NIGP 91585: Telecommunication Relay Services (Text Telephone (Tty); Text-to-Voice; Voice Carry Over (Vco); Hearing Carry Over (Hco); Speech-to-Speech Relay; Video Relay; Spanish Relay; 7-1-1 Access to Trs

NIGP 91585 Telecommunication Relay Services (Text Telephone (TTY); Text-to-Voice; Voice Carry Over (VCO); Hearing Carry Over (HCO); Speech-to-Speech Relay; Video Relay; Spanish Relay; 7-1-1 Access to TRS), an Item code, encompasses accessibility-focused communication and information services tailored to deaf, blind, hard of hearing, and visually impaired populations. State and local governments are procuring emergency notification systems designed specifically for residents with hearing and vision disabilities, managed telephone-based audio newspaper access programs serving blind and visually impaired users through synthetic speech technology, and SMS texting services integrated with transit-system dispatch and alerting capabilities. Issuing bodies include county emergency management offices (Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management), state regulatory commissions (Public Utility Commission of Texas), transit authorities (Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority, Broward County Transit), and cooperative purchasing consortia (Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative in Texas). The code captures both direct service operations and technology infrastructure supporting accessible communication across public agencies.

Recent activity centers in Texas and Florida. The Public Utility Commission of Texas is managing the Audio Newspaper Assistance Program (ANP) contract, a four-year fixed-price procurement with responses due July 13, 2026, serving approximately 6,251 registered users with access to ten Texas newspapers and national publications in English and Spanish; the contractor must maintain 99% system operability and assumes full operational responsibility. Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management posted an RFP for an emergency notification system for deaf, blind, and hard of hearing residents with a proposal deadline of October 5, 2026. Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority issued a Blanket Purchase Order request for SMS texting service with CAD/AVL integration capability, due June 4, 2026. Broward County Transit announced an industry day on July 30, 2026 to engage CAD/AVL and computer-aided dispatch vendors ahead of a competitive RFP for dispatch system modernization. The Texas Department of Information Resources opened an indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract for cellular, wireless, pager, and satellite services covering all state agencies, with responses due July 23, 2026.