DA 21-653 Released: June 4, 2021 2021-2022 ALLOCATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL DEAF-BLIND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM CG Docket No. 10-210 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 deafblind, so that these individuals can access telecommunications service, Internet access service, and advanced communications services. 47 U.S.C. § 620; see also 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). By this notice, the Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announces the funding allocations for the NDBEDP for 2021-2022. 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). As directed by the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, for 2021-2022, 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 $700,005 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 2021-2022, 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 2021-2022. See 47 CFR § 64.6205 (directing CGB to designate an NDBEDP Administrator to determine annual funding allocations and reallocations). The remaining $9,049,995 of funding for 2021-2022 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 CFR § 64.6213. Pursuant to the NDBEDP Permanent Program Order, initial funding allocations for 2021-2022 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. CGB reminds certified entities that the below 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 TRS 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. 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, National Population Totals: 2010-2020, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2010-2020/national/totals/nst-est2020.xlsx (Apr. 30, 2021); U.S, Census Bureau, 2020 Resident Population for the 50 States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2021, 2020 Resident Population for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (census.gov) (Apr. 27, 2021); U.S. Census Bureau, Understanding the Population of Guam: 2019, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programs-surveys/sis/resources/2020/sis_2020map_guam_k-12.pdf (Dec. 12, 2019); U.S. Census Bureau, Understanding the Population of American Samoa: 2019, Understanding the Population of American Samoa (census.gov) (Dec. 17, 2019); U.S. Census Bureau, Population of the Northern Mariana Islands: 2019, Understanding the Population of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (census.gov) (Dec. 18, 2019); U.S. Census Bureau, Understanding the Population of the U.S. Virgin Islands: 2019, Understanding the Population of the U.S. Virgin Islands (census.gov) (Dec. 12, 2019). State NDBEDP Certified Program 2021-2022 Alabama Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind $142,357 Alaska Assistive Technology of Alaska $63,780 Arizona Perkins School for the Blind $187,103 Arkansas Perkins School for the Blind $106,844 California Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired $794,259 Colorado Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind $158,473 Connecticut Connecticut Tech Act Project $117,156 Delaware University of Delaware – Center for Disabilities Studies $68,342 Florida Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $454,558 Georgia Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $249,992 Hawaii Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $76,670 Idaho University of Idaho – Center on Disabilities and Human Development $83,661 Illinois Lester and Rosalie Anixter Center (Chicago Hearing Society) $288,688 Indiana Perkins School for the Blind $176,809 Iowa Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $109,429 Kansas Assistive Technology for Kansans $104,876 Kentucky Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $134,154 Louisiana Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center $137,565 Maine Disability Rights Maine $75,320 Maryland Perkins School for the Blind $163,877 Massachusetts Perkins School for the Blind $179,828 Michigan Perkins School for the Blind $238,114 Minnesota Perkins School for the Blind $156,229 Mississippi Perkins School for the Blind $106,059 Missouri Missouri Assistive Technology $165,606 Montana Perkins School for the Blind $70,132 Nebraska Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership $86,437 Nevada Perkins School for the Blind $108,018 New Hampshire Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc. $75,612 New Jersey New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired $217,306 New Mexico Perkins School for the Blind $89,496 New York Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $416,430 North Carolina North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing $247,555 North Dakota North Dakota Assistive $64,354 Ohio Perkins School for the Blind $270,178 Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services $124,534 Oregon Access Technologies, Inc. $129,446 Pennsylvania Institute on Disabilities – Temple University $291,140 Rhode Island Perkins School for the Blind $69,954 South Carolina Perkins School for the Blind $146,982 South Dakota South Dakota Department of Human Services $66,664 Tennessee Tennessee Public Utility Commission $178,635 Texas Perkins School for the Blind $596,171 Utah Perkins School for the Blind $110,388 Vermont Perkins School for the Blind $61,754 Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $210,776 Washington Perkins School for the Blind $193,435 West Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $83,757 Wisconsin Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources $159,672 Wyoming Wyoming Institute for Disabilities – University of Wyoming $60,902 Other Jurisdictions NDBEDP Certified Program 2021-2022 District of Columbia Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind $63,294 American Samoa Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $51,046 Guam Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $53,002 Northern Mariana Islands Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults $51,015 Puerto Rico Perkins School for the Blind $110,157 U.S. Virgin Islands Perkins School for the Blind $52,004 Subtotal $9,049,995 National Outreach $250,000 Centralized Database $700,005 Total $10,000,000 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Jackie Ellington, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at 202-418-1153 or Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov. -FCC 2