Responding to COVID-19

People who are blind working at NIB associated nonprofit agencies produce essential products for hospitals, health care professionals, first responders, the U.S. military, and governments at all levels. Amid this pandemic, they are proud to continue that work in support of their local communities and the nation at large.

Read NIB’s blog post, The Behind-the-Scenes Workforce Supporting Our Nation During COVID-19, and learn more through the collection of local media coverage below.

NIB Associated Agency Media Coverage

• Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI)-Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, Rochester, New York:
  • Goodwill providing essential needs during pandemic (April 17, 2020)
  • Crisis line calls soar as coronavirus spreads (March 26, 2020)
    
• Alphapointe, Kansas City, Missouri, and Queens, New York:
  • Local employees with visual impairments go extra mile during pandemic (April 14, 2020)
    
• Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment (AVRE), Binghamton, New York:
  • ECK Plastic Arts is making face shields (April 13, 2020)
  • Two Binghamton businesses unite to make face shields (April 11, 2020)
    
• Bosma, Indianapolis, Indiana:
  • Indy veteran supplies VA with surgical gloves and supplies amid pandemic (April 2, 2020)
    
• Envision Dallas, Dallas, Texas:
  • North Texas companies make masks their mission to fight the COVID-19 pandemic (April 16, 2020)
    
• IBVI Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
  • Kits made by local employees with disabilities being used by U.S. Army to make temporary COVID-19 treatment facilities (March 27, 2020)
    
• Lighthouse Central Florida, Orlando, Florida:
  • Orlando’s Lighthouse Works enlisted to aid state’s overwhelmed unemployment system (April 16, 2020)
  • Community Impact Heroes: How this CEO is tripling his visually-impaired workforce to help the unemployed (April 16, 2020)
  • People in other states are receiving unemployment payments. But in Florida, it’s largely still a waiting game (April 15, 2020)
  • Central Florida nonprofit to hire 60 people thanks to new contract (April 8, 2020)
    
• NewView Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma:
  • Largest employer for blind changing gears on manufacturing products (April 7, 2020)
    
• Outlook Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska:
  • Omaha non-profit helping out with toilet paper shortage (March 19, 2020)
  • Outlook Nebraska toilet paper available for ordering during virus outbreak (March 18, 2020)
  • We found toilet paper in Omaha! (March 18, 2020)
  • Omaha company helps fill toilet paper shortage (April 8, 2020)
  • Local company helps fill toilet paper shortage (April 8, 2020)
    
• San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, San Antonio, Texas:
  • Cult San Antonio designer now stitching more than 1,000 COVID-19 masks per day (April 15, 2020)
  • With business sinking, Dixie Flag, other San Antonio firms turn to face-mask making (April 2, 2020)
  • SA company shifting gears from leather goods to face masks (April 3, 2020)
    
• Westmoreland County Blind Association, Greensburg, Pennsylvania:
  • Westmoreland County Blind Association making thousands of masks, selling for $3 each (April 20, 2020)
  • Excela retiree answers the call for personal protective equipment (April 16, 2020)