World Telecommunications Day celebrates the constant evolution of one of the most important factors of our lives: communication. The main goal of World Telecommunications Day (WTD) is to highlight the importance of communication and how information travels across the world. It also aims to increase awareness of how crucial communication is in our lives, and stimulate the development of technologies in the field.

Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) has two programs to help people with telecommunication. The first is the Telecommunications Device Distribution Program (TDDP). Through this program Pennsylvanians with disabilities who meet income guidelines can get free, high-quality landline phones. These phones can help you if you have problems hearing other people on the phone, seeing the numbers when dialing, if you can’t remember names or numbers, but can remember faces, if you have a speech disability, or if you have a physical disability that limits your ability to hold or dial a phone. Visit this link for more details: http://disabilities.temple.edu/programs/assistive/tddp/

PIAT’s second program is iCanConnect. Through this program Pennsylvanians who are Deaf/Blind and meet the income guidelines can receive advanced telecommunications equipment. The equipment available to eligible Pennsylvanians will help them make a phone call, send an email, access the Internet or use other communications technology to communicate with family, friends, community members, etc.  Examples of equipment through the program are computers, tablets, smartphones and refreshable Braille displays. Visit this link for more details: http://disabilities.temple.edu/programs/assistive/icanconnect/#equipment

You can also contact Christina Chamberlain, the Assistive Technology Coordinator at CLASS (Community Living And Support Services) for more information: 412.683.7100 ext. 2179 or cchamberlain@classcommunity.org.

Let’s telecommunicate today!