Just days before the inauguration, NIB agency Industries of the Blind Fulfilled More than 770 Orders for 1,070 Army Dress Uniform Items
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 23, 2025—It was a pleasant and challenging surprise in December 2024, when the Army placed 770 orders for the upcoming presidential inauguration with Industries of the Blind (IOB) in Greensboro, North Carolina. The agency immediately got to work fulfilling the request, successfully meeting the challenge to deliver 1,070 pieces of new 15-piece dress uniform ensembles. On January 20, approximately 80 Army guardsmen and reservists supporting the presidential inauguration were dressed in the new uniforms. Those participating in the memorial parade for President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, held earlier this month, also wore the new uniforms.
IOB is one of nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies across the country that partner with National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, low vision or visually impaired. A subset of these agencies, including IOB, manufacture more than one million articles of military clothing and equipment annually. They strategically support the U.S. Armed Forces through innovation, savings on goods and services and waste reduction.
As soon as the uniform orders were placed, IOB worked to source items from across the country, receiving materials and expediting the pick-pack-and-ship process to ensure the uniforms were delivered in time for the event. The challenge was two-fold: Not only were the items required highly sought after with reduced availability, but there was also weather to contend with as the country braced for multiple winter storms.
In coordination with and at the direction of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), IOB made the orders its top priority, with employees working off-hours to receive urgent deliveries of end-items and quickly repacking and shipping them to customer locations. It was an enormous coordination challenge, with some items having to be substituted and retrofitted to work. For instance, a specific belt size was out of stock, so larger sizes were ordered and cut to fit.
In the end, the deadline was met. No one watching the Army reservists and National Guard personnel participate in President Carter’s memorial parade or the presidential inauguration knew the behind-the-scenes challenges and hard work that took place, except those with IOB and their partners at DLA.
“We are so proud of our associated nonprofit agencies and the quality work they deliver, often under time constraints or other pressures. Many of those wearing the new uniforms at President Carter’s memorial parade and the presidential inauguration had no idea that their clothing arrived on time and in good order thanks to a person who is blind, visually impaired or has low vision,” said Soraya Correa, NIB president and CEO. She further praised IOB staff, adding, “These employees are part of the backbone supporting our armed forces. While they may not be able to serve as active-duty military, they approach their work with a great sense of pride and patriotism.”
NIB and its associated nonprofit agencies remain a major manufacturing source in the U.S. Over the past five years, average sales by NIB agencies to the military totaled more than $201.8 million per year, with approximately 1.1 million units manufactured during each of those years by people who are blind at 35 locations across the U.S.
People who are blind, low vision or visually impaired have an unemployment rate nearly double that of those who are sighted, and this extremely important work has allowed employees to become homeowners, earn advanced degrees and professional certifications and send their children to college.
Items are diverse, ranging from uniforms to rucksacks to cold weather gear and medical supplies, and they are used by all branches of the military. Advanced combat uniforms, some flame-resistant, are made by NIB agencies for the Army and the Air Force in Maryland; Dallas, Texas; and Greensboro, North Carolina. Advanced combat shirts are sewn for the Army and Air Force in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and New York. Improved physical training uniforms and gear are made for the Air Force and Space Force in Maryland and Raleigh, North Carolina. A Navy running suit is manufactured in New York. Other items for the Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard are also made across the U.S.
NIB agencies do more than supply these uniforms. They provide agile development and soldier-centered design through manufacturing and development contracts. Military branches work with NIB agencies to develop new prototypes or improvements to existing products to better serve the warfighter. They use the latest technology—including 3-D printing and modern programmable sewing machines—to develop new and unique products. These prototypes are then field tested, adjusted as required and comprehensively retested. This ensures the product performs in accordance with military standards.
Additionally, NIB agencies provide uniform-related services to save the military time and money, reducing waste. In particular, NIB agency Travis Association for the Blind in Texas manages a receipt, inspection, repair and reissue program for U.S. Army Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE). Army OCIE items are currently warehoused, cleaned, repaired, inspected and distributed by 147 employees who are blind. In the past, this process was conducted by the Central Issue Facility at each Army base. However, the Army concluded that Travis is better suited to fulfill this function and offers a better use of resources. Through this program, Travis saves the Army over $25 million each year.
For more information on National Industries for the Blind, visit www.nib.org.
# # #
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 low vision, including veterans. For more information, visit www.nib.org or www.nsite.org
