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NISH-Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities

Established in 1974, NISH is one of two national, nonprofit agencies designated by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled [a federal government agency] to support nonprofit agencies (NPAs) participating in the AbilityOne Program, formerly Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD), which 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 2,100 NPAs as well as Federal customers by providing the 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.

In FY 2006, through the AbilityOne Program, NISH-affiliated agencies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam reported a record 43,344 jobs for people with severe disabilities. During this same period, AbilityOne-producing NPAs reported more than 136,000 jobs for people with disabilities supporting a wide range of companies, organizations and Federal customers.

Student-Designed Assistive Technology Enables Kenneth Thibeault to Excel at Goodwill

Goodwill Industries of the Springfield/Hartford Area had been working on a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) contract successfully for nearly a decade. Nevertheless, the contract was in jeopardy because Goodwill needed to expand its production to meet GSA’s growing needs. When Melissa Labrie, a student from Western New England College participating in NISH’s National Scholar Award for Workplace Innovation & Design, invented an Improved Tape Cutting Process, Goodwill’s assembly process was transformed. Labrie’s invention allowed people with limited mobility to more easily cut adhesive tape to GSA’s specific standards. As a result, instead of losing the contract, Goodwill has been able to create a dozen new jobs for people with disabilities such as Kenneth Thibeault (pictured). To read this story and others, visit the April 2008 edition of Workplace.

Assistive Technology Enables AbilityOne Program Workers

April 2008 Workplace

Quality Program Success Stories

"Quality is a journey, not a destination.” This philosophy has taken hold of AbilityOne Program agencies as they increasingly employ a variety of quality systems to improve their delivery of products and services to federal customers. These include measurement-based strategies focusing on process improvements, implementation of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9000 series emphasizing improved documentation requirements, and customized approaches providing agencies with quality control plans tailored to specific contracts. AbilityOne Program agencies such as: Lakeview Center in Pensacola, Florida; LOVARC of Lompoc, California; Professional Contract Services of Austin, Texas; Goodwill Industries of North Georgia; and Pathfinder, Inc. in Little Rock, Arkansas have all benefited from the implementation of quality systems. The bottom line for these agencies has been the same: increased production, improved service delivery, better documentation; reduced costs and increased customer satisfaction. To learn more, click the link below for the full story in the latest edition of Workplace.

Quality Success Stories

Workplace March 2008

President Bush Issues Memorandum in Support of AbilityOne Program

February 11, 2008

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Federal Support for the AbilityOne Program

Americans with disabilities make valuable contributions to our country's workforce that help keep our Nation the world's economic leader. Expanding employment opportunities for these individuals will help ensure that our economy is drawing on the talents and creativity of all its citizens and that America remains a place of opportunity for all. Supporting the AbilityOne Program is one good way to achieve this goal.

The AbilityOne Program (formerly the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program) is a Federal initiative that works with public and private organizations to generate employment opportunities for Americans who are blind or have other disabilities. Nearly 43,000 individuals work in more than 600 community-based nonprofit agencies that serve people with a wide range of disabilities and sell products and services to the Federal Government through the AbilityOne Program.

The AbilityOne Program has taken steps to embrace successful business practices, including e-commerce and performance-based contracting. Strong support from Federal customers is critical to fulfilling this important program's employment mission. Therefore, I encourage you to ensure that your agency's procurement officials acquire products and services provided by the AbilityOne Program, consistent with existing law.

Additional information about the AbilityOne Program may be obtained by contacting the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled or by visiting www.AbilityOne.gov.

GEORGE W. BUSH

First Lady Laura Bush Delivers Remarks to AbilityOne Employees of the Year

FEBRUARY 11, 2008

SPEAKERS: FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH

OMB DIRECTOR JIM NUSSLE

[*] NUSSLE: Well, first let me thank you all for coming, and for the team's dedication to AbilityOne. Paul Denett from OMB does the work of leading our team, and I want to thank him for his leadership.

I'm honored to be with all of you here today. You know, AbilityOne is not just a federal initiative that works with public and private organizations to generate employment for individuals who are blind or who have other severe disabilities. It helps create opportunities for people who might otherwise not have them, and that's pretty special.

Congress created this program in 1938 to allow agencies serving the blind to sell products to the federal government. In 1971, the Act was extended to include people who had severe disabilities. Well, currently the AbilityOne program employs nearly 43,000 people and individuals in more than 600 community-based non-profit agencies, providing the federal government with quality services and products.

Well, today we're here to honor the dedicated employees of the Committee for Purchases From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, AbilityOne's federal overseer. We also are here to pay tribute to the outstanding employees of the National Industries for the Blind and NISH, two non-profit agencies under the AbilityOne program that serve people with disabilities. So congratulations to all of the AbilityOne program award recipients. We see you working shoulder to shoulder and side by side with all of us. We thank you for making such a valuable contribution to our nation's work force.

And it is now my very special treat to have the opportunity of introducing the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush.

BUSH: Thank you very much, Director Nussle. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome you all to the White House today to congratulate the 16 outstanding individuals who are the ability award winners that are here with us today, but also to inform you that this morning, President Bush signed an AbilityOne memorandum that encourages all federal agencies to adopt AbilityOne programs on their own, to continue to work with AbilityOne. And I'm very proud that President Bush signed that memorandum today.

I also want to thank you for the work that each one of you do and the contributions you make to AbilityOne. It's very important for Americans with disabilities to be afforded the opportunities to lead independent lives, to be able to use their talents and their potential to the fullest. And I know that that's what you all work on every day. And I thank you very, very much for it.

God bless you all.

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