[nfb-db] FYI: FCC ANNOUNCES 2014-2015 STATE ALLOCATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL DEAF-BLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM

[Janice Toothman]

Hi Scott,
Marsha had told me of your move to Colorado as HKNC regional 
representative when I saw her at the Deaf-Blind Camp of MD.

I had written the NDBEDP resolution for the Deaf-Blind Division because 
I had wanted to make the NFB at large experience with communication and 
technology aware of the problems that Deaf-Blind consumers have 
experienced and continue to experience. The hope was that the National 
office would help us to make changes in the program.  At least this was 
my thinking, as I prepared the resolution.

I became ill with pneumonia shortly before the convention began and 
could not attend this year.  I chose Cathy Miller to present the 
resolution and she did a wonderful job in communicating the essential 
components of the resolution and the needs of the Deaf-Blind for the 
NDBEDP program.
Janice
On 7/14/2014 1:30 PM, Scott Davert via nfb-db wrote:
> Released:  July 1, 2014
> BUREAU ANNOUNCES 2014-2015 STATE ALLOCATIONS FOR THE
> NATIONAL DEAF-BLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
> Washington, D.C. - The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB)
> of the Federal
> Communications Commission (FCC) announces the state funding
> allocations for the National Deaf-Blind
> Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) for the 2014-2015 Fund year.
> The NDBEDP is a program mandated by section 105 of the Twenty-First Century
> Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) that provides
> funding of up to $10 million
> annually for the distribution of communications equipment to
> low-income individuals who are deaf-
> blind.1 On April 4, 2011, the Commission adopted the NDBEDP Pilot
> Order, establishing the framework
> for a pilot program to fulfill this CVAA mandate.2 In that Order, the
> Commission determined that it
> would certify one entity per state as eligible to receive support for
> the local distribution of equipment to
> low-income individuals who are deaf-blind.3 On July 2, 2012, after an
> application and selection process,
> the Commission announced the entities that had been selected as
> certified programs to participate in the
> NDBEDP and informed them of the respective state allocations for the
> 2012-2013 Fund year.4
> For each year of the pilot program, the Commission sets aside $500,000
> of the $10 million
> (annually allocated for the NDBEDP) for national outreach efforts.5
> The remaining $9.5 million of
> annual funding is used to reimburse NDBEDP certified programs for the
> reasonable costs of operating
>
> 1 Pub. L. 111-260, 124 Stat. 2751 (2010); see also Pub. L. 111-265,
> 124 Stat. 2795 (2010) (providing technical
> corrections to the CVAA).  Section 105 of the CVAA adds Section 719 to
> the Communications Act of 1934, as
> amended, and is codified at 47 U.S.C. § 620.  The CVAA allows the
> Commission to allocate these funds from the
> Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service Fund (TRS Fund).
> 2 See Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and
> Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Section
> 105, Relay Services for Deaf-Blind Individuals, Report and Order, 26
> FCC Rcd 5640 (2011) (NDBEDP Pilot
> Order).  The NDBEDP pilot program was established to run for two
> years, with an option for the Commission to
> extend the pilot for another year.  Id. at 5649, ¶ 22.  The Commission
> recently extended the pilot program for a third
> year.  See Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications
> and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Section
> 105, Relay Services for Deaf-Blind Individuals, Public Notice, 29 FCC
> Rcd 1234 (CGB 2014).
> 3 NDBEDP Pilot Order at 5646, ¶ 12.
> 4 Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the
> National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution
> Program, Public Notice, 27 FCC Rcd 7397 (CGB 2012).
> 5 See NDBEDP Pilot Order, 26 FCC Rcd at 5675-76, ¶ 80.  The Commission
> announced the selection of the Perkins
> School for the Blind to conduct national outreach efforts to promote
> the NDBEDP pilot.  See Perkins School for the
> Blind to Conduct National Outreach for the National Deaf-Blind
> Equipment Distribution Program, Public Notice,
> 27 FCC Rcd 6143 (CGB 2012).  For this effort, the Perkins School for
> the Blind is partnering with the Helen Keller
> National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, FableVision, Inc.,
> and other national and local consumer groups,
> parent groups, agencies, and associations.  Id.
> 2their programs in compliance with the Commission's NDBEDP rules.6
> Funding allocations for the 2012-
