History

In 1938, Congress created a program enabling agencies serving people who were blind to sell products to the federal government. By 1971, the original Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act was amended to permit people with other severe disabilities to also benefit. The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee) is the federal agency authorized to administer the AbilityOne Program. The Committee is responsible for determining which products and services are suitable to placed on its Procurement List for the federal government. It also determines the fair market prices for those items.

The Committee has designated two central NPAs to assist with program implementation: the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH – Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities. More than 600 NPAs associated with either NIB or NISH produce products and services under the AbilityOne Program. The core criteria for NPA eligibility is that 75% of total direct labor hours must be performed by people who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

NISH - Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities, provides employment opportunities for people with severe disabilities through federal contracts for goods and services. The NISH network supports more than 550 NPAs and their federal customers by providing legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and marketing materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training.

The amended Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act of 1971 created the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the independent federal agency that administers the AbilityOne Program. The Committee is comprised of 15 Presidentially-appointed members, 11 of whom represent governmental agencies (Departments of Agriculture, Air Force, Army, Commerce, Defense, Education, Justice, Labor, Navy and Veterans Affairs, and the General Services Administration). The remaining four members are private citizens knowledgeable about the employment problems of people who are blind or have other severe disabilities, including those employed by nonprofit agencies affiliated with the AbilityOne Program.

Since 1938, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has enhanced economic and personal independence of people who are blind by creating employment opportunities. Under its brand name SKILCRAFT®, NIB and its associate agencies supply federal customers with a selection of more than 3,000 quality products.