Decorated Veteran Helping People Who Are Blind Find Employment

2010 “Oz” Day AbilityOne Award Presented to Master Sgt. Jeffrey Mittman

Alexandria, VA – Army Master Sergeant Jeffrey Mittman, a native of Indianapolis, received national recognition for his commitment to creating employment opportunities for people who are blind. The Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled presented Sgt. Mittman with the 2010 Osborne A. “Oz” Day AbilityOne Awareness Award October 27, 2010.

The prestigious “Oz Day” award is presented to federal employee or member of the military, who demonstrates exceptional service in promoting employment opportunities for people who are blind or severely disabled through the AbilityOne Program.

MSG Mittman, who was blinded and suffered other devastating injuries in Iraq from an improvised explosive device (IED) in 2005, is involved in a training program with the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) through the Warrior in Transition Program; in this role he supports a critical mission of employment for people with disabilities. This program allows him to prepare to transition into a civilian career upon retirement from the Army.

“I decided long ago – I can either own [my experiences] and learn from these experiences or I can let them own me. I chose the former,” said MSG Mittman. “I am humbled and proud to receive this honor, and I am eager to continue to be an example to our wounded warriors and other individuals with disabilities, showing them what is possible.”

“Master Sergeant Mittman is a remarkable individual who has faithfully served our country for more than 20 years, overcome tremendous adversity and now serves as an ambassador to other individuals with disabilities,” said Kevin Lynch, President and CEO of NIB. “NIB is committed to making a difference in the lives of our wounded warriors, so when we had the opportunity to have him on the NIB staff, we jumped at the chance. It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Jeff that he deserves this recognition.”

The award is named in honor of Osborne A. “Oz” Day, who served as a private citizen member of the Committee from 2005 to 2008. Day provided critical leadership in communicating the AbilityOne message to federal customers and the general public. His service was the culmination of a lifelong career of advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities.

About National Industries for the Blind
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 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, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. For more information regarding how NIB and NIB associated agencies continue to provide opportunities to Americans who are blind, please visit: www.NIB.org

1 Store Solutions 15th Anniversary Event for Travis Air Force Base AbilityOne Store

1 Store Solutions blind employees proud to serve their community and America’s military.

Fairfield, CA – For the past 12 years, the employees at 1 Store Solutions Base Supply Center (BSC) at Travis Air Force Base have been providing on-base mission critical support and outfitting the servicemen and women stationed there. Today, these employees, and South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, reached out to thank the community at Travis for their support and to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the AbilityOne Base Supply Center Program.

U.S. Representatives George Miller (D-CA-07) and John Garamendi (D-CA-10) praised the work of the AbilityOne Program and the 1 Store Solutions BSC.

“The services provided by the employees at the 1 Store Solutions Base Supply Center at Travis Air Force Base play an important role at Travis and for our service men and women,” said Rep. Miller in a statement released to National Industries for the Blind. “Their work is win-win – individuals who are blind are given employment opportunities and 140 government installations receive quality, full service and flexible operations. I look forward to their continued success.”

“On this 15th Anniversary of the AbilityOne Base Supply Center program, we are pleased to congratulate 1 Store Solutions at Travis Air Force Base for their hard work, both on the base, as well as in our communities – and we wish you many years of continued success,” wrote Reps. Miller and Garamendi in a letter presented during a program at the event.

There are 140 AbilityOne BSC facilities located at federal and military installations throughout the United States that provide employment to 300 Americans who are blind or severely disabled. More than 40,000 blind or disabled people are employed through the sale of products and services through the AbilityOne Program.

“1 Store Solutions supports the mission and the service men and women of Travis. It also supports the livelihood of the men and women who, through civilian service support our military,” said Steve Heinecke, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Vice President of Marketing. “1 Store Solutions and NIB personnel are proud to be included in supporting America’s Armed Forces.”

Also attending today’s event were Col. Robert Eatman, Commander, 60th Mission Support Group, Travis AFB, and Regis Barber, President, South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind.

“We opened our first AbilityOne Base Supply Center in 1997, and have expanded to six different locations since that time,” said Barber. “Working with Travis has been an incredible partnership, and we are extremely proud and honored to be able to serve our servicemen and women in this way.”

