free Training Making a telephone call to schedule an appointment, order take-out food or check on an account balance is a part of everyday life. For individuals who have difficulty hearing or speaking over the telephone and use Relay services tomake calls, these everyday contacts can sometimes cause frustration if a business or organization is not familiar with Relay and how it works. Part of the problem is that businesses or organizations may mistake a Relay call for a telemarketing call. They may even be suspicious that the call is fraudulent and immediately hang up. As a Relay service provider, we recognize the frustration and inconvenience this can cause for Relay users. With the goal of educating businesses on how to detect a Relay call and the benefits of staying on the line, Hamilton offers the Relay Friendly Business program. Our outreach team offers free training on how to successfully place and receive Relay calls — reducing the number of hang-ups and improving customer satisfaction! Through a better understanding of what Relay is and by taking calls from consumers who use Relay, businesses can explore new opportunities and expand their potential customer base. In turn, individuals who use Relay experience greater satisfaction in reaching businesses, allowing them to easily conduct business over the phone. To find out if Relay Friendly Business training is offered in your state, visit HamiltonRelay.com, select your state and and look for the Relay Friendly Business page. FALL 2025 CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. CUSTOMER CARE CORNER: EXPERTS ON CALL Do you have questions or comments about Hamilton Relay services? Contact our Customer Care Team— they’re the experts on call. When you contact Customer Care, your questions will be answered by staff who are friendly, helpful and specially trained to support our Relay users. Our Customer Care Team knows more than one way to troubleshoot a situation and will guide you through the process until your issue is resolved. Remember, Customer Care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can reach Customer Care three ways: • Call 800-618-4781 • Visit HamiltonRelay.com and click on the Live Chat button • Email info@HamiltonRelay.com
HOLIDAY JOYFUL SEASON OUTREACH SCHOLARSHIP ANNIVERSARY CAPTEL BUSINESS TRAINING EXPERTS FESTIVE RECIPE FALL WORD SEARCH Give your brain some exercise with a word search that highlights some of this season’s newsletter topics and stories. From Our Kitchen to Yours This holiday season, the Hamilton Relay team is sharing some of our favorite festive recipes with you. Whether you're looking for cozy comfort food, sweet treats or something new to spice up your celebrations, we hope these dishes bring joy to your table and warmth to your heart. Happy holidays from all of us! Scan the QR code or visit HamiltonRelay.com/ HappyHolidays to view the recipe book! Hamilton Relay Service 1006 12th Street Aurora, NE 68818 Address Service Requested Cornerstone Group © 2025
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