A new, free telephone assistance service is now available on a trial basis for people with speech disabilities who have trouble being understood on the phone. The service, called Speech-to-Speech, is available throughout the state and uses operators trained by Bob Segalman, who developed the service for the California Public Utilities Commission.
Trained operators listen to a caller's message and repeat it to the listener who can then respond. Speech-to-Speech will be in effect 24 hours a day until Oct. 11, when the PUC will decide if there is sufficient demand for the service.
