Federal Communications Commission DA 22-549 DA 22-549 Released: May 18, 2022 2022-2023 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, CG Docket No. 10-210, 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 2022-2023. 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 2022-2023, 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 $150,000 towards the maintenance of the 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); 47 CFR § 64.6205 (directing CGB to designate an NDBEDP Administrator to determine annual funding allocations and reallocations). CGB anticipates that the centralized NDBEDP database will be available for use by the certified programs during the 2022-2023 program year. The remaining $9,600,000 of funding for 2022-2023 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 2022-2023 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: 2020-2021, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2021/state/totals/NST-EST2021-alldata.csv (July 1, 2021); U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Island Areas Censuses: Guam, 2020 Island Areas Censuses: Guam (Census.gov) (Oct. 28, 2021); U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Island Areas Censuses: American Samoa, 2020 Island Areas Censuses: American Samoa (Census.gov) (Oct. 28, 2021); U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Island Areas Censuses: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), 2020 Island Areas Censuses: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (Census.gov) (Oct. 28, 2021); U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Island Areas Census: U.S. Virgin Islands, 2020 Island Areas Census: U.S. Virgin Islands (Census.gov)  (Oct. 28, 2021).  State NDBEDP Certified Program 2022-2023 Alabama Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind $152,151 Alaska Assistive Technology of Alaska $64,850 Arizona Perkins School for the Blind $197,480 Arkansas Perkins School for the Blind $111,330 California Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired $845,294 Colorado Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind $167,802 Connecticut Connecticut Tech Act Project $123,080 Delaware University of Delaware – Center for Disabilities Studies $70,337 Florida Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $491,472 Georgia Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing $268,891 Hawaii Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $79,218 Idaho University of Idaho – Center on Disabilities and Human Development $88,529 Illinois Lester and Rosalie Anixter Center (Chicago Hearing Society) $306,832 Indiana Perkins School for the Blind $187,947 Iowa Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $114,719 Kansas Assistive Technology for Kansans $109,480 Kentucky Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $141,399 Louisiana Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center $143,723 Maine Disability Rights Maine $77,813 Maryland Perkins School for the Blind $174,958 Massachusetts Perkins School for the Blind $191,570 Michigan Perkins School for the Blind $253,715 Minnesota Perkins School for the Blind $165,681 Mississippi Perkins School for the Blind $109,792 Missouri Missouri Assistive Technology $175,020 Montana Perkins School for the Blind $72,382 Nebraska Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership $89,801 Nevada Perkins School for the Blind $113,724 New Hampshire Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc. $78,153 New Jersey New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired $237,831 New Mexico Perkins School for the Blind $92,886 New York Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $452,045 North Carolina North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing $263,857 North Dakota North Dakota Assistive $65,707 Ohio Perkins School for the Blind $288,764 Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services $130,803 Oregon Access Technologies, Inc. $136,063 Pennsylvania Institute on Disabilities – Temple University $312,763 Rhode Island Perkins School for the Blind $72,206 South Carolina Perkins School for the Blind $155,208 South Dakota South Dakota Department of Human Services $68,148 Tennessee Tennessee Public Utility Commission $191,378 Texas Perkins School for the Blind $648,488 Utah Perkins School for the Blind $117,656 Vermont Perkins School for the Blind $63,085 Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $225,166 Washington Perkins School for the Blind $206,852 West Virginia Perkins School for the Blind $86,138 Wisconsin Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources $169,501 Wyoming Wyoming Institute for Disabilities – University of Wyoming $61,732 Other Jurisdictions NDBEDP Certified Program 2022-2023 District of Columbia TCS Access $63,581 American Samoa Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $51,008 Guam Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $53,118 Northern Mariana Islands Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults $50,959 Puerto Rico Perkins School for the Blind $116,148 U.S. Virgin Islands Perkins School for the Blind $51,766 Subtotal $9,600,000 National Outreach $250,000 Centralized Database Maintenance $150,000 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