National Industries for the Blind Honors Leading Human Resources Advocate

October 8, 2010; Cincinnati, Ohio – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) honored Brenda D. Gumbs, vice president, human resources for Perfetti Van Melle, as the 2010 R. B. Irwin Award winner during an awards banquet at the “AbilityOne: People Make it Happen” Annual Training Conference hosted by NIB and the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) in Cincinnati.

The R.B. Irwin Award is NIB’s highest honor, presented annually to a professional who has devoted his or her career to creating and improving employment for people who are blind, or a volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional service and commitment to the mission of NIB. The award honors the memory of Dr. Robert B. Irwin, who was instrumental in the passage of the Wagner-O’Day Act and the creation of NIB in 1938.

Gumbs, based in Erlanger, Kentucky, was an active member of the NIB Board of Directors and assumed many critical leadership positions during her eight-year tenure, including vice chairperson, secretary, and chairperson of the Strategic Planning, Board Development, and Performance Management committees.

She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill in Rochester, New York.

“We are pleased to honor Brenda Gumbs with the Irwin Award,” said Kevin A. Lynch, NIB president and CEO. “She has worked tirelessly throughout her career utilizing and applying her expertise in human resources, her advocacy endeavors and her organizational involvement to help and mainstream people who are blind or visually impaired and assist them with career options.”

About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program. (Pictured left: SKILCRAFT logo and AbilityOne Program logo. SKILCRAFT slogan: Every Purchase Creates Jobs)

Blind Texas man fulfills skydiving dream

WHITEWRIGHT – To his long list of feats – as a motivational speaker, disc jockey, author, motorcyclist, water skier – Blake Lindsay can add a new one: skydiver.

It's a lot for anyone to accomplish, let alone someone who's blind.

Lindsay, 45, jumped from an airplane 2 ½ miles high Saturday to fulfill a childhood wish and make a point: "I want people – when they face their challenges, their fears – to dive in, because there's victory on the other side," he said.

Read the full story from the Dallas Morning News - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/101010dnmetblindjump.2466ce8.html

About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program. (Pictured left: SKILCRAFT logo and AbilityOne Program logo. SKILCRAFT slogan: Every Purchase Creates Jobs)

Public officials have an obligation to do more for people with vision loss

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month - celebrate by supporting the purchase of SKILCRAF products and services. Every purchase creates jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Sheila Solomon Klass wites about her life with Macular Degeneration in a Special to The Washington Post Monday, October 4, 2010. A portion of the story is excerpted here. Read the entire story and view a video on what macular degeneration looks like from the perspective of someone who lives with it.

Video Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/10/04/VI2010100404256.html?sid=ST2010100405965

Story Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/04/AR2010100405310.html?sub=AR



Each day on waking, as I pad barefoot to the door to get the morning newspaper, I wonder: Will I be able to read the headlines when I pick it up? Yes, the headlines.
Headlines, after all, are large and set in bold type. That's what it has come down to. Oh, sure, with my magnifier I can do it. But I never carry my magnifier to the door; that would be cheating on the daily test I set for myself.

I'm legally blind because of macular degeneration, and I have glaucoma.
What the normal eye can see from 200 feet, I can see from only 20 feet or less. I can read normal-size print in a good strong light, if I hold the book close to my face. One and a half million Americans share the disability of legal blindness with me. Additionally, I'm an 82-year-old widow in lace-up orthopedic shoes who spends a lot of time on the subway happily going about her business.

Until five years ago, I had no very serious laments about my body, which has served me well and serves me still.

But now . . . my eyes are going. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in my age group, and my vision is practically gone. What worse punishment is there for an English teacher, for a writer of fiction whose major sport is reading, for a person who worships the printed word?

Story Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/04/AR2010100405310.html?sub=AR

About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program. (Pictured left: SKILCRAFT logo and AbilityOne Program logo. SKILCRAFT slogan: Every Purchase Creates Jobs)

AbilityOne: People Make It Happen; National Disability Awareness Month

National Industries for the Blind Celebrating NDEAM at Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio Oct 6-9, 2010

National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the largest employer of people who are blind in the U.S., is celebrating October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month with a nationwide awareness campaign featuring local programs at many of its 89 associated agencies; 140 AbilityOne Base Supply Center stores and special events throughout October.

