Changing Lives, One Phone at a Time
HOW TO APPLY (The Application Process)
Applying for a voucher from Telecommunications Access Iowa (TAI) is a very easy process! All we will need is for you or anyone who needs to have barrier-free access on the telephone to meet all the qualifications to be approved for a voucher.
Do you qualify?
You may qualify if you can answer “yes” to all of the following
questions:
- Do you live in Iowa?
- Are you older than 5 years of age?
- Do you have a telephone in your house now or are you going to get a telephone line hooked up?
- Would the telephone equipment you are requesting for make telephone use easier for you?
- Also you need to qualify by meeting the total household (adjusted gross) income guidelines*:
| Number in Family | Annual Income Limit |
| 1 | $46,000 |
| 2 | $54,000 |
| 3 | $62,000 |
| 4 | $70,000 |
(Add $8,000 for each additional person.)
*If you are requesting a Captioned Telephone (CapTelTM) and you exceed the income limit, you may be able to purchase a CapTel phone at a discount. Click here to learn more.
Professional Certification Required
You will need to have an appropriate licensed professional in the field
of hearing or speech sign the application form to verify that you
have a need for a specialized telephone, i.e., doctor, nurse, audiologist,
speech pathologist, hearing aid dealer, federal/state agency representative
or a teacher for the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.
Choosing your Equipment
Choose the type of equipment which best meets your communication
needs for telephone use. You can also receive a “package” by
selecting a headset, handset, neckloop, and/or a loud/flashing
ringer. If you are unsure of which equipment will make telephone
communication easy for you, click here to
see a list of equipment that is offered through the TAI program
and the equipment
descriptions. You may also
contact one of the Dealers on the Dealer’s
List for more assistance.
Our showroom is also available for you to come by and try out the
equipment.
Click here to get directions/map to our
Showroom. You may also contact
us.
Download your Application Form
You
may download
an application form to fill out. You will need an Adobe Acrobat
Reader to read the application
form. If you
don’t have the Acrobat Reader installed, click
here to go to the
Adobe Acrobat Reader website for installation. If you have any questions
about the application form or need assistance in completing it, please
contact the TAI office.
Be sure to complete and sign your application so that you can expect a voucher or a response from us within one week. We require all original signatures on the application form, so we cannot accept any applications by fax.
How often can we apply?
You may apply for one voucher per household every five years unless
your communication needs have changed, or any other special circumstances
that may arise. If there are two people in the same household with different
communication needs that needs different phones, they may qualify. Contact
us for more information.