Community Support Programs

Overview

Vermont Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (VTEDP)

Vermont Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (VTEDP)
Mission: to provide FREE adaptive telephone equipment to income-qualified Vermonters with disabilities
Toll Free: 888-254-3323 x549 (V/TTY)
866-327-2640 (VP)

Email: vtedp@vcdhh.org

Are you Deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired, visually impaired, or have a physical disability that makes it hard for you to use a telephone? If you qualify, we will provide you with a FREE telephone system adapted to your specific needs, so you can once again communicate with friends and family. It is funded by the state of Vermont and completely free of charge to you, and none of our equipment requires monthly service fees or initial setup fees.

The program may buy or repair the equipment you need including :

TTY or Braille TTY
CapTel phone (An amplified telephone with written captions of the conversation.)
Amplified phone (You can choose the type: corded, cordless, large buttons, caller ID, etc.)
Flashing light and/or loud ringer device (to know that the phone is ringing)
Voice carry-over "VCO" telephone (A telephone that allows deaf people to read incoming messages from a relay service, but lets them use their voice to respond.) For people who can hear but cannot speak: Hearing carry-over "HCO" telephone (you type on a TTY keyboard and relay operators translate it to voice for you, and you hear the caller through speakers), an electrolarynx telephone, or a computer with speech creation software
Personal computer (including used equipment) if bought with text telephone software, or text telephone software for a computer
Other adaptive equipment you may need to use the phone.

If you were interested in a CapTel phone and do not qualify for our program, you can purchase one yourself for $99 from WCI. Please contact them at 1-800-233-9130, or get more information online at www.captionedtelephone.com. In addition, there is now a FREE web CapTel service if you have a computer with internet access you don't need a CapTel phone at all to enjoy this. Check it out at http://www.captionedtelephone.com/webcaptel.php.
If you are approved, you will be provided up to $750* to be used to purchase equipment approved by the program, as listed in the application. See Program Guidelines below. *If the equipment you need is more than $750, a waiver of the spending limit may be available.

Senior Manager - Jorika Stockwell, Southern VT Office
802-258-9549 or toll free 888-254-3323 ext. 549 (V/TTY)

For VT-EDP Income Guidelines and to Download an Application Form 2008-09
please click on the Form Tab at the top of this page.

Vermont Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program Guidelines for Consumers

In order to apply for free equipment, you need to return a completed application and with proof of income and disability. When we receive your application and proofs, we will determine if you meet the income and disability guidelines. If you are approved and know what type of equipment you would like, we can place the order within a week and have it delivered directly to you within 2-3 weeks.

If you don't know what type of equipment would work best for you, we will contact you to discuss the different options available. We only provide equipment you might need to use the telephone.

If you are over the income limit, we will put you on our waiting list. People on the waiting list will receive equipment between June 15-30th ONLY IF there are funds left over at that time. If you are not approved for our program, we will send you a letter explaining why and include your options for filing a waiver or an appeal.

Any equipment you receive is the property of the State of Vermont, and is considered a loan to you. If you move out of Vermont or no longer need the equipment, you must return the equipment to this program.

Once you receive equipment from VTEDP, there is a four year waiting period before you can receive another piece of equipment from the program. If the equipment breaks, the program can pay to repair it during that four year period (or longer). You would need to send in another application for the repair. If your situation changes and you need equipment sooner than four years, you may apply for a waiver of the waiting period.

If you need equipment that exceeds $750.00 you may send a letter requesting a waiver of the $750 limit. In your letter, state the special circumstances that warrant the waiver.

The Commissioner may grant the waiver if no other funds exist to meet your need and, in the Commissioner's judgment, your disability requires equipment to connect to the publicly switched network that cannot be purchased within the $750 limit.

If the Commissioner grants your request for equipment funding
The application will be funded if funds are available. If funds are exhausted, the application will receive priority status for funding in the following year (beginning July 1st), without the necessity for reapplication.

Types of Equipment currently available updated 10/15/08

For Deaf consumers:

All varieties of TTYs (options include: printer, answering machine, ASCII, mobile tty's to plug into cell phones or for traveling, Braille, memory for storing phone numbers and/or standard greetings, etc.)
A computer with text software for using the computer as your TTY.
Just the computer software for using the computer like a TTY, if you already have a computer. Software (usually MyTTY) requires an internet connection and a computer with Pentium III processor or better.
CapTel phone: This phone works for people who can speak for themselves. An amplified phone that also displays every word the other person says on the telephone itself, so you can read the other person's conversation. This works through a different relay system than the TTY, and the word processing is much faster (2-3 second delay).
Any of the above can be ordered with light flashers to let you know when the phone is ringing, and you can have flashers in several different rooms in your home.

