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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Below, is information about the I Can Connect Program for eligible individuals.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Call or text us at (803) 627-8847 or email us at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>iCanConnect@tvisc.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> for an appointment today. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>21st Century Communications and Video Access Act (CVAA)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> has made it possible for people with hearing and vision loss to enjoy fuller lives through better access to technology through the National Deaf-Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) or iCanConnect. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Through statewide collaboration with agencies and organizations, public media outlets, community centers and churches, TVI encourages all South Carolinians<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with combined vision and hearing loss to seek information regarding iCanConnect or other services from which they may benefit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For those who qualify for NDBEDP, technology equipment used for distance communication is provided FREE. Installation, training and technical support<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> are also available at NO CHARGE.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Call or text us at (803) 627-8847 or email us at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>iCanConnect@tvisc.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> for an appointment today. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Who is eligible to receive equipment?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Under the CVAA, only low-income individuals who are deaf-blind are eligible to receive equipment provided through the NDBEDP. Applicants must provide<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> verification of their status as low-income and deaf-blind. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Income eligibility <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To be eligible, documentation such as retirement benefits statements or a copy of last year’s Federal IRS 1040 tax form(s) filed by you and members of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> your family/household must show that your family/household income is below 400% of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federal Poverty Guidelines.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Also, individuals eligible for one of the following federal programs are eligible for NDBEDP :<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Medicaid<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Low income home energy assistance<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Supplemental Security Income (SSI)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federal public housing assistance or Section 8<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Food Stamps or Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Welfare to Work (WTW)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National School Lunch Program’s free lunch program<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Disability eligibility <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For this program, the CVAA requires that the term "deaf-blind" has the same meaning given by the Helen Keller National Center Act. In general, the individual<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>must have a certain vision loss and a hearing loss that, combined, cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining a vocation (working).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Specifically, the FCC’s NDBEDP rule 64.610(c)(2) states that an individual who is “deaf-blind” is:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(i) Any person:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(A) Who has a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with corrective lenses, or a field defect such that the peripheral diameter of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees, or a progressive visual loss having a prognosis leading to one or both these<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> conditions;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> (B) Who has a chronic hearing impairment so severe that most speech cannot be understood with optimum amplification, or a progressive hearing loss<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>having a prognosis leading to this condition; an<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(C) For whom the combination of impairments described in . . . (A) and (B) of this section cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining a vocation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(ii) The definition in this paragraph also includes any individual who, despite the inability to be measured accurately for hearing and vision loss <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> due to cognitive or behavioral constraints, or both, can be determined through functional and performance assessment to have severe hearing and visual<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disabilities that cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining vocational<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>objectives. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>An applicant's functional abilities with respect to using telecommunications, Internet access, and advanced communications services in various environments<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>shall be considered when determining whether the individual is deaf-blind under . . . (B) and (C) of this section.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Who can attest to a person’s disability eligibility? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A practicing professional who has direct knowledge of the person's vision and hearing loss, such as: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>list of 12 items<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Audiologist<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Community-based service provider<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Educator<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hearing professional<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>HKNC representative<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Medical/health professional<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>School for the deaf and/or blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Specialist in Deaf-Blindness<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Speech pathologist<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>State equipment/assistive technology program<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Vision professional<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Vocational rehabilitation counselor<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>list end<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Such professionals may also include, in the attestation, information about the individual’s functional abilities to use telecommunications, Internet<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> access, and advanced communications services in various settings.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Existing documentation that a person is deaf-blind, such as an individualized education program (IEP), or a statement from a public or private agency,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>such as a Social Security determination letter, may serve as verification of disability. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Confidentiality policy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>iCanConnect is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Information will only be used to determine eligibility for iCanConnect products<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and services. iCanConnect will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless you give permission, or if the iCanConnect<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>program is required by law to do so. iCanConnect is committed to ensuring that personal information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorized access<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or disclosure, suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures are in place to safeguard and secure the information iCanConnect collects.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Call or text us at (803) 627-8847 or email us at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>iCanConnect@tvisc.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> for an appointment today or visit<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.ICanConnect.org">www.ICanConnect.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>