NIB is honoring 62 “Employees of the Year” who are featured guests at its Annual Training Conference in Cincinnati, OH October 6-9, 2010. Two employees will also be honored as national award winners: Joyce Talbert, Bosma Enterprises, Indianapolis, Indiana will be presented the Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award. Kenneth Fountain, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind will be presented the Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award. All employees produce SKILCRAFT® products or provide services sold to the federal government or Department of Defense through the AbilityOne Program (see the Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy online).

President Barack Obama (pictured left) issued a presidential proclamation recognizing October 2010 as National Disability Awareness Month. In his proclamation, Obama said: “We also know we are stronger when our country and economy can benefit from the skills and talents of all our citizens. No individual in our Nation should face unnecessary barriers to success, and no American with a disability should be limited in his or her desire to work. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we renew our focus on improving employment opportunities and career pathways that lead to good jobs and sound economic futures for people with disabilities.”

In July, President Obama signed an Executive Order to increase jobs for people who are blind or disabled: “This directive requires Federal agencies to design model recruitment and hiring strategies for people with disabilities, and to implement programs to retain these public servants. To ensure transparency and accountability, agencies will report on their progress on hiring people with disabilities, and the Office of Personnel Management will post the results of agencies' efforts online for public evaluation.”

The full text of President Obama’s text is available at www.nib-abilityone.blogspot.com or www.nib.org

About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program. (Pictured left: SKILCRAFT logo and AbilityOne Program logo. SKILCRAFT slogan: Every Purchase Creates Jobs)

President Obama Proclaims proclaim October 2010 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month

The White House; Office of the Press Secretary; For Immediate Release October 01, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--National Disability Employment Awareness Month

As Americans, we understand employment and economic security are critical to fulfilling our hopes and aspirations. We also know we are stronger when our country and economy can benefit from the skills and talents of all our citizens. No individual in our Nation should face unnecessary barriers to success, and no American with a disability should be limited in his or her desire to work. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we renew our focus on improving employment opportunities and career pathways that lead to good jobs and sound economic futures for people with disabilities.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark civil rights legislation that established a foundation of justice and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. In the two decades since its passage, much progress has been made. However, Americans with disabilities continue to be employed at a rate far below Americans without disabilities, and they are underrepresented in our Federal workforce.

My Administration is committed to ensuring people living with disabilities have fair access to jobs so they can contribute to our economy and realize their dreams. To help achieve this goal, I signed an Executive Order in July to increase Federal employment of individuals with disabilities. This directive requires Federal agencies to design model recruitment and hiring strategies for people with disabilities, and to implement programs to retain these public servants. To ensure transparency and accountability, agencies will report on their progress on hiring people with disabilities, and the Office of Personnel Management will post the results of agencies' efforts online for public evaluation. As the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government can become a model employer by increasing employment across America of individuals with disabilities.

The 21st-century economy demands a highly educated workforce equipped with the technology and skills to maintain America's leadership in the global marketplace. Technology has changed the way we work, and the Federal Government is leveraging emerging, assistive, and other workplace technologies to improve the options available for everyone, including workers with disabilities. We must improve the accessibility of our workplaces and enable the collaboration and contributions of every employee, and that is why I look forward to signing into law the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. This legislation will greatly increase access to technology, with advances in areas such as closed captioning, delivery of emergency information, video description, and other advanced communications -- all essential tools for learning and working in today's technological society.

Individuals with disabilities are a vital and dynamic part of our Nation, and their contributions have impacted countless lives. People with disabilities bring immeasurable value to our workplaces, and we will continue to address the challenges to employment that must be overcome. This month, let us rededicate ourselves to fostering equal access and fair opportunity in our labor force, and to capitalizing on the talent, skills, and rich diversity of all our workers.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2010 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to embrace the unique value that individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces and communities and to promote everyone's right to employment.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA


About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 88 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program.

2010 NDEAM Message Asst Sec. Kathy Martinez, Dept. Of Labor

(Pictured: Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor)

Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity Includes People with Disabilities.

