Hearing or Speech Solutions

If you’re deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) lets you communicate with an emergency 9-1-1 operator via text message. Keep in mind, you must be registered to use this service.

This service provides you with subtitles at the bottom of the screen. Rogers passes through all closed caption subtitles that are provided by television channels.

Activating closed captioning

Digital Cable

High Definition: If your digital box is connected to the TV using component or HDMI cable, activate captions and modify their appearance through the INFO and Settings buttons on your digital box’s remote control.

Standard Definition: You can access captions by activating the caption feature on your TV’s menu. Your TV instructions will explain how to use this feature.

Learn more about Closed Captioning

Many people use captions to enjoy their favourite TV programs, but few understand how the captions are made. Most people think captions are created automatically by computers.

In fact, captions are created by people—highly skilled and trained people. Computers aren’t smart enough yet to accurately caption the content in live broadcasts.

Captioning live programming, like news and sports, is the hardest part of a captioner’s job because the captions have to be created at the same time as the broadcast. This video explains how live captioners generate accurate and timely captions under pressure.

• Watch with American Sign Language

  

• Watch with Closed Captioning

  

If you have hearing or speech disabilities, our Message Relay Service (MRS) can help you make and receive calls via teletypewriter (TTY) or over the internet. Please note that MRS is not available for emergency services calls.

To access MRS via TTY from a wireless device call 7-1-1.

TTY

A Teletypewriter, or TTY, device lets you use your phone by typing out messages instead of speaking and listening.

To access MRS via TTY from a wireless device call 7-1-1.

IP Relay

The IP Relay service lets you communicate via text online using web-capable devices through interactive messaging applications. You must have Internet access to use this service.

• To access MRS via IP Relay, register for a unique user ID and password
• Already have a user ID and password? Access our IP Relay service from the IP Relay website
• Call 1 855 801-5862 to speak with a registered IP Relay user.

If you are Deaf, Deaf-Blind or Hard of Hearing and do not require standard Rogers voice service, or if you are Blind, Deaf-Blind or have a physical disability and rely on wireless applications to help you access helpful navigation tools, you may be eligible for a discounted wireless service plan.

Rogers offers a $20 discount on any of our consumer in-market Share Everything plans which include Data Manager, Roam Like Home, NHL Game Centre Live as well as unlimited access to Canada’s "SRV Canada VRS" Video Relay Service. Choose the right mix of minutes, features and more from our wide range of affordable plans.

Return Policy for Customers with Special Needs

• Devices can be returned within 30 days from the date of purchase.

Add-ons

Premium Voicemail-to-Text

For an extra $7 per month, get text and audio versions of your voicemail messages delivered to your device via text message.

• Store up to 35 five-minute voicemail messages and save each one for up to 10 days.
• Get text and audio versions of your voicemail sent to your device.
• Scan and respond to urgent messages.
• Choose how you wish to respond—by text or voice.
• Listen to your voicemail without dialling in or entering a password.
• Listen to your voicemail messages in any order you want.

How to Get it

Please contact us to explore all the latest plans and services available or to help choose the plan that is right for you. Just visit our Contact Us page and choose a contact option that works best for you; then identify yourself as a person with a specific disability need and you will be transferred to a member of our Accessibility Service Team.

If you are already subscribed to one of our Share Everything Plans, please send us your name, your account number and a copy of your membership to a disability association to our Customer Care office who will apply the discount. You can send the information to us using any of the three options below:

• Fax: 1-800-219-6473



• Mail: Customer Support Investigations Team

  100 Westmorland St

  Moncton NB

  E0C 0G1



• Email: AccessibilityDiscount@rci.rogers.com

Rogers Services

We’re pleased to offer our Home Phone customers with special needs the following services:

• Directory Assistance: No charge for 100 directory assistance (4-1-1) calls.
• Operator Assistance: We provide free operator assistance to help our visually impaired customers complete local, long distance, sent paid (per-minute rates apply), collect, and bill-to-third-party calls. Local and long distance charges apply.

Compatibility with home emergency services

Our Home Phone service is compatible with the following home emergency services:

• DirectAlert
• Mondial Lifeguard Technologies
• ConnectCare
• Philips Lifeline

Customers who would like to bring a sign language interpreter while at a Rogers store are welcome to do so. Any associated costs will be invoiced by the interpreter to Rogers directly.

Video Relay Service (VRS) helps people who use sign language to communicate with voice telephone users. The sign language user connects to a VRS operator through videoconferencing. The operator then places a voice telephone call to us and relays the conversation.

VRS Eligibility

If you live in Canada and are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, and wish to communicate via video using sign language you’re eligible for VRS.

SRV Canada VRS customers must register for the service and install the SRV Canada VRS app in order to use it.

For more on registration see Registering for VRS below, or visit SRV Canada VRS’s Register page.

VRS Compatibility

VRS works with:

• A broadband internet connection
• Desktop computers (Mac and PC), smartphones and tablets (Android and iOS).

VRS does not work with:

• Calls to ‘900’ and other pay-for-service phone numbers. This includes some 800, 866, 877 and 888 numbers.

VRS Features

SRV Canada VRS provides 9-1-1 service during its hours of operation across Canada. However, 9-1-1 service is not available outside of service hours. See the SRV Canada VRS website for full hours of operation.

All 9-1-1 calls are treated as urgent and go directly to first place in the SRV Canada VRS call centre’s queue.

When a registered SRV Canada VRS customer calls another registered SRV Canada VRS customer, the system automatically connects the two customers directly without involving a Video Interpreter.

Registering for VRS

To register for VRS:

1. Visit SRV Canada VRS’s Register page.
2. Follow the instructions to register for the service and create your account.
3. Within 1 business day, your 10-digit phone number will be emailed to you. Start using this number to make and receive SRV Canada VRS calls.