NIB Connection

The 2025 NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum (PPF) took place May 19-21. The event, which has taken place annually for more than 15 years, was held at the Westin Old Town Alexandria and, on its final day, the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This year’s advocacy goals include a continued effort […]

Mary Jane Surrago, assistantsecretary emeritus to the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Board of Directors, was presented with the 2025 R.B. Irwin Award during the NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum general session on May 20. Surrago retired on February 28 after 50 years with NIB. Current Board Chairman Zach Klipa said there was no more […]

After a short hiatus, NIB’s Heard & Empowered podcast is back with a new host, Dean Thompson, who has an extensive background in television and radio. Thompson has been an interviewer and producer for the majority of his adult life. He moved to New York from Cincinnati after graduate school and has worked for ABC […]

NIB launched the Advocates for Leadership and Employment program in 2012 to help people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired represent their communities 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 take part in a two-year training […]

National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has received the 3 Star Employer Award in the 2025 VETS Indexes Employer Awards program, based on its strong commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing, and supporting veterans and the military-connected community. “National Industries for the Blind has demonstrated outstanding support for veterans and the military-connected community, earning the […]

It was only a few short months ago that we were in the midst of the 2024 NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo. Held October 14-18 in Arlington, VA, more than 900 registrants from across the country attended the four-day event. If you weren’t able to be there, or want to relive some of its outstanding […]

More than 20 attendees from NIB and its associated nonprofit agencies participated in the 2024 NIB Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) Forum held December 11-12 in Tyler, Texas. Co-hosted by Horizon Industries (a division of East Texas Lighthouse), the 2024 Forum provided the opportunity for NPA staff ranging from plant managers to operations, compliance, and agency leaders to […]

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 fall edition of Opportunity magazine is here! In this issue, we proudly highlight the 2024 Employee of the Year winners and nominees, and recognize our exceptional federal and private-sector partners, customers, and associated nonprofit agencies dedicated to empowering people who are blind through meaningful employment. We also celebrate employee milestones and spotlight recent exciting news and […]