NISH - Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Significant Disabilities

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NISH-Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Significant 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 which provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities by procuring federal contracts for goods and services.

Headquartered in Vienna, Va., NISH supports a network of more than 1,300 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.

New Grant Opportunity for CRPs

It has come to our attention that the Employment and Training Administration has announced a new grant opportunity under the Workforce Innovation Fund. This opportunity will make a total of $98.5 million available to support ideas leading to improved outcomes for workforce system customers through enhanced service delivery strategies and/or administrative system processes. Funded activities must demonstrate effectiveness through documented performance evaluation. State Workforce Agencies and local Workforce Investment Boards are eligible to apply, and are encouraged to partner with service providers in the community.

Please review this grant announcement to take advantage of this opportunity.

If you have a project that may be eligible for funding under this opportunity and would like assistance from the Institute, please contact Kaitlin Woolf (kwoolf@nish.org) at the Institute for Economic Empowerment.

2011 NISH National Award Winners

AbilityOne Speaker Frederick Williams Featured in November Edition of Avionics News

AbilityOne Program Employees Share Their Stories through Speakers Bureau

AbilityOne Program employees are spreading the word about the AbilityOne Program through NISH's new AbilityOne Speakers Bureau. Through this program, NISH staff members assist participants with writing and practicing their speeches, as well as with securing speaking opportunities. Participants then share their stories with federal customers, potential federal customers and others. Their message is loud and clear: "Think AbilityOne first." Those speakers who are featured include: Nathan Short of PCSI in Austin, Texas; Frederick Williams of TRDI in Killeen, Texas; Mark Gilmore of Challenge Enterprises in Green Cove Springs, Florida; Belinda Porras of VA Medical Center Employment Source in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Todd Walker of Didlake in Manassas, Virginia; and Brenda Sheaffer of Melwood in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Click the link below to learn their stories.

Click Here to Read Full Article

DVDs of Iraq Veterans Nathan Short and Frederick Williams Available Here

AbilityOne Program's Speakers Bureau

WFED Radio Interviews NISH Chief Operating Officer Dennis Fields About the AbilityOne Program

Listen to WFED Interview

NISH Corporate Communications Receives Two 2011 APEX Awards and Two 2011 Magnum Opus Awards

Congratulations! Corporate Communications was selected from among nearly 600 nominations as the recipient of two Magnum Opus Awards for journalism and design excellence. The award recognized the December 2010 Workplace magazine article, “CEC Business Incubator Celebrates 15 Years: Program Creates an Optimal Environment for Success,” written by Vatrice Jones and Lynne Harris, in the category of Best Public Service Series or Article. In addition, Corporate Communications received recognition for Best Overall Design 1-3 Color for CRP Connection.

The Workplace article featured NISH-affiliated nonprofit agency, CW Resources, Inc., located in New Britain, Connecticut. Jones and Harris traveled to CW Resources to interview and photograph several of the participants in its small business incubator program. The article was featured on the cover. CRP Connection, which won a 2010 APEX award for publication excellence, also received a 2011 Magnum Opus Award for outstanding layout design.

Professors from the Missouri School of Journalism and leading custom-publishing professionals who specialize in particular content or design areas judge the awards, considering informational and entertainment value, quality of writing and display copy, creative use of imagery and typography and consistency of color palette and style.

Corporate Communications Department also announced that for the second consecutive year CRP Connection has been recognized with an APEX Award for Publication Excellence in the Newsletter - Print category. In addition, this year, Corporate Communications also received an APEX Award for Publication Excellence for the December 2010 Workplace magazine article, “CEC Business Incubator Celebrates 15 Years: Program Creates an Optimal Environment for Success,” written by Vatrice Jones and Lynne Harris, in the category of Public Service Writing.

The APEX 2011 awards were based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and in the ability to achieve overall communications effectiveness and excellence. With more than 3,300 entries, the competition was exceptionally intense. The APEX judges saw only the most promising publications that professional communicators could enter. From them, they had the truly challenging task of selecting the award-winning entries.

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