The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee) voted unanimously to affirm recommendations developed to ensure AbilityOne employees will have: choice, improved workplace supports, competitive wages, a clear career path, ongoing training, and several other key benefits.

These core principles of the Quality Work Environment (QWE) initiative reflect the Committee’s vision to enable all people who are blind or have other severe disabilities to achieve their maximum employment potential.

The QWE initiative has identified and will promote best practices for the program’s nationwide workforce of more than 45,000 Americans. This will involve the more than 600 nonprofit agencies participating in the AbilityOne Program through two Central Nonprofit Agencies: National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities). Committee Vice Chairperson James Omvig said, “This is an important day in the history of the AbilityOne Program, demonstrating our commitment to continuously enhance the work environment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities.”

Since the Committee’s approval of the QWE concept one year ago, a collaborative “bottom up” process commenced, led by a QWE Steering Group composed of nonprofit agency (NPA) leaders and subject matter experts. NIB President and CEO Kevin Lynch and NISH President and CEO Robert Chamberlin sent a memorandum from Tina Ballard, Committee Executive Director and CEO, to the newly appointed steering group with the charge to take the leadership role in developing the Central Nonprofit Agencies’ QWE business plan recommendations. The steering group completed an intensive review of current best practices from industry and nonprofit organizations. As a result of this research, the steering group developed an implementation plan including core and progressive guidelines that foster a quality work environment.

These guidelines, supported by management tools, will be made available to all AbilityOne NPAs, allowing them to initiate their own individual work plans. The Committee envisions all AbilityOne nonprofit agencies will embrace and adopt individual QWE plans by the end of 2012. As part of this process, NIB and NISH will assist their producing nonprofit agencies in implementing this initiative. “The outstanding effort of this group will live on well into the future, opening the doors of opportunity wider for Americans who are blind or have other significant disabilities, “said Andrew Houghton, Chairperson, Committee for Purchase.

The Committee formally recognized the QWE leaders – Neil Romano, former Department of Labor Committee representative; John Miller, Steering Group Chairperson and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin; and Robert Hanye, Steering Group Vice Chairperson and CEO of the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment in Binghamton, NY for their efforts. Other recognized steering group participants include Jerry Bettenhausen, CEO of Work Services Corporation, Wichita Falls, TX; Rich Gilmartin, Vice President for Vocational Services at Lakeview Center in Pensacola, FL; Lou Moneymaker, CEO of BOSMA Enterprises in Indianapolis, IN; Steve Perdue, CEO of Grand Traverse Industries of Traverse City, MI; Deborah Russell, Manager for Outreach and Employment Services for Walgreens in Deerfield, IL; Bobby Silverstein, Counsel for the American Congress of Community Supports and Employment Services, also known as ACCSES, in Washington, D.C.; and Robin Usalis, CEO of the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Cincinnati, OH.

Left to Right: Houghton, Romano, Miller, Hanye, Omvig

AbilityOne was a proud sponsor of the 6th Annual American Freedom Festival, a concert event that features country music performers, actors, athletes, and other supporters, joining together to help support our nation's wounded warriors and their families. This year's success enabled the foundation to make contributions exceeding $200,000 and nearly $600,000 in total giving since its inception.

The resources will be used for a mentoring program designed for military through Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Easter Seals Community One Source program that connects veterans to community resources during their reintegration. Contributions will also aid in vision restoration for America's heroes, build and renovate homes for veterans, provide support to families of fallen and recreation and rehabilitation services to wounded warriors and their families. Contributions directly benefit the men and women that serve our great Nation and their families.

6th Annual American Freedom Festival - Posting of the Colors by Virginia National Guard's Commonwealth Challenge Program. National Anthem by 16 year U. S. Army veteran, Christal Rheams

ARLINGTON, VA (October 22, 2009) — As part of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the AbilityOne Program’s central nonprofit agencies are releasing survey results that demonstrate Americans have an overwhelming acceptance of the work capabilities of people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. The survey findings also reveal that more than 9 out of every 10 Americans believe the government should support employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities through programs like the federal AbilityOne Program.

This strong support of people who are blind or have other significant disabilities is an important part of the efforts to reduce the unemployment rate of people with disabilities, which hovers above 60 percent.

