NIB Connection

NIB manages the New York State Preferred Source Program For New Yorkers Who Are Blind (NYSPSP), a state-mandated initiative that creates and sustains employment for people who are blind. NYSPSP directs state and local government agencies in New York to purchase pre-approved products and services produced by affiliated nonprofit agencies in the state that employ […]

Since its founding in 1955, NIB associated nonprofit agency The Blind Center of Nevada, located in Las Vegas, has focused on helping people who are blind adapt to vision loss. But the Center also helps members develop their creative potential through a variety of programs focused on the arts. A strong performing music program offers […]

The Department of Defense Public-Private Talent Exchange (PPTE) offers participants professional development opportunities to expand their functional expertise and acquire the new skills and knowledge critical to innovation. In 2020, The PPTE provided NIB with two DOD employees who helped to develop a new service line of business. Rob Clemens, who served in the Marine […]

When leaders at NIB learned about the Public-Private Talent Exchange (PPTE) program offered through the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), interest in participating was immediate. The PPTE program offers participants professional development opportunities to expand their functional expertise and acquire the new skills and knowledge critical to innovation. It also strengthens DOD and industry partnerships […]

In remarks at the 2021 NIB/NAEPB Virtual Public Policy Forum, Jeff Koses, AbilityOne Commission® Chairperson, outlined an ambitious agenda for the future. Before doing so, however, Koses, who also serves as senior procurement executive at the General Services Administration (GSA), said his first order of business was extending his appreciation and congratulations to NIB’s Employees […]

Today, NIB celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD) Act. Thanks to the JWOD Act, each day, people who are blind continue to build rewarding careers at NIB associated agencies, manufacturing thousands of critical products and providing much-needed services for federal government customers, in addition to performing work in nearly every sector of the […]

New assistive technology developed by (clockwise from top left) Raffu Khondaker, Irfan Nafi, Pranav Ravella, and Eugene Choi won first place in the Virginia 8th Congressional District 2020 Congressional App Challenge.

Each year, NIB recognizes the outstanding achievements of a participant who is blind in the Contract Management Support (CMS) services program and three AbilityOne Base Supply Center® (BSC) teams.  Outstanding CMS Participant: Tanee Wall  VisionCorps, Lancaster, Pennsylvania  Tanee Wall began her CMS career at NIB associated nonprofit agency VisionCorps in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as a contract closeout specialist in January 2017. Since then, she has been assigned to a number of contracts […]

Last week’s Virtual Public Policy Forum sponsored by NIB and the National Association for People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) provided more than just a chance to celebrate the outstanding 2020 Employees of the Year featured here on NIB Connection the last two weeks. It was also an opportunity to give people who are blind a […]

Praised as a self-starter and team player with a tireless commitment to helping others, the recipient of the 2020 Milton J. Samuelson Award, Sarah Heesen, credits her success to other women who are blind who have inspired her. “While I am enormously grateful, I must admit that the Samuelson honor came a bit out of […]