About 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, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act.

New Contract Management Services Web Page on NIB.org

The federal government needs contract administration and closeout services. For example, the U.S. Army has 300,000+ contracts that require closing. To meet this need, NIB provides services such as:

Research and analysis to ensure all requirements for closing contracts are complete.

We present “ready-to-close” contracts to government contracting officers.

Contract close-out document preparation

Contract document imaging and indexing

Contract document destruction

In June 2010, NIB, as the prime contractor and CMS program manager for the AbilityOne Program, executed an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Department of the Army for provision of CMS contract closeout support services for all of the Department of Defense (DoD). CMS closeout services were added to the mandatory AbilityOne Procurement List concurrently with the DoD-wide IDIQ contract. With these essential building blocks in place, individual task orders from across DoD will flow to the AbilityOne Program via NIB.

About National Industries for the Blind
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 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, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. For more information regarding how NIB and NIB associated agencies continue to provide opportunities to Americans who are blind, please visit: www.NIB.org

Samuelson Career Achievement Award Presented by National Industries for the Blind

October 8, 2010; Cincinnati, Ohio – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) honored Kenneth Fountain, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, as the 2010 Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement 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 Samuelson Award is presented to an individual who demonstrates career advancement at an NIB associated agency or in the private sector. The award was named for the late Milton J. Samuelson, who championed upward mobility and placement programs for people who are blind.

Fountain was selected from a national pool of candidates nominated by NIB associated agencies for the Samuelson award. He is manages the Base Supply Center store at the U.S. Department of Treasury in Washington, D.C., operated by Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (WSIFB) of North Carolina.

Fountain, who is blind, was instrumental in increasing sales by 83 percent to $420,600 the first year – higher than any other WSIFB location.

His career experience at two other NIB associated agencies includes employment in production and vending sales at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland and serving as base supply center associate at Virginia Industries for the Blind.

“We are pleased to honor Kenneth Fountain with the Samuelson Award,” said Kevin A. Lynch, NIB president and CEO. “He has demonstrated an ability to adapt and continually learn new skills to provide excellent service for his government customers, implement and achieve fiscal results, while also overcoming personal challenges.”

About National Industries for the Blind (NIB)
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.

Winner of Salmon Employee of the Year Award Announced by National Industries for the Blind

October 8, 2010; Cincinnati, Ohio – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) honored Joyce Talbert, Bosma Enterprises, as the 2010 Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award Winner an awards banquet during 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 Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award honors employees who excel in their positions at NIB associated agencies. The award was named for the late Dr. Peter J. Salmon, who was instrumental in the passage of the Wagner O-Day Act and the formation of NIB.

Talbert, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, was selected from a pool of candidates nominated by NIB associated agencies. At an age when most people contemplate retirement, Talbert, who is blind, earned her GED and went to work. Besides being trained on a dozen jobs at Bosma, Talbert has represented Bosma at outreach events including the United Way, Habitat for Humanity and other community service organizations.

According to Bill Amrine, director of industries at Bosma, “Joyce takes any job assignment and runs with the opportunity ... She is a leader on the production line as well as in the community.”

“We are pleased to honor Joyce Talbert with the Salmon Award,” said Kevin A. Lynch, NIB president and CEO. “Her professional dedication and exemplary performance, leadership and “can-do” attitude in managing her responsibilities set an example from which others can learn.”

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)

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.

Navy Task Order for Pilot Contract Closeout Services Provided by NIB through AbilityOne Program

Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich, commander, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers (COMFISCS), a Naval Supply Systems Command Echelon III command, approved the first Navy task order to pilot contract closeout services provided by National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and the AbilityOne Program at a signing ceremony September 17, 2010 at NIB. (Picture: Adml Heinrich (front/left), John Qua, VP Services, NIB at signing ceremony. Rear left to Right: Kim Zeich, Deputy Executive Director, The Committee For Purchase; Kevin Lynch, President & CEO, NIB; Scottie Knott, COO, NIB)

Contract closeout services demonstrate the value of strategic sourcing and the resulting mutually beneficial relationships between government agencies and the AbilityOne Program.

