National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Allocations

July 2013 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announced the 2013-2014 funding allocations for entities eligible to receive support and reimbursements under the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP). The NDBEDP is a program mandated by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) that enables low-income individuals who are deaf-blind to have access to the Internet and advanced communications, including interexchange services and advanced telecommunications and information services. Each year, the FCC allocates $10 million to NDBEDP, $500,000 of which is used for national outreach efforts, and the rest goes to one entity per state chosen to receive support for the local distribution of equipment.