CTAP Services and Equipment
Your telephone is a social connection, your link to family, friends, the workplace, and even a lifeline when you need help. If using the telephone has become difficult, it's time to get in touch with us. We have free products and services that can make using the telephone easier.
Service Centers
Our Service Centers are staffed by Customer Assistants (CAs) who assess the needs of consumers first hand and train them in using our specialized telephone equipment. Field Advisors (FAs) travel to consumers' homes and provide assistance with installation and set up of the telephone equipment, as well as training in the use of the equipment. Below, is a photograph of the FAs and CAs who are in contact with the public everyday providing these services.
If you have any questions, please contact:
CTAP Call Center
P.O. Box 30310
Stockton , CA 95213
Fax: (800) 889-3974
English TTY: (800) 806-4474 Voice: (800) 806-1191
Spanish TTY: ( 800) 896-7670 Voice: (800) 949-5650
Hmong Voice: (866) 880-3394
Cantonese Voice: (866) 324-8754
Mandarin Voice: (866) 324-8747
We have provided detailed directions and maps to all of our seven (7) Service Centers located in Fresno, Santa Ana, Oakland, Sacramento, Riverside, San Diego and Burbank. All CTAP Service Centers are open Monday thru Friday, 9:00am - 6:00pm.
Map locators
The star symbol indicates the location of each of our seven (7) Service Centers and the circle symbol indicates the location of the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative offices. Move your cursor over the star to view the site address. Click on a symbol to view the location's map and directions.
Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program
Directions :
505 14 th Street, Suite 400
Oakland, California 94612
Equipment and Network Services Catalog
The following products and network services are available through the CTAP for those who qualify. If you would like information about the application and certification process, please click here.
- Products (categorized by type of hardware)
- Hard of Hearing
- Deaf / Late-Deafened
- Speech Impairment
- Low Vision/Blind
- Mobility/Manipulation
- Cognitive
- Equipment Trials (evaluation of new equipment)
- Network Services
Hard of Hearing
If you have difficulty hearing conversations on the telephone and/or hearing the telephone ring:
Free: Amplified telephone increases volume; loud ringer or flashing light device indicates that the telephone is ringing.
Deaf / Late-Deafened
If you are deaf or significantly hard of hearing and cannot benefit from telephone amplification:
Free: TTY (Telecommunication device with keyboard and visual display, for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired), voice carry over telephone, flashing light device to indicate that the phone is ringing, telecommunications relay service (see CRS).
Speech Impairment
If you have weak/low speech, are a laryngectomee, or have difficulty being heard or being understood:
Free: Speech amplifier to increase voice volume over the phone, artificial larynx, anti-stuttering device, TTY (Telecommunication device with keyboard and visual display, for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech- disabled), Speech-to-Speech relay service (see STS), three-way calling allows familiar third party to assist with your phone communication.
Low Vision/Blind
If you cannot see the telephone except with special lighting or with optical aids, or have significant loss of field or acuity, or you are legally blind (with/without glasses or lenses):
Free: Large button phone, cordless phone or speaker phone; speed dialing (stores telephone numbers for memory dialing).
Mobility/Manipulation
If you cannot:
- Grip, lift, hold or dial the telephone.
- Cannot get to the phone due to extreme shortness of breath or other condition which makes walking difficult.
- Use a walker, doctor prescribed cane or wheelchair.
- Cannot stand for long periods of time without assistance.
- Are paralyzed or cannot get out of a chair or bed without assistance.
Free: Telephone headset or speakerphone for hands-free calls, cordless phone, remote speakerphone, speed dialing which stores telephone numbers for memory dialing).
Cognitive
If you have difficulty remembering a series of numbers to dial and/or interpreting information:
Free: Memory dialing, Speed dialing, speakerphone with visual display of numbers dialed, three-way calling which allows a familiar third party to assist with your phone communication.
Equipment Trials
Periodically, we conduct field trials to determine which pieces of equipment would work best for our consumers. To that end, we invite assistance from consumers and ask them to participate in product trials and evaluation. During that period we ask the consumer to maintain a journal about their experiences with the equipment. In addition, we ask that each consumer fill out and return a detailed Equipment Checklist and Trial Survey.
After evaluating the results, the Equipment Department will present a report to the Equipment Program Advisory Committee (EPAC) detailing the findings of the trial, and they will also provide a summary of their opinions regarding the feasibility of offering the new piece of equipment to the program.
If you are interested in participating in field trials, please feel free to contact the Equipment Department and provide us with your contact information and the type of equipment you are interested in evaluating. We will keep your name on file, click here.
The following field trials are currently underway:
CapTel (Captioned Telephone) provides word-for-word captions of everything said by the other party in a telephone conversation. At the same time, the voice can be heard via an amplified handset. Users with intelligible speech who are deaf or hard of hearing speak directly to the other party. Conversations flow at a near-normal pace.
A person calling to a CapTel user first dials an 800 number to connect to the Captioning Center . Using speech-to-text software, a specially trained operator repeats everything the caller says. A computer converts this to text which is sent to the CapTel user's screen at the same time the other party's voiced conversation is heard via the handset.
When a CapTel user places an outgoing call, it is automatically connected to the Captioning Center . For more information on this phone please visit http://www.captionedtelephone.com/
California is currently conducting a trial of the CapTel phone and service to evaluate this product before it is permanently added to the DDTP's equipment distribution program. People interested in the trial may complete an application and be added to the trial's waiting list. Volunteers are added to the waiting list and trial on a first come, first served basis.
If you have questions about the trial or are interested in joining the trial, please contact the CRS Department of the DDTP.