This task order will assist the U.S. Navy in reducing a backlog of contracts requiring closeout actions and facilitate the return of unused obligated contract funds to the government. At the same time, the task order will create seven job opportunities for people who are blind in upwardly mobile, career-oriented positions.

On June 29, 2010, NIB, as the prime contractor and contract closeout program manager for the AbilityOne Program, executed an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Department of the Army for provision of contract closeout support services for all of the Department of Defense (DoD). Closeout services were added to the mandatory AbilityOne Procurement List concurrently with the DoD-wide IDIQ contract. With these essential building blocks in place, individual task orders such as this first Navy order from COMFISCS will flow to the AbilityOne Program via NIB.

The NIB point of contact for Contract Management Support (CMS) services is John Coney, who may be reached at 703-310-0564 or jconey@nib.org.

RFID Technology Aids People Who Are Blind in the Workplace on Department of Defense Contracts

Warrenton, Va. September 7, 2010 – A new technological system that allows people who are blind to work more accurately and efficiently was recently installed at four US locations, all factories that manufacture garments for the United States Department of Defense.

The company that developed and implemented this system is SimplyRFiD, a Warrenton, Va.-based software company.

Since 2005 a federal mandate has required that Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags be affixed to any clothing or other supplies sold to the DoD. The RFID tags are used to help the DoD better manage their inventory. The tags ensure that all shipments have come from verified providers, and that all packages contain the items they are meant to contain.

Many of the facilities that manufacture goods for the DoD are staffed by workers who are blind. The National Industries for the Blind (NIB), a non-profit organization that helps improve employment opportunities for people who are blind, became interested in ways that RFID technology could be used not only to fulfill government mandates, but to aid factory workers with certain tasks. NIB works with the DoD through the AbilityOne Program.

The NIB wondered whether a system could be created that would allow employees who are blind to accurately pack boxes with the correct type and quantity of an item.

Engineers at SimplyRFiD developed such a system. By linking RFID tags with audio equipment and allowing workers to communicate via a touch-screen, it is now simple for employees who are blind to know how many items are in a box they are packing, whether the items are the correct items, and which items to remove if a box is packed incorrectly.

“It’s almost a foolproof system,” said Mike Sebach the operations manager at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, located in Salisbury, which was the pilot location for this technology. “If [SimplyRFiD] hadn’t done what [they] did we would have had to give these jobs to sighted employees.”

Sebach said his workers are now able to pack boxes more accurately than sighted workers would. “The system will actually not allow us to over pack or under pack a carton.”

So far, in addition to the Maryland location, this system has been installed in facilities in Texas, New York, and North Carolina. Plans are underway for SimplyRFiD to implement the program at garment factories across the nation that employ workers who are blind.

“This technology could work in any warehouse, absolutely,” Sebach said.


Contact: Emily Darrell, Marketing Specialist
SimplyRFiD
6599 Commerce Ct., Suite 100, Warrenton, VA 20187
Tel. (703) 343-1689
Email: emily.darrell@simplyrfid.com

2010 NIB/NAEPB Annual Training Conference in Cincinnati October 6-8

Register Today for 2010 NIB/NAEPB Annual Training Conference in Cincinnati October 6-8; Pre-Conference Communications Seminar October 5-6
Ken Murphy, Director, Communications, NIB

Registration is open for the 2010 NIB/NAEPB Annual Training Conference, scheduled for October 6-8 at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference theme is “AbilityOne: People Make it Happen.”

This is an outstanding opportunity to develop new skills, learn new information and generate fundamental ideas from excellent featured speakers and informative training sessions.

We will also honor and recognize the accomplishments of the 2010 Employee of the Year associated agency nominees and national winners ­ because people make it happen and make all the difference!

This year, the NAEPB Communications Committee is planning a Pre-Conference Communications Seminar focusing on "AbilityOne: Telling our Story." All NIB associated agency employees, especially agency communications team members, are invited to attend. The Pre-Conference Communications Seminar is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, October 5, through Wednesday morning, October 6, before the Annual Training Conference begins.

The co-chairs of the conference planning committee lead the two local NIB associated agencies: John Mitchell, executive director of Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CAVBI), and Robin Usalis, CEO of Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to tour both agencies and we look forward to celebrating CABVI’s 100th anniversary!

