	Federal Communications Commission	DA 19-728


DA 19-728
Released:  July 31, 2019

FCC ANNOUNCES ENTITY CERTIFIED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL DEAFBLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM FOR KENTUCKY
CG Docket No. 10-210

	By this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) selects the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults (HKNC) for certification to administer the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), also called “iCanConnect,” for the state of Kentucky.
	On June 10, 2019, CGB released a Public Notice inviting applications from entities interested in being certified to distribute equipment under the NDBEDP to eligible individuals in Kentucky. FCC Invites Applications for Certification to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for Kentucky and Illinois, Public Notice, DA 19-543 (CGB June 10, 2019) (summarizing the qualifications for obtaining certification to participate in the NDBEDP), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-543A1.pdf.  In 2017, CGB certified Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) to distribute equipment under the NDBEDP for Kentucky for a period of five years, from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2022.  See Commission Announces Entities Certified to Participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program for Nine Additional States, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 5041 (CGB 2017) (including Kentucky).  EKU relinquished its certification effective June 30, 2019.  Letter from Gus Benson, Director, Sponsored Programs, Eastern Kentucky University, to Jacqueline Ellington, NDBEDP Administrator, Disability Rights Office (DRO), CGB, FCC (Mar. 20, 2019).
  CGB received a single application from HKNC.  Following its review of this application, CGB is satisfied that HKNC meets the criteria contained in the Commission’s rules to receive certification under the NDBEDP. 
 For example, as evidenced in its application, through the performance of its NDBEDP-related activities, HKNC is currently the certified program serving New York, Iowa, Florida, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
 as well as other activities independent of the NDBEDP, HKNC has demonstrated: extensive experience in providing accessible services in a manner that shows cultural awareness of the deaf-blind community and its communication needs; considerable expertise in the communications technology used by individuals who are deaf-blind; the administrative and financial management capability to manage state programs under the NDBEDP; sufficient staffing to manage this state program; and familiarity with the Commission’s rules governing this program. Application of HKNC for Kentucky Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, at 2-7 (June 25, 2019). 
  Furthermore, as the NDBEDP certified program for Kentucky, HKNC’s application commits it to work in partnership with local agencies to meet the needs of the deaf-blind population throughout the state. Id. at 5-6.
 
Accordingly, CGB finds that HKNC is qualified to participate in the NDBEDP and certifies HKNC to become the authorized entity to distribute equipment and provide related services under the NDBEDP in the state of Kentucky, effective July 31, 2019, through June 30, 2022. See 47 CFR § 64.6207(e) (explaining that, when a certified program is replaced prior to the expiration of its certification period, the successor entity's certification will expire on the date that the replaced entity's certification would have expired).  

HKNC will have full responsibility for distributing equipment and providing related services, including outreach, assessments, installation, and training, in Kentucky, either directly or through collaboration, partnership, or contract with other individuals or entities in-state or out-of-state, including other NDBEDP certified programs. 47 CFR § 64.6207.
  HKNC must further comply with all of the Commission’s NDBEDP rules pertaining to its participation in this program, 47 CFR §§ 64.6201-64.6219; 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).
 including requirements designed to ensure the continuation of NDBEDP operations in Kentucky if it relinquishes or does not renew its certification or otherwise exits the program.  NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 9197, paras. 44-45.  See also § 47 CFR 64.6207(j)(1)-(2).


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, CGB, at 202-418-1153 or Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov; or Rosaline Crawford, Disability Rights Office, CGB, at 202418-2075 or Rosaline.Crawford@fcc.gov.

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