North Carolina Administrative Code
Title 10A - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Chapter 17 - SERVICES FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
Subchapter D - ASSISTIVE EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION
Section .0200 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
Section 17D .0202 - DEFINITIONS

(1) "Applicant" means an individual who applies for equipment from the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program.

(2) "Deaf" means the same as set forth in G.S. 143B-216.30.

(3) "Deaf-blind person" means a deaf person who is also certified as legally blind.

(4) "Division" means the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing of the Department of Health and Human Services or its staff.

(5) "Equipment set" means any one or more of the following:

(6) "Hard of hearing" means having permanent hearing loss which is severe enough to necessitate the use of amplification devices to hear oral communication. The term "hard of hearing" may be substituted for the term "hearing impaired" as used elsewhere within these Rules.

(7) "Program" means the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program, by which the Division provides equipment sets capable of serving the needs of deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and speech-impaired individuals as required under G.S. 143B-216.34.

(8) "Recipient" means the user of the equipment set or the parent, person standing in loco parentis, or legal guardian of a minor user who is under 18 years of age.

(9) "Regional center" means one of several centers located throughout North Carolina, each of which serves deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals within a defined region, and which is operated by the Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

(10) "Ring Signaling Device" means a mechanism such as a flashing light which visually or tactilely indicates that a communication is being received through a telephone line. This phrase also means a mechanism such as adjustable volume ringers and buzzers which audibly and loudly indicate an incoming telephone communication.

(11) "Subscriber unit" means a single dwelling which receives basic telephone service and is subject to a monthly service charge for each access line.

(12) "TEDP" means the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program administered by the Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing.

(13) "Telebraille device" means a TDD which has a modem connected to a braille machine which prints out embossed braille characters on a paper roll for a deaf-blind person to read.

(14) "User" means a deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired person or deaf-blind person within a subscriber unit for whose use the equipment set is provided. There may be multiple users in a subscriber unit, including users with different disabilities who require different equipment to best serve their needs.