Click on the links below for more information about the conference and seminar:

Read the attached draft agenda

Register for the conference and seminar

Reserve hotel room


For more information, visit the Events page of the NIB website. If you have any questions, contact conferences@nib.org.

AbilityOne Base Supply Centers Mark 15 Years

140 locations across U.S. provide jobs for 45,000 employees who are blind or have disabilities

Alexandria, VA – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) is launching a nationwide celebration honoring the 15th anniversary of the AbilityOne Base Supply Center (BSC) program which provides mission support at 140 U.S. military bases and federal agencies nationwide.

“BSC stores are directly responsible for the employment of more than 300 Americans who are blind or have other severe disabilities, which is what our mission is all about,” said Kevin A. Lynch, president and CEO, NIB. “BSC sales provide jobs and career advancement for the 45,000 people working as part of the AbilityOne procurement program to provide products and services to the federal government and our military.”

These employees produce and ship products, provide services and staff the BSCs. Additionally, service-disabled veterans and military dependents have the opportunity to join the AbilityOne team, where they continue to play a valuable role in the military communities that are significant to their lives.

The first BSC was opened in October, 1995, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, by LC Industries, an NIB associated agency. Now there are 140 locations on military bases and in federal buildings in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“On behalf of the AbilityOne Program, I congratulate National Industries for the Blind for 15 years of Base Supply Center excellence,” said Andrew D. Houghton, Chairperson of the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the federal agency which administers the AbilityOne Program. “We are pleased to provide quality employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities while meeting federal customers' needs through onsite retail operations.”

Eight cornerstone 15th anniversary events will be held at Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force bases throughout the country. Other dozens of local events will be held at other BSC stores. The event sites include:
• August 18 – Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• August 26 – Fort Knox, Kentucky
• August 31 – Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
• September 1 – Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
• September 8 – Fort Detrick, Maryland (tentative)
• September 24 – Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
• October 14 – Fort Bragg, North Carolina
• October 20 – Travis Air Force Base, California

“The success of the AbilityOne BSC program has allowed agencies to re-invest profits back into job training programs and create more employment opportunities for people who are blind,” said Chuck Lange, Vice President for Base Supply Centers at IB Milwaukee.

Government customers support the employment of qualified professionals who are blind or have other severe disabilities through each purchase under the AbilityOne Program.

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.

Contact:
Ken Murphy
Director, Communications
National Industries for the Blind
kmurphy@nib.org

FEDERAL NEWS RADIO INTERVIEWS NIB CEO KEVIN LYNCH

Washington, DC, June 22, 2010
This week, host Larry Allen talks with Kevin Lynch, President and CEO, National Industries for the Blind. NIB’s mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind.

Larry and Kevin discuss:
* An update on traditional NIB product offerings through the AbilityOne Program.
* How NIB is partnering with private sector partners
* Why NIB feels that they need to expand into services and what type of services they're exploring
* And federal contract support services being offered by NIB to the federal government and Department of Defense

Download or listen to Kevin Lynch’s interview with Larry Allen

Coalition for Government Procurement provides a voice for commercial service and product companies selling in the federal market. The Coalition has 29 years of working with decision makers in and out of government on acquisition rules and procurement issues and provides a unique perspective from their members that is shared whenever procurement policy is debated.

NIB AD in Washington Examiner GI Film Festival Guide

NIB is building awareness for SKILCRAFT® and the AbilityOne Program by supporting the GI Film Festival with an ad in the special insert of today’s Washington Examiner (distributed on the metro) and in a special Sunday edition that will be distributed at the GI Film Festival.

View our ad in the special Washington Examiner insert online (page two):

NIB has a similar ad in the official program. The Festival runs May 11-16. We have a shared booth with the Examiner on Saturday May 15 (Armed Forces Day and the largest film day of the Festival) and Sunday, May 16. We are also providing SKILCRAFT government pens in the VIP gift bags. About 4,000 attendees are expected.

Hollywood stars conducting seminars include: Glenn Close, Gary Sinese (CSI and Forest Gump fame), Ricky Schroeder. The event also features VIP receptions with Members of Congress, the Administration and Department of Defense, along with film makers.

The GI film festival will have significant media coverage and has an impressive list of sponsors (see them online – link below).

