SKILCRAFT Products

The AbilityOne Base Supply Center® (BSC) program, an outlet for sales of SKILCRAFT® products, also offers people opportunities for employment and training in more than just manufacturing and retail jobs. This year, the BSC Excellence Awards commend three outstanding stores: Department of Energy (DOE) in Washington, D.C., operated by IFB Solutions The DOE BSC opened […]

In 2024, several additional AbilityOne Base Supply Centers® (BSCs) opened, bringing the total number to 162 nationwide. The AbilityOne BSC program harnesses the resources of a nation-wide network of providers to offer thousands of quality products to government and military customers. Located on military bases and federal installations across the country, BSCs offer one-stop shopping to […]

The 2024 NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo was a smashing success, with over 900 registrants from across the country attending the four-day event held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. New this year were panel discussions with NIB associated nonprofit agency CEOs – including one composed of female CEOs who shared the […]

In 1967, the General Services Administration (GSA) had a problem. The standard-issue U.S. government pen had been redesigned to stringent new specifications, which the private company making the pen couldn’t meet. Instead, they delivered 13 million defective pens to GSA. Looking for a new supplier, GSA Commissioner Heinz Abersfeller asked National Industries for the Blind […]

The National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Military Resale (MR) program supports two of the best perks available to military personnel, retirees, and their families: The commissaries and exchanges found on military bases, which sell groceries and goods at substantial savings to help families stretch their budgets. Approximately 400 people who are blind working across […]

Two of the best perks available to military personnel, their families, and retirees are the commissaries and exchanges found on military bases. Commissaries — the equivalent of grocery stores — and exchanges — the equivalent of a department stores — sell goods at substantial savings, helping military families stretch their budgets. Products produced in National […]

Opening doors to greater independence and rewarding careers for people who are blind has been central to the AbilityOne Base Supply Center® (BSC) program since its beginning 25 years ago. As the program celebrates this milestone anniversary, NIB is spotlighting four BSC employees and the opportunities they found at BSCs. Kim Utley, Manager, Dover Air […]

In the mid-1990s – before 9/11 and the armed forces expansion that accompanied the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – military bases were under pressure to cut costs. On-base stores that provided everything from office supplies to cleaning products for thousands of military personnel became prime targets. Once the stores closed, personnel began using newly […]