CTAP’s New California Phones Web Site Offers Free Specialized Phones to Eligible Californians That Make It Easier to Hear,

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Eligible California residents now can apply for CTAP’s free specialized telephones such as amplified, big button, and portable phones at a new Web site www.CaliforniaPhones.org. CTAP’s equipment, called “California Phones” in a public service marketing campaign, enables people who have difficulty hearing, seeing, moving, speaking, or remembering, to more easily make and receive calls.

“California Phones make it easier to hear, easier to dial, and easier to use in so many ways,” said Jack Leutza Director of the Communications Division of the California Public Utilities Commission. “California Phones are already enabling hundreds of thousands of people to communicate better with family, friends, businesses, social, health, and emergency services. Many people couldn’t make or receive a phone call without this equipment.”

The new California Phones Web site shows some of the specialized phones available and provides a simple application form. It also gives the locations of ten CTAP Service Centers in Berkeley, Burbank, Fresno, Redding, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, Salinas, Santa Ana, and Santa Barbara where the public can visit to try out the California Phones, get applications, and if eligible, receive a specialized phone including any needed training, at no charge. They also can call 1-800-806-1191 or other in-language telephone numbers listed on the Web site for information.

To be eligible, a California resident must have a simple application form signed by a medical doctor or other authorized person listed on the form. Visit the Web site to find a certifying agent in your area. California Phones are available to eligible Californians through CTAP or California Telephone Access Program, which is part of the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP), a program administered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). California Phones are paid for by a small surcharge on California telephone bills.

CONTACT:

DDTP
Information for media only:
Mary Atkins, 1-510-302-1157
DDTP Marketing Department Manager
marya@ddtp.org

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Seniors  Technology  Telecommunications  Health  Communications  Advertising  Marketing  Consumer  General Health

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