Has using a standard telephone become difficult? Perhaps you or someone you know is having trouble hearing, seeing, speaking, moving, or remembering and could benefit from a telephone adapted to their needs. The California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) has a wide variety of specialized phones available at no cost to any California resident who is in need. The goal of the CTAP Program is to provide a phone that works for you. There is no age or income requirement.
California Phones was a sponsor of our recent annual Conference. Carmen Garcia, Outreach Specialist from the Fresno office, is California Phones’ liaison to Village Movement California and spoke with many conference participants. She encourages
California villages to let their members and volunteers know about this opportunity to make using their phone easier.
How to Qualify
Qualifying for a telephone through CTAP is simple. Applicants must meet these requirements:
Live in California
Have telephone service
Have their doctor/medical provider approve their need
• • •
Qualifying medical conditions can range from mild to severe loss of:
Hearing
Vision
Memory
Speech
Mobility
The application is available on the California Phones website. Just complete your portion of the form, take it to your doctor/medical provider for approval and signature, and submit it.
Choosing a Phone
Browse the Specialized Products section of the California Phones website to see the many types of telephones offered and the features available for each. Do visit the About section of the website to see video testimonials from customers who talk about the specialized phones they’ve received and the benefits they experience.
Customers can visit a local California Phones service center to look at the phones and discuss their needs with an advisor. Service centers are in:
San Francisco (If you would like more information about California Phones, please call our Contact Center Monday – Friday 8am to 6pm and closed on Saturday until further notice, email us, check equipment order status, or chat live. English 1-800-806-1191)
Customers can pick up their phone at a service center or receive it by mail with full instructions for set-up and use. Field Advisors are available to help with set-up and troubleshooting over the phone if needed. They also make house calls. Most of the phones provided require a landline connection. If the selected CTAP phone is cordless, California Phones provides new batteries when needed. For cellphone users, there is now a special amplifier available with Bluetooth for customers with hearing loss.
Become a California Phones User
There are currently 730,000 Californians using these specialized phones. Join them and take advantage of this free service, paid for by a monthly surcharge on the telephone bills of all Californians shown on your phone bill as: CA Relay Service and Telecommunications Fund. We are all contributors to this program, so take advantage of it.
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