Automated communications assistant for the sound-impaired

This invention relates to a method and apparatus to help Internet users communicate with hearing and speech-impaired individuals while such individuals are using a Baudot-based device. A communications system is designed to allow sound-impaired persons to communicate with sound-unimpaired individuals via the Internet. When a sound-impaired person at a Text Teletypewriter (TTY) terminal initiates a call that is destined for a sound-unimpaired person, the communications system ascertains whether the sound unimpaired person is currently using the Internet and, if so, automatically completes the call over the Internet and the communications system without the help of any communications assistant.