To be eligible to receive free specialized communications equipment through the Program, a person must:

• Reside in the State of California
• Have telephone service
• Get certified as having one or more of the following disabilities:
  • Hearing
  • Vision
  • Mobility
  • Speech
  • Cognitive

Note: There are no age or income requirements associated with the programs.

The certification section of your application form must be signed by an authorized Certifying Agent verifying your eligibility for a specialized phone. Authorized Certifying Agents certify only those individuals whose disability/disabilities make it difficult to use a standard communications devices.

Certifying Agents Authorized by legislation:

• Licensed Medical Doctor: May sign for people with any disability.
• Licensed Physician Assistant: May sign for people with any disability.
• Licensed Nurse Practitioner: May sign for people with any disability.
• Department of Rehabilitation Counselor [VRC, RCB or RCD]: May sign for people with any disability related to their clients.
• Licensed Optometrist: May only sign for people who are blind or partially-sighted.
• Licensed Audiologist: May only sign for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Licensed Speech Language Pathologist (SLP): May approve applications for applicants with speech disabilities.
• Superintendent or school audiologist at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside and Fremont: May only sign for current students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Licensed Hearing Aid Dispenser: Dispenser must have the customer record on file, and may only sign for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Once your application is approved, you will be sent a California Connect Approval letter requesting that you call the California Connect Contact Center at 1-800-806-1191. A trained staff will then work with you to determine your individual needs and match you with the appropriate equipment and services. If needed, you can also be trained in the use of the equipment and services. Sometimes a combination of equipment and services is paired to enable you to use the telephone effectively. If it’s convenient, you can also visit one of the local Service Centers.

The Program provides one phone per person. If other members of a household are eligible, they too may apply to receive equipment.

Currently the Program provides materials in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, Braille, Russian, and Vietnamese. However, based on demand, from time to time, the Program makes materials available in other languages.

No, California Connect is an equipment loan program and the equipment is “on loan to you” until you can no longer benefit from it. If you move out of California, please return the equipment to the nearest California Connect Service Center or contact the program’s California Connect Contact Center.

No, the Program has some phones that announce the caller’s phone number but not the caller’s name. California Connect does not support Caller ID and you must have this service through your phone service provider. If your caller ID stops working, California Connect cannot exchange the phone because the Program is not authorized to support the Caller ID function.

Some network services are available at no cost to certified California Connect consumers depending on their certification. These services may include SpeedDial (preprogrammed numbers) and Three-way Calling.

These services are actually provided by the customer’s local telephone company, but the Program directly reimburses the telephone company for the cost of the service. Contact your local telephone company to find out if they can offer you discounts on other services, such as Operator Assisted Dialing and Directory Assistance Exemption.

VRS is a service under the oversight of the Federal Communications Commission. VRS is not part of DDTP.