Nonprofit organization increases employment opportunities for people who are blind at new headquarters with high-tech training facility and universal design
March 11, 2019, ALEXANDRIA, VA – National Industries for the Blind (NIB), will host an open house at its new headquarters and national training center at 3000 Potomac Avenue in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 11.
NIB and its nationwide network of associated nonprofit agencies are the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind. The new headquarters is a strategic investment in the future of NIB and its mission to increase the opportunities for personal and economic independence of people who are blind through meaningful employment.
The LEED-Gold certified, 105,000-square-foot building was constructed in consultation with architect Chris Downey, a specialist in universal design who is blind. The open interiors, flexible work space, and state-of-the-art technology exemplify the function and spirit of the building. Its 10,000-square-foot event and training center will provide an ideal setting for NIB’s associated agencies, customers, and partners to collaborate on ways to advance the interests of people who are blind.
“NIB’s innovative career training programs position people who are blind for highly skilled, knowledge-based careers,” said NIB President and CEO Kevin Lynch. “We look forward to cultivating partnerships with our neighbors here in Northern Virginia’s ‘innovation corridor’ to further our mission of creating employment opportunities for people who are blind.”
The first office building in The Exchange at Potomac Yard, NIB’s headquarters is strategically situated in the developing National Landing area, where Amazon’s new HQ2 and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus will be located.
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About National Industries for the Blind
Since 1938, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has focused on enhancing the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining, and improving employment. NIB and its network of associated nonprofit agencies are the nation’s largest employer of people who are blind through the manufacture and provision of SKILCRAFT® and other products and services of the AbilityOne™ Program. For more information about NIB, visit NIB.org.