> 2013 and 2013-2014 Fund years were calculated by allocating a minimum
> base amount of $50,000 for
> each jurisdiction plus a portion of the remaining available funding in
> an amount proportionate to the
> population of each jurisdiction.7 Allocations for the 2014-2015 Fund
> year were calculated by using the
> same formula with the most current census population estimates and
> appear below:8
> State NDBEDP Certified Program
> Funding
> Allocation
> for 2014-2015
> Alabama Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind $        153,520
> Alaska Assistive Technology of Alaska $          65,744
> Arizona Perkins School for the Blind $        191,918
> Arkansas Perkins School for the Blind $        113,379
> California Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired $        870,939
> Colorado Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $        162,829
> Connecticut Connecticut Tech Act Project $        127,015
> Delaware University of Delaware - Center For Disabilities Studies $
>        69,826
> Florida Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. $        468,749
> Georgia Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired $        263,995
> Hawaii Island Skill Gathering $          80,070
> Idaho University of Idaho - Idaho Assistive Technology Project $
>     84,526
> Illinois The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually
> Impaired $        325,887
> Indiana To Be Determined $      190,724
> Iowa Iowa Utilities Board $        116,185
> Kansas Assistive Technology for Kansans $        111,978
> Kentucky Eastern Kentucky University Center on Deafness and Hearing
> Loss $        144,131
> Louisiana Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center $        149,060
> Maine Maine Center on Deafness $          78,447
> Maryland Perkins School for the Blind $        176,973
> Massachusetts Perkins School for the Blind $        193,335
> Michigan Michigan Commission for the Blind $      261,927
> Minnesota To Be Determined $        166,084
> Mississippi Perkins School for the Blind $        114,060
> Missouri Missouri Assistive Technology $        179,444
> Montana Perkins School for the Blind $          71,741
> Nebraska Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership $          90,017
> Nevada Perkins School for the Blind $        109,754
> New Hampshire Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc. $
>      78,344
> New Jersey New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired $
>         240,591
> New Mexico Perkins School for the Blind $          94,659
> New York Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults
> $        470,854
> North Carolina North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and
> the Hard of Hearing $        260,909
> North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology $          65,492
> Ohio Ohio Deaf-Blind Outreach Program $        297,804
> Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services $        132,465
> Oregon Access Technologies, Inc. $        134,167
> Pennsylvania Institute on Disabilities - Temple University $        323,567
> Rhode Island Perkins School for the Blind $          72,519
> South Carolina Perkins School for the Blind $        152,259
> South Dakota South Dakota Department of Human Services $          68,094
> Tennessee Tennessee Regulatory Authority $        189,120
> Texas Perkins School for the Blind $        616,422
> Utah Utah Public Service Commission $        112,126
> Vermont Perkins School for the Blind $          63,420
> Virginia Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $        226,907
> Washington Department of Social and Health Services - Office of the
> Deaf and Hard of Hearing $        199,301
> West Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $          89,712
> Wisconsin Public Service Commission of Wisconsin $        172,987
> Wyoming Wyoming Institute for Disabilities - University of Wyoming $
>       62,478
> Washington, DC Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind $          63,845
> Puerto Rico Perkins School for the Blind $        127,422
> U.S. Virgin Islands Perkins School for the Blind $          52,279
> ACCESSIBLE FORMATS:  To request materials in accessible formats for people with
> disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
> send an e-mail to fcc504 at fcc.gov or call
> the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice),
> 202-418-0432 (TTY).
> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Jackie Ellington, Consumer and
> Governmental Affairs Bureau, 202-418-1153, e-mail
> Jackie.Ellington at fcc.gov; or Rosaline Crawford,
> Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, 202-418-2075, e-mail
> Rosaline.Crawford at fcc.gov.
> -FCC-
>
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