DA 18-686 Released: July 2, 2018 2018-2019 ALLOCATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL DEAF-BLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM Under the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), also called “iCanConnect,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) may provide up to $10 million annually from the interstate telecommunications relay service fund (TRS Fund) to support local programs that distribute equipment to eligible low-income individuals who are deaf-blind, so that these individuals can access telecommunications service, Internet access service, and advanced communications services. 47 U.S.C. § 620. By this notice, the Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announces the funding allocations for the NDBEDP for 2018-2019. The fund year for the NDBEDP runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year, which coincides with the TRS Fund year. See generally 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(5)(iii)(H). On August 4, 2016, the FCC adopted rules to convert the NDBEDP from a pilot program to a permanent program as of July 1, 2017. Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Section 105, Relay Services for Deaf-Blind Individuals, Report and Order, 31 FCC Rcd 9178 (2016) (NDBEDP Permanent Program Order); see also 47 CFR §§ 64.6201-64.6219. Pursuant to these rules, CGB certified a single entity for each state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as the sole entity for that jurisdiction to administer the NDBEDP and receive reimbursement for NDBEDP activities from the TRS Fund. 47 CFR § 64.6207; see also NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9184, para. 9; Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for 13 States and Territories, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 3959 (CGB 2017); Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for 12 States, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 4078 (CGB 2017); Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for 13 Additional States and Territories, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 4737 (CGB 2017); Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for 8 Additional States and the District of Columbia, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 4999 (CGB 2017); Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for 9 Additional States, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 5041 (CGB 2017). As directed by the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, for 2018-2019, CGB will set aside $250,000 for national outreach efforts to be conducted by the Perkins School for the Blind. See NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9236-37, 9242, paras. 135, 149. In addition, pursuant to that order, CGB will set aside $100,000 towards the development of a centralized database that certified programs will be required to use to submit information about their NDBEDP-related activities for reporting purposes, and may use for the generation of reimbursement claims. See id. at 9242, 9250-51, paras. 149, 169 (authorizing CGB to allocate an amount necessary from the $10 million available annually from the TRS Fund for the NDBEDP for the development and maintenance of the centralized database). During 2018-2019, CGB and the NDBEDP Administrator will continue to coordinate with the FCC’s Office of Managing Director and Chief Information Officer, as well as with NDBEDP certified programs that will use or access the database, as appropriate, to identify the data elements, structure of the database, and other implementation details in accordance with the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order. See id. at 9250-51, 9264-65, paras. 169, 202. CGB may reallocate to certified programs all or part of the funds set aside for this purpose if it determines that they will not be used during 2018-2019. See 47 CFR § 64.6205 (directing CGB to designate an NDBEDP Administrator to determine annual funding allocations and reallocations). In subsequent years, it is expected that additional funds will be allocated for the production, testing, implementation, and maintenance of the centralized database. The remaining $9.65 million of funding for 2018-2019 will be used to reimburse certified programs for the cost of equipment and authorized related services, up to each certified program’s funding allocation. See 47 C.F.R. § 64.6213. Pursuant to the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, initial funding allocations for 2018-2019 are calculated by providing a minimum base amount of $50,000 for each jurisdiction plus a portion of the remaining available funding in an amount proportionate to the population of that jurisdiction. NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9242, para. 149. The initial allocations for the 56 covered jurisdictions are as follows: Population figures for these calculations are derived from U.S. Census data. See U.S. Census Bureau, Population, population change, and estimated components of population change: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2017 (NST-EST2017-alldata), https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2017/national/totals/nst-est2017-alldata.csv (Apr. 27, 2018); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 1b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for American Samoa: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table1b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 3b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for Guam: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table3b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 2b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table2b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013); U.S. Census Bureau, Table 4b, Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for the U.S. Virgin Islands: 2010, https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/t-8tables/table4b.pdf (Oct. 28, 2013). State NDBEDP Certified Program 2018-2019 Alabama Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind $151,363 Alaska Assistive Technology of Alaska $65,383 Arizona Perkins School for the Blind $195,892 Arkansas Perkins School for the Blind $112,469 California Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired $872,101 Colorado Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $166,592 Connecticut Connecticut Tech Act Project $124,611 Delaware University of Delaware – Center for Disabilities Studies $70,002 Florida Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $486,337 2 State NDBEDP Certified Program 2018-2019 Georgia Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $266,862 Hawaii Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $79,683 Idaho University of Idaho – Center on Disabilities and Human Development $85,701 Illinois The Chicago Lighthouse Serving the Blind, Visually Impaired, Disabled and Veteran Communities $316,198 Indiana Perkins School for the Blind $188,626 Iowa Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $115,410 Kansas Assistive Technology for Kansans $110,574 Kentucky Eastern Kentucky University $142,618 Louisiana Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center $147,403 Maine Disability Rights Maine $77,778 Maryland Perkins School for the Blind $175,845 Massachusetts Perkins School for the Blind $192,639 Michigan Perkins School for the Blind $257,150 Minnesota Perkins School for the Blind $165,957 Mississippi Perkins School for the Blind $112,050 Missouri Missouri Assistive Technology $177,121 Montana Perkins School for the Blind $71,843 Nebraska Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership $89,925 Nevada Perkins School for the Blind $112,339 New Hampshire Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc. $77,921 New Jersey New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired $237,258 New Mexico Perkins School for the Blind $93,418 New York Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $462,736 North Carolina North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing $263,619 North Dakota North Dakota Assistive $65,707 Ohio Perkins School for the Blind $292,422 Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services $131,736 Oregon Access Technologies, Inc. $136,142 Pennsylvania Institute on Disabilities – Temple University $316,271 Rhode Island Perkins School for the Blind $72,033 5 State NDBEDP Certified Program 2018-2019 South Carolina Perkins School for the Blind $154,474 South Dakota South Dakota Department of Human Services $68,083 Tennessee Tennessee Public Utility Commission $189,648 Texas Perkins School for the Blind $638,549 Utah Perkins School for the Blind $114,498 Vermont Perkins School for the Blind $62,968 Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $226,120 Washington Perkins School for the Blind $203,991 West Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $87,758 Wisconsin Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources $170,508 Wyoming Wyoming Institute for Disabilities – University of Wyoming $62,046 Other Jurisdictions NDBEDP Certified Program 2018-2019 District of Columbia Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind $64,430 American Samoa Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $51,154 Guam Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $53,314 Northern Mariana Islands Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $51,120 Puerto Rico Perkins School for the Blind $119,391 U.S. Virgin Islands Perkins School for the Blind $52,213 Subtotal $9,650,000 National Outreach $250,000 Centralized Database $100,000 Total $10,000,000 CGB reminds certified entities that the above amounts are intended to serve as initial allocations only. To maximize available funds under the NDBEDP, CGB may make (1) voluntary reallocations between certified programs at any time during the Fund year and (2) involuntary reallocations when individual program performance indicates that NDBEDP funds could be more fully utilized by other certified programs. NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9244, para. 153. ACCESSIBLE FORMATS: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Jackie Ellington, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, 202-418-1153, e-mail Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov; or Rosaline Crawford, Disability Rights office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, 202-418-2075, e-mail Rosaline.Crawford@fcc.gov. -FCC- 5