“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”
Applications due: June 10, 2016
The FCC extended the National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) pilot program one year beyond its June 30, 2016 expiration date, to June 30, 2017. The Twenty‐First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) authorized the FCC to provide up to $10 million annually from the Telecommunications Relay Service Fund to support the NDBEDP. The pilot program, launched in July 2012, has helped thousands of Americans with combined hearing and vision loss to connect with family, friends, and others in their communities.
The FCC certified 53 programs to distribute equipment under the NDBEDP in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Recently, the programs in the states of Florida and Washington informed the FCC that they will be unable to continue participating in the NDBEDP, effective June 30, 2016. Thus, the FCC invites applications from entities interested in receiving certification to distribute equipment under the NDBEDP to qualifying residents in Florida and Washington. The deadline for applications is June 10, 2016.
Following are links to the Order extending the pilot program and the Public Notice inviting applications from entities interested in becoming the NDBEDP certified program in the states of Florida and Washington.
NDBEDP Pilot Program Extension Order:
Public Notice for New Applicants:
For more information, contact Jackie Ellington at 202‐418‐1153 or by e‐mail to Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov; or Rosaline Crawford at 202‐418‐2075 or by e‐mail to Rosaline.Crawford@fcc.gov, or visit the NDBEDP’s website at www.icanconnect.org.