<p>The Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) industry, comprised of organizations supported and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), strives to provide individuals who are d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, or have speech impediments with telecommunication services that are “functionally equivalent” to those used by the broader population. There has been much debate within the TRS community about what “functionally equivalent” means. In response to the need to determine if TRS are functionally equivalent, this paper describes the Effective Communication Framework (ECF), which extends prior communications models that address the components and processes of telecommunication between callers with varying abilities to hear and speak. Qualitative and quantitative research applying the ECF is detailed as evidence of its validity and utility for researchers and practitioners. The ECF can help provide a basis for reliable research design, identify gaps in knowledge and capabilities, guide data collection and analysis, and facilitate communication among researchers and practitioners, especially those looking to improve assistive communication technologies like TRS.</p>