CEA announced at CE Week festivities Wednesday the launch...

CEA announced at CE Week festivities Wednesday the launch of CEA Foundation, whose mission is to link seniors and people with disabilities with computer, video and Internet technology that can help them in their daily lives. Audiovox founder John Shalam told us the initial endowment of the charitable foundation is $1 million, and the first grant for $250,000 was awarded to Selfhelp Community Services, an eldercare service organization based in New York. Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center uses technology to allow homebound seniors to connect with friends and take virtual classes in art, cooking and other activities, said Leo Asen, vice president of senior communities at Selfhelp. Asen cited research indicating technology “may help blunt the colossal emotional, physical and financial costs of isolation that tens of thousands of seniors deal with on a daily basis.” Also during CE Week, CEA CEO Gary Shapiro said that Kazuhiro Tsuga, newly appointed President of Panasonic Corp., will deliver the opening keynote address at International CES 2013. The keynote is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at the Palazzo Ballroom in the Venetian hotel, Las Vegas, Shapiro said. Investor Larry Richenstein is vice chairman of the foundation and Veronica O'Connell of CEA is secretary and treasurer. Sunday is “Independence Day for the nearly 30 million blind and visually impaired Americans” because it marks the start of FCC rules for the top-five cable networks and some TV stations to begin providing four hours weekly of video description, said CEO Diane Johnson of Descriptive Video Works, a company providing such audio narration services. Video description was mandated by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, for which CEA lobbied.