2025 NIB/NAEPB
Public Policy Forum
May 19-21, 2025
The Westin Alexandria
Old Town Alexandria, VA
Every spring, employees who are blind from NIB’s associated nonprofit agencies across the country visit the nation’s capital. As part of NIB’s Advocates for Leadership and Employment program, they receive training on how to best represent the community of people who are blind to elected officials, including:
- Effective communications
- Advocacy strategies
- Grassroots initiatives
The Public Policy Forum culminates in a day spent on Capitol Hill, when these Advocates meet with members of Congress and their staff members in order to discuss issues that will increase employment for people who are blind. In 2024, representatives from NIB agencies held 120 Agency meetings with House and Senate offices.
Strengthening Procurement Policy: A Conversation with Larry Allen
Larry Allen, associate administrator of the GSA’s Office of Government-Wide Policy, will share key updates on federal procurement policy and strategic priorities shaping the future of government acquisition. This session will highlight how GSA is driving modernization, efficiency, and transparency across the federal landscape. Special attention will be given to the partnership between GSA and the AbilityOne Program—exploring opportunities for greater alignment, improved collaboration, and enhanced support for the employment of people who are blind or have significant disabilities. Attendees will leave with actionable insights into how nonprofit agencies can better engage with GSA to achieve mission and employment goals.
Leadership in Action: Advancing Innovation in Federal Procurement
Join Soraya Correa, President and CEO of National Industries for the Blind, with Robert Hogue, chairman of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), Department of the Navy, and Kimberly Zeich, Executive Director of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, for a timely and candid conversation about the evolving landscape of federal procurement. With decades of leadership in acquisition and public service, Correa, Hogue, and Zeich will share insights on how mission-driven procurement can drive both innovation and transformation—particularly for people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
They’ll also examine how procurement-related priorities and policies under President Trump’s Administration are influencing the AbilityOne Program and similar initiatives, and what that means for the future of employment and federal contracting. This session is essential for nonprofit agency leaders and advocates working to expand opportunities for people who are blind in the federal marketplace.
Advocates for Leadership and Employment
By meeting with legislators and their staffs on Capitol Hill and in their home districts and states, the Advocates for Leadership and Employment nurture relationships with elected officials on behalf of the shared mission of NIB and its associated agencies: to increase employment for people who are blind.
Meet the 2025 Class of Advocates
In 2025, NIB welcomed 11 new Advocates for Leadership and Employment.
The 2024 Class of Advocates
NIB welcomed 14 new Advocates last year.
Advocate Resources
- U.S. House of Representatives Listing
- U.S. Senate Listing
- 2025 Public Policy Forum – AbilityOne Goal One-Pager
- 2025 Public Policy Forum – SSDI Reform One-Pager
- NIB Fact Sheet
- A History of the AbilityOne Program Utilization Goal for the Department of Defense
- Tips for Successful Meetings on Capitol Hill
- How to Become an AbilityOne Congressional Champion
- List of AbilityOne Congressional Champions – May 2025
- Congressional Meeting Survey
- Description of the Westin Old Town Alexandria
- Capitol Complex Description
- NIB Poll Leave Behind
All fees must be paid in full at the time of registration, either online or in person at the conference registration desk. Full refunds are available only if requested before April 30, 2025, via email to conference@nib.org. Refund requests received after April 30 will not be honored for any reason including non-attendance at the event. Cancellation requests received, and registrations made, after the April deadline will not be eligible for refunds.
Photo and Video Release
Registration and attendance at, or participation in, NIB/NAEPB conferences and other activities constitutes an agreement by the registrant to allow NIB to use and distribute, both now and in the future, the registrant’s or attendee’s image or voice in photographs, videos, audio, and other digital or print media of such events and activities.
Health Safety Acknowledgement
Attendees acknowledge the health risks associated with attending in-person meetings, events, and activities associated with the NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo, including the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other illnesses. NIB and NAEPB take preventative measures to reduce the spread of illness and, consistent with CDC guidelines, encourage all attendees to practice hand hygiene and social distancing and to wear masks at their discretion. Nevertheless, attendees acknowledge that these measures, both as designed and as implemented, may be insufficient to prevent attendees from contracting COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and other illnesses, and all participants, volunteers, partners, and others in attendance assume the risk of contracting such illnesses as well as any personal injuries that may result therefrom.