Friday, January 4, 2013

Happy New Year From AADB!

Happy New Year from AADB!!!
We are passing this on to be sure you are aware of this new program....
New Federal Program Provides Communications Technology to
People with Vision and Hearing Loss
The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) provides a wide array of assistive technology to people with combined vision and hearing loss. This new program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the result of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act – a law championed by Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor and Massachusetts Congressman Edward Markey.
Any person who is considered deaf-blind as defined by the Helen Keller National Center Act can receive free communications equipment if their income is less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Find details at www.fcc.gov/NDBEDP.
The FCC has chosen Perkins and Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC) to head up the national program effort and work with partners in every state plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To spread the word about the program, Perkins and HKNC have created a campaign called, iCanConnect.
“The mission of the Helen Keller National Center is to enable each person who is deaf-blind to live and work in his or her community of choice. This critical technology access program accelerates those efforts,” said HKNC Executive Director Joe McNulty
Perkins President Steven Rothstein believes accessibility is critical to civil rights and equality for people with disabilities. “NDBEDP and iCanConnect are not simply about individuals who have vision and hearing loss getting easier access to the telephone, computer or email. It’s about their right to be contributing, involved members of society. And without equal access to today’s communication technology, that’s simply not possible.”
NDBEDP provides a wide range of specialized and “off-the-shelf” hardware, software and applications. Products include braille displays, computer screen readers and even iPhones and iPads with built-in accessibility features. The program also provides one-on-one training to help people use the equipment to its fullest.
“Having this technology – this ability to participate and interact with others, and remember your value and place in the world – is so significant,” said Jerry Berrier, an access technology consultant who is blind. He is working with Perkins to help manage the NDBEDP database and train consumers.
“We estimate that there are 1.5 million people in the U.S. who are deaf-blind. We believe about a million or more are eligible for this program. We’ll be changing lives,” said Betsy McGinnity, director of Perkins Training and Educational Resources Program.
To learn more, go to www.iCanConnect.org or call 1-800-825-4595.

No comments:

Post a Comment