GI Film Festival site

Tim Sanders Keynote Speaker at Opportunity Forum June 14, 2010

Tim Sanders believes that social responsibility and sustainability are hotbeds for business innovation. Companies that focus on these areas will attract new customers as well as boost the morale of employees and partners. Along the way, they’ll save money too!

Tim has deep experience in cutting-edge businesses and marketing. He’s weathered the quality movement as well as the dotcom crash and emerged with precious insight. He was the Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! and later its Leadership Coach. Prior to his senior positions at Yahoo!, Tim created and led the Yahoo! ValueLab, an in-house “think tank” that delivered futuristic insight on technology and human behavior.

View/listen to one of Tim's speeches.

Tim Sanders: Mojo Rising Keynote from Tim Sanders on Vimeo.

2010 NIB/NAEPB Opportunity Forum
June 13-15, 2010
Westin Kierland
Scottsdale, Arizona

Join us at the 2010 NIB/NAEPB Opportunity Forum in Arizona! Focused on the theme, “A New Decade: Get Ready to Engage,” the event will provide excellent networking opportunities among NIB associated agencies, customers, suppliers and contractors with the goal of increasing business that creates more jobs for people who are blind.

The forum will include a spacious indoor supplier exhibit area, informative and motivational speakers including: Susan Brita, Deputy Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Rear Admiral Mark F. Heinrich, Supply Corps, United States Navy Commander, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers, and practical skill-development sessions from Tom Cross, University of Virginia Darden School of Business faculty.

Click on the following links for more information:
View the draft agenda
Register for the Opportunity Forum
Make hotel reservations

Note: NIB’s conference rate expires May 21 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time -- so make your reservation now!

National Industries for the Blind (NIB) is a Central Nonprofit Agency (CNA)authorized under the Javits Wagner O’Day Act (JWOD) – now called AbilityOne by The Committee For Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled. NISH is another CNA that operates under the AbilityOne Program. SKILCRAFT products are produced and sold through the AbilityOne Program by people who are blind or severely disabled.

U.S. Census Using Bags Made by Industries for the Blind Milwaukee

Read the entire story online: American Chronicle – 05/02/2010
By Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On Saturday, May 2, some 635,000 census takers in Wisconsin and across the nation will begin the task of going door to door to contact around 48 million households that did not return 2010 census forms.

"The bag serves multiple purposes," said Chuck Lange, president of the Industries for the Blind [Milwaukee]. "The census takers keep their papers, pens and pencils in there. And the bag identifies the census takers."

The organization also produced the binders that census takers will use. Those binders were manufactured in West Allis and in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Contact: U.S. Census Bureau

Industries for the Blind in Milwaukee and Kalamazoo, Michigan are members of the National Industries for the Blind. They produce SKILCRAFT and other products sold to the U.S. Federal Government and Department of Defense through the AbilityOne Program.

SKILCRAFT U.S. Government Pens Features in Washington Post Story

The 41-year-old National Industries for the Blind SKILCRAFT U.S. Government Pen is being called an “American icon” in a feature story that ran on the front page of the Washington Post on April 18, 2010. Washington Post reporter Ylan Mui became interested in the “ubiquitous” pen after finding dozens of them around her house. An excerpt from her story, which has also been syndicated nationally, is below:

Excerpt: For more than 40 years, standard black pens have cluttered the desks of thousands of federal employees, hung on a chain at post offices across the country and slipped into the pockets of countless military personnel. Yet few have realized that this government-issue pen has a history to rival that of any monument.

Blind workers assemble the pens in factories in Wisconsin and North Carolina under the brand name SKILCRAFT as part of a 72-year-old legislative mandate. The original 16-page specifications for the pen are still in force: It must be able to write continuously for a mile and in temperatures up to 160 degrees and down to 40 degrees below zero.

It has been used in war zones and gas stations, and was designed to fit undetected into U.S. military uniforms. According to company lore, the pen can stand in for a two-inch fuse and comes in handy during emergency tracheotomies.

"It's the Coca-Cola of ink pens," said Richard Oliver, operations manager for Industries of the Blind in North Carolina. "Everybody recognizes this pen. It's amazing."

