Deaf Inventors Bring Telephone to Deaf People

By Dr. Harry Lang

When I was a teenager, only about 10 deaf people had TTYs. I bought my first TTY in 1971. Now, there are hundreds of thousands of TTYs in the world for Deaf people.

Who invented a way for Deaf people to use TTYs to communicate through the telephone? Three Deaf men. Here’s how.

TTY is an abbreviation for teletypewriters. Teletypewriters have been around for a long time. In the old days, people used teletypewriters (TTYs) to type out messages via telegraph lines. But in 1876, the telephone was invented. Suddenly hearing people could communicate by voice. Telephone lines replaced telegraph lines, going into homes and businesses throughout America.

In 1964, three Deaf inventors, Robert Weitbrecht, Andrew Saks, and James Marsters invented the TTY modem. With the modem, people could communicate on teletypewriters (TTYs) via the telephone.

In cities around the U.S., Deaf people established TTY groups to rebuild old TTYs to use with the new modems. They also set up Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI), a national organization to help collect old TTYs from AT&T and Western Union. TDI is still active today, helping with telephone and television access.

The old TTYs were big and heavy. People painted them bright colors—like red or pink. Sometimes when Deaf people wanted to move their TTY to a different room, they would invite their friends over for a party. Then everyone would help move the TTY to its new location.

The Inventors

Weitbrecht, Marsters, and Saks lived in California. Weitbrecht was a physicist. He loved astronomy and electrical devices. Saks was an engineer and businessman. Saks also invented doorbells with flashing lights and phone signalers. Saks and Weitbrecht died in the 1980s.

Marsters is still alive. Dr. Marsters was an orthodontist. He had his own dentist office, but now he is retired. He is also sharing many stories with me because I am writing a book about TTYs and how this wonderful invention improved the lives of Deaf people.

Thanks to Robert Weitbrecht, James Marsters, and Andrew Saks, Deaf people do not have to ask hearing people for help in making telephone calls. With the TTY and relay service, we can call anywhere for an ambulance, to plan a tennis match, or to order pizza.

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