Jobless rate for people with a disability is more than twice the rate for those without a disability
Lise Pace speaks with Senator Todd Young from Indiana during the 2024 NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum in Washington, D.C.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 20, 2024 — Recently, Lise Pace, executive vice president of Bosma Enterprises in Indianapolis, joined a large group of National Industries for the Blind (NIB) 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 (DOD) to grow employment for people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
Bosma Enterprises is one of NIB’s nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies nationwide, and Pace is helping to lead the NIB community’s combined effort to gain Congressional support for the 1% AbilityOne Program utilization goal for the DOD. A member of the inaugural class of NIB Advocates for Leadership and Employment program, she has since spearheaded Bosma’s advocacy work at the state and federal levels.
“This legislation is critically important,” Pace said. “We know there’s a high unemployment rate among people who are blind or have significant disabilities; there’s just not employment out there for people. What we can do is have a statutory goal for DOD that would increase employment by at least 20,000 jobs for this population that’s underserved.”
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 of this year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment rates for non-disabled are the lowest they’ve been since 1969. Yet, people who are blind still have one of the highest unemployment rates. 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.
Pace was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in her 20s at what she expected to be a routine eye appointment, where she expected to get glasses. Instead, she learned that she would go blind during her lifetime.
She lost the majority of her vision over the next five years and left her first career in banking and finance, unaware of the resources available to accommodate her blindness. She felt disconnected from her family and friends, and she missed having a career. That’s when Pace found Bosma Enterprises through a Google search.
“I went to Bosma on a tour, and it was sort of the reverse of the situation that I had when I was diagnosed with blindness. It was dark when I went in, and it was light when I came back out. And I was introduced to all these people who were blind and living their lives. It was life-changing for me,” Pace said.
She started with Bosma as a volunteer in 2008, and the following year she became the organization’s volunteer programs manager. She has held several positions since then, and in 2023 Pace was named executive vice president.
In addition to her regular work at Bosma, she has been an NIB Advocate for Leadership and Employment since 2012. In that role, Pace 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.
“This is something that the customer has asked for. There is a voluntary pledge from DOD to support the program, but what is measured is what people pay attention to. So having a statutory mandate is critical,” Pace said. “For us, it’s a no brainer. We deliver high-quality products and services to the government, and we want to do more of that.”
For more information, visit www.nib.org or www.nsite.org.
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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