For consumers who can hear but cannot speak:

TTY with Hearing Carry Over option. This works with the Vermont relay service, and allows you to hear the other person speaking through attached speakers. You type your response and the relay operator will voice your words for you.
An electrolarynx phone for speaking on the phone through a special electrolarynx directly connected to the phone.
A computer with external phone and text software that creates a voice for you from your typed words. We provide the computer, the phone, and the software.

For consumers who have a hard time hearing but can speak:

CapTel phone: An amplified phone that also displays every word the other person says on the telephone itself, so if you miss part of the sentence, you can look down and read it instead. This is a new service, and very popular.
Regular amplified phone: Increases the volume of the conversation so you can better hear the conversation. The amplified phones we order are generally better quality and better amplification than what you purchase at your local stores. You need to choose if it's cordless (helpful if someone has mobility issues), with or without an answering machine, with speakerphone, and with or without caller ID.
A telecoil neckloop, to plug into amplified phones and use with your hearing aid (hearing aid must have "T Coil ability" (ask your audiologist if yours has this). The loop transmits sound directly into your hearing aid and reduces feedback.
TTY/phone with voice carry over. You speak with your own voice, and read the responses that are typed back through the Vermont Relay Service.
A computer with text software for using the computer as a TTY.
Any of the above can be ordered with light flashers or loud ringers (or a combo of both) to let you know when the phone is ringing. They plug into a phone jack, and we will provide as many as you need to have one in several different rooms in your home.

For consumers with mobility disabilities:

There are a variety of options, including large button phones, headsets, voice activated phones and/or computer programs, phones with one button to push that will control all functions of the telephone, etc. We will need to discuss your situation and help you decide what would work the best.

For consumers with other and/or multiple disabilities:

We will need to discuss your situation and help you decide what would work the best. If you have trouble using a standard phone, we can probably find equipment to help you. For people with multiple disabilities or complicated needs, we can send a consultant to your home to help decide what equipment would work best for you.

The Register tab below is temporarily out of service. Please call with questions or use the application form that you can find by clicking on the 'forms tab' at the top of this page.

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faq

Question: How much will it cost for me to get this equipment?
Answer: Absolutely nothing. There is never a fee or charge for the phone equipment or for any relay service that is used with our equipment.

Question: How long will it take for me to get my equipment?
Answer: If you send an application WITH proof of income and proof of disability, and you meet our income guidelines, we can approve your application the same day we receive it. Within a few days we will contact you, discuss what equipment would work best for you, and once we know what to order it will take about 2 weeks to be delivered directly to your house. In short, about 3 weeks if there are no delays.

Question: What should I do if the phone I receive doesn’t work for me?
Answer: Call us as soon as possible! We can exchange it for a different phone system. We want you to be able to communicate over the phone, so please let us know if the phone is not useful to you in any way.

Question: What kind of computer can I get?
Answer: There is no restriction on the type of computer laptop or desktop and you can make a request if you have specific preferences in terms of brands. We do have a $750 budget for each applicant, and this needs to include the software,the shipping,and any flashing lights that you may also want. This leaves approximately $550 to $650 as a budget for the computer itself. Sometimes we have used computers that we distribute, but most of them are new.

Question: Are there similar programs in other states besides Vermont?
Answer: Yes, most states have a similar program. Please check out www.tedpa.org, the national organization of EDPs to find contact info for other state programs. There are a few states, like our neighboring New York, who don't have programs but this is rare. You can also call us to ask about a specific state contact.

Question: I don’t know what type of equipment I need, how do I decide?
Answer: Just ask us! If you are filling out your application, just check at the bottom that you would like assistance in choosing equipment, and we will call you. We call everyone once they are approved in order to make sure that we are ordering the right equipment for your situation.

Question: Will the phone work in a nursing home or other special living situation?
Answer: Yes, most of the time. It is rare there is a problem with this.

Question: Does the CapTel need a special phone line to work?
Answer:

No. With the exception that it works best on analog lines rather than digital lines, which is something that you can check with your phone company to see which one you use. If you have digital phone service, then you will need a filter installed this is very easy and something you can do yourself.

Question: What is 2-Line CapTel?
Answer: In addition to standard mode (which uses just one telephone line), CapTel can be used in 2-line mode, which requires two separate telephone lines. With 2-line CapTel, you can turn captions on or off at any point during the call. Callers can dial your phone number directly, instead of calling through the Captioning Service first, and you will still receive captions throughout the call. 2-Line CapTel also allows users to enjoy advanced phone features they may have purchased, such as Call Waiting, while still receiving captions. More about 2-Line CapTel

forms

2009-10 Income Guidelines

VTEDP Client Application Form