Using Pervasive Technology to Provide Access to TV and to National and Local Emergency Information to the Deaf-Blind Community!

Winter Springs, FL, November 2, 2017: Dicapta Foundation (DF) announces that it has been awarded a three-year grant for $600,000 from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to support the development of its project GoCC4All. In collaboration with the research group SoftLab from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), DF will develop, prove, and transfer to the deaf-blind community a product that, using pervasive technologies, will support their needs of access to information. GoCC4All will bring television-including regular television programming as well as national and local emergency information provided through this media, for a population that has been excluded from this resource, facilitating their full inclusion and integration in society.

The funding will provide and enhance community living and participation for individuals who are deaf-blind by bringing them access to TV information that is widely available to any other citizen. GoCC4All’s main objectives are: 1) to develop a functional product, 2) to proof adoption of the technology among the deaf-blind community, and 3) to add to knowledge about technologies that serve the deaf-blind community. Anticipated outcomes include enhancing independence, socialization, and safety for people who are deaf-blind. “I have had the opportunity and honor to discuss and refine our idea of GoCC4ALL with our friends from the deafblind community. Our promise is to work all together to make sure GoCC4All is done for the deaf-blind community with the deaf-blind community actively involved.” said Maria Victoria Diaz, Principal Investigator of the project and President of the Board of Dicapta Foundation.

An Advisory Committee made up of people with disabilities, representatives from organizations serving the deaf-blind community, technical experts, and DF personnel will support the action plan to guarantee that beneficiaries' unique needs will be addressed.

Angela Martinez has been selected as the Executive Director for Dicapta Foundation Corporation as they will be unfolding this exciting new venture; “We are thrilled to be able to develop this groundbreaking technology for our deaf-blind community. We have the best industry experts and colleagues helping us to reach our vision that everyone has equal right to all types of information. The project has already garnered strategic support from multiples areas of the field. We are honored to receive NIDILRR's support with this grant,” said Angela Martinez. "This investment is a catalyst for expanding DF’s work to improve accessibility, seeding the growth for fully community living integration."

Users of GoCC4All will receive captions through their personal braille display, or through their mobile devices customizing features in the screen and braille display. Preliminary results suggest benefits for people with visual or hearing disabilities that will be able to customize the system to their individual needs.

Dicapta Foundation (DF) is a social enterprise subsidiary of Dicapta Corporation; DF is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure equal access to information for people with hearing and/or visual disabilities. DF promotes inclusion and accessibility for everyone by working with organizations, educators, industry experts, and related institutions to support initiatives that provide the opportunity to improve and increase accessibility. DF is teaming up with partners locally, nationally, and internationally to take on some tough challenges.

"The contents of this program are developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90IFDV0004-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this program do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government."