<html>
<body>
<br><br>
<br><br>
I have been asked to distribute the following.
<br><br><blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">
<dl>
<dd><font size=2>Dear David,</font>
<dd>
<dd><font size=2>I have been charged with the outreach program for :I Can
Connect" in 5 states, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA,
<dd>OKLAHOMA, WASHINGTON and WISCONSIN
<dd>
<dd>
<dd>
<dd>Changing what it means to be blind,
<dd>Marcus Simmons, President,
<dd>Wayne County chapter NFBMI
<dd>28179 Brentwood
<dd>Southfield, MI 48076-3069
<dd><a href="mailto:president@map-n.org">president@map-n.org</a>
<dd>(248) 552-8928</font></blockquote><br>
<br>
<br>
<br><br>
</dl>NDBEDP.pdf<br>
Consumer Guide<br>
9<br>
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program <br>
Background <br>
The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of
2010 (CVAA) authorizes the <br>
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide funding for local
programs to distribute <br>
equipment to low-income individuals who are “deaf-blind” (see definition
below.) The FCC may use up <br>
to $10 million annually from the interstate Telecommunications Relay
Service fund for this purpose. <br>
Pilot Program <br>
In 2011, the FCC established the National Deaf-Blind Equipment
Distribution Program (NDBEDP) as a <br>
pilot program. The pilot program has been in effect since July 1, 2012,
and the FCC may extend the <br>
program another year. The pilot program provides valuable information
that the FCC will use to help <br>
develop and implement an effective and efficient permanent deaf-blind
equipment distribution program. <br>
How does the pilot program operate? <br>
The FCC selected and certified one entity in each of the 50 states, plus
the District of Columbia, Puerto <br>
Rico, and the Virgin Islands, to receive FCC support to distribute
equipment to low-income individuals <br>
who are deaf-blind. The FCC allocated a minimum of $50,000 to each of the
53 certified programs, <br>
plus additional funding based on the size of each state's population. As
a result, states with large <br>
populations were allocated larger amounts of funding than states with
small populations. <br>
The FCC also set aside $500,000 each year for the Perkins School for the
Blind to coordinate outreach <br>
to promote this new equipment distribution program nationwide. <br>
Who is eligible to receive equipment? <br>
Under the CVAA, only low-income individuals who are deaf-blind are
eligible to receive equipment. <br>
Applicants must provide verification of their status as low-income and
deaf-blind. <br>
The CVAA requires that the term "deaf-blind" has the same
meaning given in the Helen Keller National <br>
Center Act. In general, the individual must have a certain vision loss
and a hearing loss that, <br>
combined, cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily
life activities, achieving <br>
psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining a vocation (working). <br>
The FCC defines "low income" to mean not more than 400% of the
Federal Poverty Guidelines, as <br>
indicated in the following chart: <br>
<br>
table with 4 columns and 11 rows<br>
2013 Federal Poverty Guidelines <br>
Number of persons in family/household <br>
400% for everywhere, except Alaska and Hawaii <br>
400% for Alaska <br>
400% for Hawaii <br>
1 <br>
$45,960 <br>
$57,400 <br>
$52,920 <br>
2 <br>
62,040 <br>
77,520 <br>
71,400 <br>
3 <br>
78,120 <br>
97,640 <br>
89,880 <br>
4 <br>
94,200 <br>
117,760 <br>
108,360 <br>
5 <br>
110,280 <br>
137,880 <br>
126,840 <br>
6 <br>
126,360 <br>
158,000 <br>
145,320 <br>
7 <br>
142,440 <br>
178,120 <br>
163,800 <br>
8 <br>
158,520 <br>
198,240 <br>
182,280 <br>
For each additional person, add <br>
$16,080 <br>
$20,120 <br>
$18,480 <br>
table end<br>
<br>
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services <br>
(aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm)<br>
What kind of equipment can be distributed? <br>
The equipment distributed must be designed to make telecommunications
(such as wireline and <br>
wireless telephone communication), advanced communications (such as
Internet-based voice <br>
communication, e-mail, instant messaging and interoperable video
conferencing services), and access <br>
to the Internet (including information services) accessible. The
equipment distributed may be <br>
hardware, software or applications, separate or in combination,
mainstream or specialized. The <br>
equipment must meet the needs of the deaf-blind individual to achieve
access. Certified programs may <br>
also provide equipment warranties, maintenance, and repairs for such
equipment depending on <br>
available funding. <br>
Besides distributing equipment, what will the NDBEDP certified programs
do? <br>
Certified programs will inform their communities about this new program
to distribute equipment to low-<br>
income residents in their states who are deaf-blind. They will verify
that applicants are eligible to <br>
receive equipment. They will assess each applicant's communications
equipment needs to select <br>
appropriate equipment to meet those needs. They may also help install and
provide training for the <br>
equipment distributed. <br>
How do I find the certified program that serves my state? <br>
Information about how to find the NDBEDP certified program in your state
is available during the on the <br>
FCC website at <br>
<a href="http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/national-deaf-blind-equipment-distribution-program" eudora="autourl">
www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/national-deaf-blind-equipment-distribution-program</a>
,<br>
by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY, or by <br>
sending an email to <br>
dro@fcc.gov.<br>
How can I help the NDBEDP be successful? <br>
list of 4 items<br>
Tell people about the program. <br>
Tell the FCC how the NDBEDP helped you or someone you know. <br>
Tell the FCC how the program can be improved. <br>
Tell the FCC about new types of technologies that should be included for
distribution. <br>
list end<br>
You may also file an informal complaint with the FCC if you think someone
has violated the NDBEDP <br>
rules. Informal complaints may be filed by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC
(1-888-225-5322) voice or <br>
1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232, or by writing
to: <br>
Federal Communications Commission <br>
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau <br>
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division <br>
445 12th Street, S.W. <br>
Washington, DC 20554 <br>
For More Information <br>
For inf<br>
ormation about other communications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer
<br>
website at <br>
<a href="http://www.fcc.gov/consumer-governmental-affairs-bureau" eudora="autourl">
www.fcc.gov/consumer-governmental-affairs-bureau</a>,<br>
or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center by <br>
calling 1-888-CALL-FCC voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC TTY; faxing
1-866-418-0232; or writing to the <br>
address listed above. <br>
### <br>
For this or any other consumer publication in an accessible format
(electronic ASCII text, Braille, large print <br>
or audio), please write or call us at the address or phone number below,
or send an email to <br>
FCC504@fcc.gov.<br>
This document is for consumer education purposes only and is not intended
to affect any proceedings or <br>
cases involving this subject matter or related issues. <br>
Last Reviewed 5/2/13<br>
</body>
</html>