FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jocelyn Hunter
Director of Communications
(202) 454-6422, office
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind Will Distribute Communications Technology to People with Vision and Hearing Loss
Washington, DC, November 2012 – Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind (CLB) is partnering with Perkins and Helen Keller National Center to provide services for the state of Maryland through the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP). CLB will provide program intake and eligibility, technology assessments, installation and training services to individuals who are Deaf-Blind in Maryland.
“It is an opportunity for CLB to serve the deaf-blind community by giving access to necessary equipment which will impact them in significant ways such as job training and opportunities.” says Anthony J. Cancelosi, K.M., President and CEO.
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 established NDBEDP to ensure that persons who are deaf-blind have access to communication services; the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau is administering the program and funding an outreach initiative called iCanConnect.
iCanConnect is educating people about the availability of communications technology – from screen enlargement software and video phones, to off-the shelf products that are accessible or adaptable. At https://www.icanconnect.org/maryland , individuals, family members, or caregivers will find information about the program including: who qualifies, what equipment is available, how it is being distributed and installed and how to receive training. For additional information, please call 1-800-825-4595 or contact CLB directly at 240-737-5100.
About Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind (CLB)
CLB serves people of all ages who are blind, low vision, or deaf-blind living in the Washington Region, by providing vision-health screenings, independent living skills training, support groups, retraining, and job counseling and placement. 17% of veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with visual impairment. CLB partners with government and private agencies to retrain and employ these wounded warriors. Independence is our vision.
For more information, please visit our Web site at www.www.clb.org.
