Press Release

PA Relay Public Awareness Launches Spring Advertising Campaign to Spread the Word

Published on 4/1/2005

Filed under: Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – The PA Relay public awareness campaign today launched its spring advertising campaign to “Spread the Word” about communicating by phone with people who are deaf, hard of hearing and speech disabled.  The PA Relay campaign is a partnership of the Public Utility Commission (PUC), the Pennsylvania Relay Service Advisory Board and AT&T.

The month-long advertising run will feature billboards, radio spots, transit ads and mall kiosk ads that focus on learning about 7-1-1, the telephone number connecting to the relay service, and encouraging Pennsylvanians to log on to www.parelay.net for more information about telecommunications relay services. 

Billboards and transit shelter ads highlighting “7-1-1” will be posted along high traffic routes from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia.  In rural and suburban areas across the state, 30-second radio spots will feature Christy Smith, campaign spokesperson and the only deaf contestant from CBS TV’s “Survivor: The Amazon.”  Commuters who use public transportation in the greater Philadelphia area will see subway and bus advertisements asking them to “learn about 7-1-1.”

In addition to the billboards, radio spots and transit ads, a new advertising outlet will be featured.  Mall kiosks -- large, rectangular kiosk displays in shopping malls across the Commonwealth -- will feature 7-1-1 advertisements.

The spring advertising run will be made up of:

• 74 billboards in 12 major cities;
• 3,920 radio messages in 40 counties;
• 425 bus and subway advertisements in the greater Philadelphia area; and
• 10 kiosk advertisements in shopping malls in urban, suburban and rural communities.

The Pennsylvania Relay Service is an AT&T phone service regulated by the PUC offering persons who are hearing, deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled three ways to connect using the telephone: Traditional Relay, Video Relay and Internet Relay.  Each conversation is relayed by a trained Communications Assistant, or CA, who follows a strict code of ethics and confidentiality.  PA Relay is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and virtually eliminates the difficulty in communicating by phone.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ensures safe, reliable and reasonably priced electric, natural gas, water, telephone and transportation service for Pennsylvania consumers, by regulating public utilities and by serving as responsible stewards of competition.

“Spread the Word! Communicate by phone with people who have hearing or speech loss.”  Visit  www.PArelay.net or call 1-800-682-8706.

For recent news releases, or more information about the PUC, visit our internet homepage at  www.puc.state.pa.us.

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Contact:

• Press Secretary
  Office of Communications
  717-787-5722