Verizon Invests $70,000 in Nonprofits That Use Technology to Help People With Disabilities

For a person with a disability, technology doesn’t simply make life more convenient; it is often the difference between independence and relying on others for the simplest of tasks.

The Verizon Foundation, which is committed to improving access to information and services that address the needs of the disabilities community, understands the power of technology, and on Wednesday (June 29) the foundation awarded a total of $70,000 to seven nonprofit agencies that are dedicated to improving accessibility.

The agencies are: Carroll Center for the Blind, Easter Seals of Massachusetts, Gateway Arts, National Braille Press, New England Home for the Deaf, Talking Information Center and United Cerebral Palsy of Berkshire County.

For more information on the winning programs, go to: http://www22.verizon.com/about/community/ma/community/ma_services_disabled.html.

The awards were announced at a ceremony at the New England Home for the Deaf in Danvers to recognize the grant winners.

Over the past four years, the Verizon Foundation has awarded nearly $400,000 in assistive technology grants to Massachusetts nonprofits.

Verizon has a long history of providing technology solutions for people with disabilities through its Verizon Center for Customers with Disabilities (VCCD) in Marlborough. The VCCD, which fields more than 350,000 calls per year, is staffed by 70 service representatives who assist customers with vision, cognitive, mobility, speech or hearing disabilities and provide them with technology solutions that meet their individual needs.

“Assistive technology is a critical contributor to the quality of life for people with disabilities,” said Donna Cupelo, region president Verizon New England. “It is an honor to partner with organizations that understand how to use technology to expand the realm of possibility for people with a wide range of cognitive, sensory and physical disabilities. We congratulate them for their dedication and ingenuity.”

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 104 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.