Award recognizes employees who are blind, low vision or visually impaired and excel in their positions at NIB associated nonprofit agencies
NIB Board of Directors Chairperson Paul Healy (left) and NIB President and CEO Soraya Correa (right) with 2024 Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Oleksandr Onikiienko at the NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo Awards Banquet on October 17.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 24, 2024—National Industries for the Blind has selected Oleksandr “Olek” Onikiienko, a Ukrainian refugee, as its national 2024 Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year award winner.
The Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award was created in 1968 on the 30th anniversary of the Wagner-O’Day Act to honor Dr. Salmon, who was instrumental in advocating for the passage of the act and the subsequent creation of NIB. This year, 29 NIB associated nonprofit agencies across the country submitted nominees for the award. All of them will be formally recognized this fall during NIB’s annual Training Conference and Expo, October 14-18 in Arlington, Va.
Born in Ukraine, Onikiienko realized as a child that he was losing his vision. As it deteriorated, he remained positive. He went to university, graduated with a law degree, and met his wife. Together they ran a successful law practice. In 2012, they had their son. Onikiienko launched a second business and the family welcomed a daughter.
Onikiienko, 36, now of Binghamton, NY, fled his native Ukraine as a result of the war with Russia, which began in February 2022. He and his family endured a challenging journey to initially join extended family in New Jersey. They crossed 50 checkpoints in Ukraine alone before making it to a Polish airport. There were canceled flights, layovers in three countries, and a nearly 19-mile walk from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Diego, Calif., before they finally flew to Newark, NJ.
Due to his low vision and – at the time – lack of command of the English language, Onikiienko, who is improving his English by taking classes at the American Civic Association, didn’t think he would be able to find work in the United States. But the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment (AVRE), also located in Binghamton, coordinated with the New York State Commission for the Blind to help Onikiienko obtain his work visa and offered him employment on their production line.
“Olek works on numerous product lines and exceeds expectations in all areas,” AVRE’s management team wrote in the award nomination. “His work ethic is second to none.” Luigi DiRusso, AVRE’s production manager, said that Olek has been a blessing to the agency and to his fellow workers. “He always gives 120 percent and is a breath of fresh air,” DiRusso said, adding that Olek is now helping other AVRE employees. “We have a trainee who comes to us from Haiti, and now Olek is training him.”
Onikiienko was both surprised and happy when he learned of the honor. “I didn’t expect this,” he said. “Just a year ago, I was happy to get this job.”
At AVRE, Onikiienko is proudest of the work he does on the tarp line, part of a Department of Defense contract. “Possibly these tarps go to Ukraine,” he said, because the U.S. is an ally to his home country and the tarps could be used on military vehicles in his war-torn homeland.
For more information on National Industries for the Blind, visit www.nib.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.
About Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment
AVRE is a private, nonprofit organization that has been serving people who are blind or visually impaired in the Southern Tier of New York for nearly 100 years. AVRE clinical staff provide a range of vision rehabilitation services to people of all ages, from school-age children to seniors. AVRE also offers a range of learning, living, and working options for people experiencing vision loss in nine New York counties: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins. AVRE’s Business Division includes the manufacture of a variety of paper-based office products, cleaning solutions, poly jackets, haircare products, customized contract packaging, and two switchboard operations. For more information, visit avreus.org.