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 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.

Senate Majority Leader Recognizes NDEAM in Congressional Record Statement

NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH -- (Senate - October 01, 2009)
[Page: S10054] Read the statement in the Congressional Record.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This annual observance is an opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities, whose contributions to the workforce have strengthened our Nation. During the month of October, we pay tribute to these men and women while renewing our commitment to ensuring opportunity and inclusion for all Americans--regardless of their ability or disability.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month originated in 1945 when Congress designated a week in October as a time to educate the public about the employment issues facing people with disabilities. Eventually expanded to the entire month of October, the observance has become a valuable tool to enhance the American people's understanding of these issues. It is also an important opportunity to mark the progress we have made and the steps forward yet to be taken.

Today, more people with disabilities than ever are graduating from school, participating in their communities, and succeeding in the labor market. For the tens of millions living in the United States with a disability , realizing the American dream is a real possibility that often did not exist a generation ago. I am especially heartened by the growing recognition that tapping these individuals' talent, character, and hard work is as important to the Nation's future as it is to theirs.

At the same time, we must acknowledge the sobering reality that faces too many people with disabilities, including our brave service members and veterans returning from war with severe injuries and conditions. While people with disabilities have long experienced far higher unemployment rates, they are also particularly hard hit by the current economic downturn. Physical, financial, and social barriers to employment remain, as well as the discrimination and prejudice that keep some from competing in the American economy on equal footing as everyone else. Moreover, many individuals with disabilities struggle to afford good, continuous health coverage, a hardship given their intensive health care needs.

Clearly, we have much work ahead of us in order to fulfill the promise of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I am pleased that Congress is continuing to work toward this priority, most recently with the enactment of the ADA Amendments Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act. On behalf of all Nevadans, I look forward to building on these successes in the 111th Congress.

Visually Impaired Workers Assemble Products Shipped Nationwide

By BRIAN PEARSON
Business Editor (story excerpt and photos used with permission)
Read the entire story at Tylerpaper.com There's a nice video with the story that you'll want to see!

When Lee Tillson and his wife decided to move from Dallas to Tyler to be closer to family, he thought his experience as a produce warehouse manager made him a prime choice for an open position here.

The prospective employers, however, immediately disqualified him when they learned he was legally blind.

"They didn't think I could do the job," Tillson said.

One day while Tillson was riding a bus, the driver decided to introduce him to Horizon Industries, mistakenly believing it served as a transportation option for the blind.

Tillson quickly landed a technician job at Horizon, the industrial end of East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind.

Today, he serves as plant manager for the non profit Horizon, where the staffers, most of them blind or visually impaired, create products as part of a $24 million-a-year business.

Inside the cavernous plant at 500 N. Bois D'Arc Ave., 72 blind and visually impaired employees package napkins for the U.S. Navy, put together three-ply tissue paper and box tens of thousands of miles of parachute cord headed for Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Blind workers represent more than 80 percent of the 89-member staff.

"We're the best-kept secret in town, but we're on our way to changing that," said David Huffman, who has been president and CEO for almost a year.

Read the entire story at Tylerpaper.com

Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October by sharing your story with NIB-AbilityOne's blog. Learn more about NIB and AbilityOne.


OVERCOMING AN OBSTACLE: Albert Logan stacks boxes of paper towels on a pallet at Horizon Lighthouse for the Blind. Logan is one of more than 80 blind or visually impaired employees.

Curlie Bailey takes spools of parachute cord off a winding machine.

A special thank you to Brian Pearson, Business Editor, Tyler Morning Telegraph for permission to use these photos, captions and story excerpt.

Defense Supply Center Richmond: AbilityOne Awareness

Awareness fair highlights products available from AbilityOne
By Amy T. Clement, DSCR Public Affairs (used with permission)

In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Defense Supply Center Richmond hosted a National Disability Employment Awareness Month Fair Oct. 1 in the Lotts Conference Center.

Representatives from about 25 non-profit agencies participating in the AbilityOne Program took part in the fair and offered displays, informational materials and sample products.

The fair allowed center employees to learn more about the program. AbilityOne is the largest source of employment for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities in the United States. The program employs nearly 48,000 blind or severely disabled Americans, enabling them to lead more productive and independent lives. All of the contractors who participate in AbilityOne are non-profit agencies.

“The information I’ve gotten from this fair has been great,” said Sonora Brown, a DSCR contract administrator in Aviation Supplier Operations. “There are so many products that I didn’t know were available.”

LaCretia Rogers, DSCR’s AbilityOne Program manager, said AbilityOne also affords opportunities for the disabled to work on a contract basis for the federal government through their respective non-profit agencies. At DSCR, Rogers said these contractors “provide vital support services, including grounds
maintenance, custodial services, and emergency services dispatch.”

“The attendance was very good this year and we received positive feedback from the non-profit agencies and our employees who attended the event,” Rogers said. “It is important to have this event to bring awareness to the work force and hopefully an opportunity to bring more products to the AbilityOne Program.”

Learn more about the AbilityOne Program at www.abilityone.org. Learn more about NIB and SKILCRAFT products at NIB's website, www.nib.org