The national survey, conducted by Greenfield Online®, polled 1,000 Americans, 18 to 55+ years of age, regarding their attitudes and views on the capabilities of people who are blind or have other significant disabilities to create quality products and services. Results show:

• Broad acceptances among Americans that people who are blind or have other significant disabilities are capable of producing quality products and services. A majority of people surveyed (78%) said they were comfortable with the ability of people who are blind or have other significant disabilities to make quality products and services for the government and armed forces. Additionally, 8 out of 10 people surveyed (80%) said they were comfortable with the government and armed forces purchasing products and/or services made by people who are blind or have other significant disabilities.
• Overwhelming belief that the government should support employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. Almost all of the survey respondents (92%) say it is important for the government and armed forces to support the AbilityOne Program.

“The AbilityOne Program is the largest source of employment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities” said Robert Chamberlin, President and CEO of NISH – Creating Employment Opportunities for People With Significant Disabilities.
Products for purchase from AbilityOne include: military uniforms, TSA gloves, airplane parts, office and computer supplies as well as environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies. Services include call center management, contract administration, fleet management, laundry services, as well as warehouse, shipping.

“Federal workers should feel incredibly empowered that they are helping to reduce unemployment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities by purchasing AbilityOne products and services. With every purchase of AbilityOne products and services, federal procurement officers literally create and sustain more jobs for this underutilized, but qualified workforce,” Kevin Lynch, President and CEO, National Industries for the Blind said.

The AbilityOne Program is supported by the National Industries for the Blind and NISH, both organizations work with more than 600 nonprofit agencies to provide employment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. These agencies sell products on through the federal procurement process to 40 government agencies, the U.S. military; and, to military personnel through 133 base supply centers. In Fiscal Year 2008 alone, $2.3 billion of products and services purchased by the Federal Government were made by people who were blind or have other significant disabilities by way of the AbilityOne Program.

In an effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment, Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).

About the AbilityOne Program
Providing employment opportunities to more than 40,000 people, the AbilityOne Program is the largest single source of employment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities in the United States. More than 600 participating nonprofit organizations employ these individuals and provide quality goods and services to the federal government at a fair market price. The AbilityOne Program is administered by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, an independent federal agency, with assistance from National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH-Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities. For more information, please visit www.abilityone.org.

About NIB
In the United States, seven out of 10 people who are blind are not employed. At National Industries for the Blind (NIB), it is our mission to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and its associated agencies serve as the largest program responsible for the employment of people who are blind through the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. For more information regarding how the NIB and NIB-associated agencies continue to provide opportunities to blind Americans, please visit: www.NIB.org.

NISH–Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities
Established in 1974, NISH (www.nish.org) is one of two national, nonprofit agencies designated by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled to support nonprofit agencies (NPAs) participating in the AbilityOne Program.
NISH provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities by procuring federal contracts for goods and services. Headquartered in Vienna, Va., NISH supports a network of more than 1,300 NPAs as well as federal customers by providing legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful contract management.

The AbilityOne Program, the largest single source of U.S. employment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities, has entered into a strategic alliance with the USO, which is known internationally for providing morale-boosting activities and services to the military. This alliance will leverage the resources of both organizations to assist and empower service members, particularly wounded warriors.

AbilityOne will provide volunteer support through its network of more than 40,000 employees – 2,000 of whom are veterans – for the USO Operation Enduring Care program, which works to meet the recovery needs of injured service members and their families. For their first joint initiative the two organizations will pack “comfort kits” for injured troops coming directly from the battlefield.

This declaration marks the beginning of a long-term relationship between AbilityOne and the USO, and responds to the United We Serve initiative, the call to action by President Obama and the First Lady to encourage volunteerism.

“This strategic alliance brings together two organizations that are dedicated to addressing the challenges that wounded warriors face and providing resources to help them recover,” said Tina Ballard, executive director and CEO, Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the independent federal agency that administers the AbilityOne Program. “This partnership also sends the very important message that AbilityOne employees are capable and dedicated to serving our soldiers who sacrifice for our freedoms. On behalf of AbilityOne employees located nationwide, we are proud to lend our time and our talents to support USO programs and we look forward to a long and beneficial relationship.”

“We enthusiastically welcome AbilityOne’s participation in Operation Enduring Care and appreciate the organization’s efforts to help us support the welfare and social needs of American service members,” said Sloan Gibson, USO president and CEO. ”Moving forward, we hope that AbilityOne employees will continue to serve not only as USO volunteers, but also as a source of inspiration to wounded veterans.”

The Committee for Purchase and its two central nonprofit agencies – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH – will officially launch the strategic alliance later this month at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. In addition to AbilityOne employees assembling the first Operation Enduring Care comfort kits, Ballard; Gibson; Bob Chamberlin, president and CEO, NISH; and Kevin Lynch, president and CEO, NIB, will deliver remarks.