Washington, D.C. National Industries for the Blind (NIB) applauds Chairman Ed Towns (D-10th-New York), who recently sent letters to the U.S. Departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security requesting assistance in identifying barriers that may prevent the departments from purchasing qualified products and services from the AbilityOne Program as part of the federal procurement process.
“Creating jobs is one of my highest priorities and providing job opportunities to the blind through the AbilityOne Program is critical to fulfilling that goal. While NIB has made great strides in advancing job opportunities for people who are blind, there is still a great deal to accomplish in order to reduce the number of blind men and women who are currently unemployed. It is my hope that working with various federal agencies, we can define and remove barriers to create additional jobs for people who are blind,” Chairman Towns said.
NIB and its 88 community-based nonprofit agencies are the largest employers for people who are blind. These employees earn their living by providing SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program to the federal government at a net cost savings to the federal taxpayer. Nearly 6,000 individuals who are blind produce products ranging from military uniforms to pens, and provide services such as call center operations and administrative services through the AbilityOne Program.
While NIB has made great strides in advancing job opportunities for people who are blind, there is still much to accomplish, as more than 70 percent of individuals who are blind are still unemployed.
“With Chairman Towns’ leadership, more federal agencies will become aware of the federal procurement requirement to purchase from the AbilityOne Program and make the right choice to help us sustain and create economic independence for people who are blind,” said Kevin Lynch, president and CEO, NIB.
