|
National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program
The NDBEDP is a national program required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) that provides $10 million annually for the distribution of communications equipment to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind. The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) is pleased to announce that as of July 2, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has certified ODHH to be the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) administrator for Washington. Washington State will receive approximately $197,000 for the first year of the two-year NDBEDP pilot project. NDBEDP Applications are now available below for convenient downloading and printing.
Below is a list of requirements an applicant must meet to be able to participate in the NDBEDP.
- Verification of Disability: Applicants must obtain verification of disability through a medical professional or community based provider that meets the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) definition of Deaf-Blind which states an individual is Deaf-Blind when they:
- Have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with corrective lenses, or a field defect such that the peripheral diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees, or a progressive visual loss having a prognosis leading to one or both these conditions;
- Have a chronic hearing impairment so severe that most speech cannot be understood with optimum amplification, or a progressive hearing loss having a prognosis leading to this condition; and
- Have the combination of impairments described in 1 and 2 above cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining a vocation.
- Income Eligibility: Applicant must meet income requirements that do not exceed 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). NDBEDP applicants are required to provide proof of income. Please see “Financial Information” on the Instructions page (page 2) of the NDBEDP application form.
NDBEDP applicants may contact ODHH via phone (V/TTY), email and videophone to request an application or to inquire regarding the NDBEDP project. ODHH will also post Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the ODHH website to answer questions you may have about the NDBEDP project and the application process.
To contact ODHH, please call us at 360-902-8000 (V/TTY), 1-800-422-7930 V/TTY, 360-339-7382 (VP), or email at ndbedp@dshs.wa.gov.
To learn more regarding the National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) please read the FAQ.
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) Complaint Process
Applicants who have applied to participate in the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) through the WA State Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) may file a complaint form when they are not satisfied with something regarding the NDBEDP project. Complaints may be filed in relation to assessments, training, application process, equipment failure or other issues related to the NDBEDP project administered by ODHH. If the applicant needs help completing this form, please contact Deaf-Blind Service Center (DBSC):
VP: (206) 455-7932
Email at Info@seattledbsc.org
Completed complaint forms can be mailed to ODHH using the address listed on the top of the complaint form. The complaint form is available in Word Doc and PDF, however, if alternative formats such as braille or text are preferred, please contact ODHH.
National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program Forms
Updated: May 8, 2013
|
