[nfb-db] FCC to distribute assistive technology to people with combined hearing and vision loss

[David Andrews]

Jernigan Institute

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) would 
like to pass along the following information to 
its members who are deaf-blind. We encourage all 
NFB members to share this information about the 
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution 
Program (NDBEDP), promoted by iCanConnect, a 
program established by the Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC) to distribute assistive 
technology to people with combined hearing and 
vision loss who require special equipment to make 
a phone call, send an e-mail or access the Internet.

Working in conjunction with the FCC, Perkins 
School for the Blind, the Helen Keller National 
Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults (HKNC), 
iCanConnect will connect people who are 
deaf-blind with the proper equipment and training 
on how to utilize it. iCanConnect was mandated by 
the 21st Century Communications and Video 
Accessibility Act and provides a wide range of 
hardware, software and applications to suit the 
varying communications technology needs of people 
who have hearing loss plus visual impairment.

Who can benefit from iCanConnect ? Here are just a few examples.

· A recent college graduate who is deaf-blind and 
wants to use Monster.com to search for a job

· A young girl with combined hearing and vision 
loss who wants to use Skype to connect via sign language with her grandmother

· A man who has lost sight and hearing as a 
result of aging and wants to use e-mail and 
Facebook to reconnect with friends and family

Who is eligible?

Any individual who meets the definition of 
deaf-blindness in the HKNC Act and has an income 
that does not exceed 400 percent of the federal 
poverty level can qualify to receive telephone, 
advanced communications, and information services equipment.

Communication is essential for staying healthy, 
holding a job, managing a household, and 
participating in the community. If you know 
someone who might benefit from the iCanConnect 
program, please call 1-800-825-4595 or visit the 
new Web site, <http://www.iCanConnect.org>www.iCanConnect.org.

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