Comments Due:  July 27, 2015
Reply Comments Due:  August 10, 2015

On May 21, 2015, the FCC proposed rules to make permanent the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), also called “iCanConnect.”  The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, signed by President Obama in 2010, authorized the FCC to provide up to $10 million annually from the Telecommunications Relay Service Fund to support programs that distribute equipment, such as Braille-enabled devices, magnifiers, and vibrating alerts, to individuals who are deaf-blind to access communication and information services.  The pilot program, launched in July 2012, has helped thousands of Americans with combined hearing and vision loss to connect with their family, friends, and communities.

Comments and reply comments are due 45 and 60 days after June 10, 2015, the day the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published in the Federal Register. Accordingly, comments must be filed on or before July 27, 2015, and reply comments must be filed on or before August 10, 2015.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
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Public Notice Announcing Comment and Reply Comment Due Dates
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The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking includes instructions for filing comments.  If you need assistance filing comments or more information, please contact Rosaline Crawford, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, at 202-418- 2075 or e-mail Rosaline.Crawford@fcc.gov, or Jackie Ellington, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, at 202-418-1153 or e-mail Jackie.Ellington@fcc.gov.

Updated:
Thursday, October 20, 2016