Read the full story, “Low-Tech SKILCRAFT Pens Endure in a High-Tech World,” in the Washington Post online. Don’t forget to read the comments by readers from around the country! Registration may be required (it’s free). Read the related story in the Herald-Tribune.com. SKILCRAFT products and services are sold to the federal government and U.S. military through the AbilityOne Program.

For more information, contact Ken Murphy at 703-310-0500 kmurphy@nib.org

SKILCRAFT US GOVERMENT PENS - Featured in Washington Post Story

It's taken more than 40 years on the market to become an "American Icon," that's what the Washington Post is calling the SKILCRAFT US GOVERNMENT PENS that have been produced through the AbilityOne Program since 1969.

Read Ylan Mui's, Washington Post reporter, story online: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/17/AR2010041701297.html

Note: registration to the Washington Post web site is required and free.

The online article features quotes from Kevin Lynch, President and CEO, National Industries for the Blind; Chuck Lange, CEO West Allis; pictures from West Allis Industries for the Blind in Milwaukee. The pens are also made at Industries for the Blind Greensboro, NC.

Register Now for the Public Policy Forum March 8-10, 2010

Register for the NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum, “Make a Difference,” scheduled for March 8-10, 2010 at the Westin Arlington in Arlington, Virginia.

To make hotel reservations, click here. The discounted room rate of $199 expires on February 11, so don’t delay, reserve your room now. It’s your turn to Make a Difference and inform Congress about the AbilityOne program!

For more information, contact Jessica Carter at 703-310-0365 or jcarter@nib.org.

Bob Buckley New VP Manufacturing San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind

Press Release 1-8-2010
The San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind (SALB) announced the appointment of Mr. Bob Buckley as the new Vice President-Manufacturing. He will be responsible for managing the 4th largest and fastest growing manufacturing operation in the San Antonio Area.

Bob joins SALB after a celebrated 30-year manufacturing career at Bausch & Lomb and Kinetic Concepts, Inc., where he led not only the production operations, but also the introduction of new products, inventory and material management and financial reporting.

Bob was the recent past Chairman of the Board of the San Antonio Manufacturers’ Association and is currently an active Board member. He is also very involved in the local community.

We are elated to be able to add a person of Bob Buckley’s quality and character to our existing Management Team. He brings 30 years of pertinent experience and an outstanding reputation based on integrity.

Contact: Nancy Lipton
Director Public Relations/Spokesperson
S A Lighthouse for the Blind
2305 Roosevelt Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78210
210 531-1533 cell: 210 771-5300
www.salighthouse.org

Betsy Thorne Appointed Vice President, Sales-BD, Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind

DALLAS (January 5, 2010) – Betsy A. Thorne has been appointed vice president, sales and business development for the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind. Her responsibilities will focus on developing new or expanded business lines which will create greater employment opportunities for people who are blind. She will focus on not only the existing Federal, State and Military customers, but will also manage the agency relationship with the National Industries for the Blind and other key partnerships both in North Texas and nationally.

“Betsy is going to be a tremendous asset to the mission of the Dallas Lighthouse,” said Nancy Perkins, Dallas Lighthouse President. “With Betsy’s past experience at the Lighthouse and her business development and sales expertise, we intend to reach a new level of success with our 2010 manufacturing sales. Her integrity and energy will help drive our success in expanding our current manufacturing customer base and adding new ones.”

Thorne most recently served as the executive director of the Industries for the Blind in Greensboro, N.C. for two years. Prior to that, she was vice president of sales for the Dallas Lighthouse from 2001 to 2005 and has served as a business consultant to various agencies specializing in services to the visually impaired. Thorne attended the Oklahoma City University and Eastern New Mexico University.

About Dallas Lighthouse
Since 1931, the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind has provided jobs and services to the visually impaired in North Texas. The Lighthouse, a 501(c) 3 agency, trains its clients for skilled service jobs in any office environment. It also staffs a manufacturing facility with visually impaired employees that manufacture products for both government agencies including the U.S. military and commercial customers. For more information, go to www.dallaslighthouse.org.

Dallas Lighthouse is an NIB Non-Profit Agency and participates in the AbilityOne Program.

CONTACT: Gail Whitcomb, Whitcomb Communications
214-704-4132 gailwhitcomb@sbcglobal.net