Jobless rate for people with a disability is more than twice the rate for those without a disability
NIB Advocate for Leadership and Employment Gary Wagner (left) poses with Tammy Owen, former president and CEO of VIA, in front of the U.S. Capitol.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 21, 2024— Recently, Gary Wagner, director, veterans affairs (VA) contracts and public policy at Visually Impaired Advancement in Buffalo, joined a large group of National Industries for the Blind Advocates for Leadership and Employment on Capitol Hill. The group was there to urge Congress to adopt a 1% AbilityOne Program utilization goal for the Department of Defense to grow employment for people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
Wagner joined the NIB Advocates for Leadership and Employment program in 2015 to educate legislators about the needs of their constituents, including people who are blind.
In 2022, the DOD voluntarily pledged to double its utilization of the AbilityOne Program, increasing from 0.55% to 1% by 2027. By formalizing this goal and nearly doubling the DOD’s current utilization of the AbilityOne Program, tens of thousands more Americans who are blind or have significant disabilities could have the opportunity to build meaningful careers in both manufacturing and professional services that enhance their personal and economic independence.
“Together, our strong, collective voice calls on elected policymakers to open doors for the millions of people who are blind or visually impaired and not currently employed. Our focus on the 1% DOD utilization goal for the AbilityOne Program can impact employment for thousands of people who are blind in the future,” said Soraya Correa, NIB president and CEO. “The DOD is one of the AbilityOne Program’s biggest customers. We are grateful they voluntarily committed to this goal, but we know that making the goal mandatory will help build momentum.”
The AbilityOne Program is among the nation’s largest providers of jobs for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. It uses the purchasing power of the federal government to buy products and services from participating, community-based nonprofit agencies nationwide, dedicated to training and employing individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities, providing employment opportunities to approximately 40,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities, including more than 2,500 veterans.
NIB is one of two designated central nonprofit agencies under the AbilityOne Program. It is also the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, and through its network of associated nonprofit agencies, the largest employer of people who are blind in the country. In 2023, NIB and its agencies employed 5,237 people who are blind, created 308 new job opportunities for people who are blind, and employed 476 veterans, including veterans who are blind.
In March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment rates for non-disabled are now 3.8%—the lowest they’ve been since 1969. Yet, people who are blind still have one of the highest unemployment rates—more than 10% of working age Americans who are blind are not employed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the jobless rate for people with a disability is more than twice as high as the rate for people without a disability.
Wagner experienced that firsthand. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa later in life, and his employer at the time was unable to make accommodations for Wagner’s vision loss. Unable to find employment, he recalled passing the Blind Association of Western New York while riding the bus in high school. He reached out to the organization, known today as VIA.
“I had no idea about assistive technology, had never heard of AbilityOne or NIB. I lived in the sighted world,” Wagner said. ‘So, I called and asked, ‘Do you do anything in the way of hiring people who are blind or losing their vision?’ They told me they did, and that they had two operator positions opening at the Buffalo VA hospital.”
Working first as a switchboard operator at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, Wagner later became a supervisor at the Erie VA Medical Center, and he was the first blind or visually impaired person to serve in that role for VIA.
“The Ability One Program and VA contracts have afforded employment, training, and upward mobility opportunities for me,” Wagner said. “In addition to professional growth opportunities, the AbilityOne Program and VA contracts have provided means for me to support myself, my wife, and our three children.”
As an NIB Advocate for Leadership and Employment, Wagner works with NIB’s Public Policy team to meet with and garner support from members of Congress on priorities that impact the larger blind community. His time as an Advocate led to an expanded role at VIA, as director of VA contracts and public policy, where he works with local and state legislators on agency, employee, and client-related issues.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play a small role in enhancing independence and creating and protecting jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired,” Wagner said. “I’ve been involved in helping to get co-sponsors for bills, which eventually became law. I’d never been involved with anything like that that impacted the larger blind community in a positive way.”
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About National Industries for the Blind
Incorporated in 1938, NIB is the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, and through its network of associated nonprofit agencies, is the largest employer of people who are blind in the U.S. NIB creates opportunities for people who are blind to become wage earners and taxpayers, reducing their reliance on government support and increasing engagement in their communities. The organization offers career training and assists employers and employees in developing mutually beneficial workplaces. NIB’s vision is that blindness is not a barrier to employment. In 2021, NIB launched a national talent management enterprise known as NSITE. NSITE provides a continuum of employment services that connect employers with talented, dedicated people who are blind or visually impaired, including veterans. For more information, visit www.nib.org or www.nsite.org.