America has been celebrating the contributions of workers with disabilities since creating a National Physical Disability Employment Awareness Week in 1945. Since then, our celebration has been expanded to a month and now emphasizes the contributions of people with all disabilities from all ethnic and racial groups.

It has always been important to celebrate the important contributions of workers with disabilities. But this year we have even more to celebrate, as President Obama is creating change that we can believe in for jobseekers and workers with disabilities. The President signed a landmark Executive Order on July 26 that calls on all Federal Government executive departments and agencies to create goals and action plans for increasing the numbers of people with disabilities hired and to improve retention and return to work of Federal employees with disabilities.

In addition, my office, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), has been working with DOL's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) on their recent issuance inviting input on how OFCCP can strengthen the affirmative action requirements of the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It proposes for the first time that federal contractors, who create 25% of the available jobs in America, would be held to benchmarks for hiring qualified workers with disabilities. Until now, it was enough for employers to make attempts to hire qualified workers with disabilities, even if their efforts never resulted in actual job offers.

At ODEP, we strongly believe that increasing employment for people with disabilities is contingent on increasing more accurate and positive portrayals of people with disabilities in the media. With that in mind, ODEP created two campaigns: Lights, Camera, Access! and the Campaign for Disability Employment.

Lights! Camera! Access! began with a "call to action and best practices" summit that initiated a groundbreaking dialogue between the U.S. Department of Labor and the entertainment and broadcast industries. Co-sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Summit brought together participants to explore strategies for improving images and increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities in front of and behind the camera. As follow-up, the Lights! Camera! Access! industry groups are sponsoring events that promote NDEAM and lay the foundation to increase internship opportunities for college students with disabilities, starting in the summer of 2011.

Also developing interest in disability employment across the country are the public service announcements created by ODEP in conjunction with other national partners for the Campaign for Disability Employment. These announcements, called "What Can You Do?" highlight the contributions of several energetic employed workers with disabilities. The interest in these announcements has been so profound that TV stations have donated over $8 million of free air time to promote this important employment message to employers.

NDEAM Posters

About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 88 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program.

2010 NDEAM Message from Assistant Secretary Kathy Martinez

(pictured: Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor)
Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity Includes People with Disabilities

America has been celebrating the contributions of workers with disabilities since creating a National Physical Disability Employment Awareness Week in 1945. Since then, our celebration has been expanded to a month and now emphasizes the contributions of people with all disabilities from all ethnic and racial groups.

It has always been important to celebrate the important contributions of workers with disabilities. But this year we have even more to celebrate, as President Obama is creating change that we can believe in for jobseekers and workers with disabilities. The President signed a landmark Executive Order on July 26 that calls on all Federal Government executive departments and agencies to create goals and action plans for increasing the numbers of people with disabilities hired and to improve retention and return to work of Federal employees with disabilities.

In addition, my office, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), has been working with DOL's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) on their recent issuance inviting input on how OFCCP can strengthen the affirmative action requirements of the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It proposes for the first time that federal contractors, who create 25% of the available jobs in America, would be held to benchmarks for hiring qualified workers with disabilities. Until now, it was enough for employers to make attempts to hire qualified workers with disabilities, even if their efforts never resulted in actual job offers.

At ODEP, we strongly that increasing employment for people with disabilities is contingent on increasing more accurate and positive portrayals of people with disabilities in the media. With that in mind, ODEP created two campaigns: Lights, Camera, Access! and the Campaign for Disability Employment.

Lights! Camera! Access! began with a "call to action and best practices" summit that initiated a groundbreaking dialogue between the U.S. Department of Labor and the entertainment and broadcast industries. Co-sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Summit brought together participants to explore strategies for improving images and increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities in front of and behind the camera. Lights! Camera! Access! is sponsoring events that promote NDEAM and lay the foundation to increase internship opportunities for college students with disabilities, starting in the summer of 2011.

Also developing interest in disability employment across the country are the public service announcements created by ODEP in conjunction with other national partners for the Campaign for Disability Employment. These announcements, called "What Can You Do?" highlight the contributions of several energetic employed workers with disabilities. The interest in these announcements has been so profound that TV stations have donated over $8 million of free air time to promote this important employment message to employers.