Advocacy makes legislators aware of the needs of their constituents, including people who are blind, and nobody is better equipped to tell the NIB story than the people who live it.
NIB launched the Advocates for Leadership and Employment program in 2012 to help people who are blind represent their community to their elected officials. Each spring, NIB’s public policy team welcomes a new class of Advocates from NIB associated agencies across the country who will take part in a two-year training initiative designed to grow their advocacy skills.
Through the program, Advocates learn more about the public policy process, including effective communication and advocacy strategies, as well as about current grassroots initiatives. They participate in ongoing training courses and receive weekly updates from NIB staff on current advocacy efforts.
The annual NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum brings all of the Advocate classes together for updated training and presents speakers and panels on the most up-to-date topics facing our community. The forum concludes with a day on Capitol Hill, where the Advocates meet with legislators from their individual states and home districts. During these meetings, Advocates share their own experiences and encourage their elected officials to support the mission of NIB and its associated agencies: increasing employment opportunities for people who are blind.
Meet NIB’s 2024 class of Advocates
The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.
Junior Ah-Siu joined The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., in 2022 as a store clerk at the Base Supply Center on U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle. In less than two years, he was promoted to his current role as assistant manager.
Blind for 38 years due to retinal dystrophy, Junior is a fierce advocate dedicated to voicing the concerns and hopes of his deserving community. He is also a member of the Seattle King Cobras, a goalball team that competes against other visually impaired athletes across the country.
Lighthouse Louisiana
For 20 years, Norman Demolle has worked as a packer in the Production and Manufacturing Department at Lighthouse Louisiana in New Orleans. He is happy to be able to work alongside other people with visual impairments and proud of the work they do together.
Norman is also the second vice president of the local Affiliated Blind of Louisiana chapter. As part of the NIB Advocates for Leadership and Employment program, Norman sees a world of opportunity to make lives better for people who are blind and visually impaired.
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, San Francisco
As the chemical production line lead at LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco, Alexis Flores manages the production line process and assists in making the products. He started as a production assistant, learning to operate machinery and make processes accessible for people who are blind. These skills helped him earn his place as team leader. Through advocacy groups and companies for the blind, Alexis has been empowered to achieve and strive for success in all aspects of his life.
Lighthouse Louisiana
Horace Grayson spent much of his career as a refrigeration mechanic, but after losing his sight at age 42, he found Lighthouse Louisiana. He joined the staff in 2019 and has worked in the mop/deck swab department ever since. Horace is a leader at work and in the community, where he is the first vice president of the local Affiliated Blind of Louisiana chapter. In 2023, Grayson was a part of a Louisiana delegation at the National Federation’s Washington Seminar, where he had the opportunity to advocate for people who are visually impaired.
Alphapointe
Rebekah Grieb manages the Contract Management Support (CMS) Department at Alphapointe in Kansas City, overseeing a team that provides the Department of Defense with contract closeouts. She started at Alphapointe in 2017 as a contract closeout specialist and now strives to grow the CMS team and create more positions for people who are blind. She co-chairs both the Alphapointe 2.0 and National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind CMS Services committees.
Bosma Enterprises
Greg Herron graduated from Purdue University and started his career in IT as a software developer. Ten years later, he earned an MBA from Indiana University and spent the next 15 years as a national sales and marketing director. In 2015, Greg rapidly lost his vision due to Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. He was introduced to Bosma Enterprises in Indianapolis shortly thereafter and joined the team in 2019. Today Greg is an operations project manager who leads time studies, pricing, and Six Sigma Black Belt projects.
VisionCorps
Wesley Hillman developed congenital cataracts as a baby and, when they were removed, he developed glaucoma, resulting in the loss of his left eye. He attended the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Wesley was previously on staff at Industries for the Blind for five years until the organization left Little Rock in 2023. In October 2023, he joined VisionCorps as a class two machine operator.
Virginia Industries for the Blind
With a robust background in customer service and hospitality industries, Fayez Kotet brings experience and unwavering dedication to his role as a supply store associate at Virginia Industries for the Blind (VIB). Prior to joining VIB, he worked for Amazon Dispatch at Amazon Warehouse, where Fayez played an integral role in managing operations and ensuring the prompt delivery of packages. He is deeply committed to delivering exceptional service and contributing to his team’s.
Virginia Industries for the Blind
Zachary Shifflett is a contract closeout team manager with Virginia Industries for the Blind (VIB) in support of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Contract Lifecycle Management Center. He began his career with VIB in 2015 as a contract closeout specialist, and left in 2019 to take a job with DCMA. Zachary returned to VIB in 2022 as a team manager. His experience as a person who is blind has given him a strong desire to advocate for equal opportunity for others.
Alabama Industries for the Blind
Christy Abel Taylor is a data technician at Alabama Industries for the Blind (AIB) in Talladega, AL, where she assists customers with the website and data entry. She began her journey with AIB in 2015 as part of the sewing department, and working there has taught her many valuable skills.
Christy is proud to join the Advocates for Leadership program this year as it will allow her the opportunity to serve other people who are blind and low vision by standing up for their rights.
The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.
A graduate of the Washington State School for the Blind, Katy Todd taught at the Colorado Center for the Blind and then worked with the Audio Information Network of Colorado. Five years ago, Katy joined The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., in Seattle. She started in the Aerospace Department before taking on the role of braille production specialist and then employee advocate. She was recently promoted to community engagement manager, overseeing the Lighthouse tour program and spearheading outreach initiatives.
Beacon Lighthouse, Inc.
Claire Walker joined Beacon Lighthouse, Inc., in Wichita Falls, Texas, as a secretary after she lost her vision seven years ago.
As an Advocate for Leadership and Education, Claire hopes to spread awareness of her agency’s role as a positive outlet for people who are blind across Texas.
She also looks forward to speaking with government representatives who are in a position to create positive change for the visually impaired.
Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
A gadget assembler at Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Mia Weaver-Ison is responsible for finishing kitchen tools and gadgets primarily sold through the military retail program. Comfortable in a variety of situations, Mia’s communication skills make her an excellent advocate for the interests of people who are blind. She was the agency’s 2022 nominee for the Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award in 2022.
Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Jeff Young is a human resources representative for Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IBVI) in West Allis, Wisconsin. He joined IBVI in 2017 as a project assistant and was promoted twice before transitioning to his current role in 2022. Jeff is responsible for a substantial portion of IBVI’s recruitment efforts, and he travels with his guide dog, Shayne, to events throughout the country each year. As an Advocate, he is eager to make a difference in the lives of people who are blind.
