FCC makes sure deafblind individuals have '21st century communications' tech

The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday launched a new initiative called the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP,) which seeks to guarantee these disabled individuals have access to advanced communications technology, including interexchange services and advanced telecommunications and data services.

The commission and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) have allocated $10 million for the project annually, and NDBEDP will establish an entity in each state that will distribute the communications equipment to low income deaf-blind individuals. The pilot program will last for two years, and will have the option to extend into a third year if it has not been suitably rooted for permanent establishment.

The classification of "low income" for individuals who can neither hear nor see is actually 400% higher than the federal poverty line because of the unusually high medical and disability-related costs they incur. As we mentioned during the FCC's Lifeline/Link-Up reforms in March, the Federal Poverty line for 2011 is $10,890 per year per individual. So roughly $43,560 per year per individual can be considered the poverty line for the deafblind.

What kind of 21st century technology could the deafblind use? The third most common sense used in person-to-person communication is the sense of touch, and there is a growing list of touch-based communications systems taking advantage of the advances in wireless communications, such as bluetooth Braille readers which can be connected to smartphones.

"I am delighted that we continue to make such quick progress on fulfilling this mandate from Congress and ensuring that the tools of the digital age are accessible to Americans from all our disabilities communities. Today's item is particularly exciting because it creates new opportunities for the deaf-blind population -- setting up a new program to distribute equipment that makes communications technologies and services accessible. Our action today is another affirmative step towards inclusion for persons with disabilities who want to be, need to be and indeed deserve to be, fully participating, mainstream citizens in our society," FCC Commissioner Copps said on Wednesday.