Bridge to Work Program Means Jobs for Blind Veterans

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind Launches Bridge to Work™ Program for Veterans Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

by: Jocelyn Hunter, Manager of Community Development, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind (CLB) recently hosted a press conference in collaboration with Montgomery County, Maryland, to announce its Bridge to Work™ program. Bridge to Work™ was developed after CLB received a grant from Maryland’s Department of Labor, in response to CLB’s proposal for a “Workforce Development Program for Visually Impaired and Blind Veterans in BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure)-Impacted Regions in Maryland.”

The Bridge to Work™ program recruits veterans who have served our country and are now blind or visually impaired, but ready and willing to work. The program provides job training for future reentry into the workforce.

In the initial stages of the program, job training will focus on skills in document imaging, which will support the federal government’s green initiatives to reduce the use of paper. As the program evolves with additional state and local government support, veterans will have job training opportunities in other career areas.

For more information about Bridge to Work™, contact Jocelyn Hunter at 202-454-6422 or jhunter@clb.org.