Jobless rate for people with a disability is more than twice the rate for those without a disability
NIB Advocate for Leadership and Employment Shannon Satterfield (left) and President and CEO of IFB Solutions Dan Kelly in Washington, D.C., during the 2024 NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 20, 2024— Recently, Dan Kelly, president and CEO of IFB Solutions in Winston-Salem, N.C., joined a large group of National Industries for the Blind advocates on Capitol Hill. The NIB 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.
Kelly lost his vision as a child; he is the third generation of his family to have retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that causes vision loss. In January, he joined the Board of Directors for the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind as the vice president of public policy.
IFB Solutions is one of NIB’s nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies nationwide, and Kelly is helping to lead the NIB community’s combined effort to gain Congressional support for the 1% AbilityOne Program utilization goal for the DOD.
“This year, it’s a very simple uncomplicated ask: We are asking for the Department of Defense, our largest customer, to procure 1% of their total purchases through the AbilityOne Program to drive employment for people who are blind,” Kelly said.
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 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.
“It’s critical to protect those jobs through this congressional program and find ways to generate more opportunities for people who are blind,” Kelly said. “Our customers have to purchase supplies to continue their mission-critical work. So why not buy from not-for-profit organizations that are employing people who are blind, reducing their dependence on other federal assistance programs? At virtually no cost to the government, they’re generating over 5,200 jobs for people who are blind.”
The Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations Act provided $825 billion in total funding. Increasing the DOD’s utilization rate could nearly double the amount spent through the AbilityOne Program, potentially doubling the number of employment opportunities available for people who are blind.
“People who are blind face an extremely high unemployment rate, and we need to put those people to work. And this is a way that you can do it, at virtually no cost to the taxpayer,” Kelly said. “A 1% goal may sound small, but in the context of a more than $800-billion-dollar defense budget, 1% can make a huge impact.”
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