Department of State
Office of the Procurement Executive

Department Notice
Office of Origin: A/OPE
Announcement Number: 2005_08_027
Date of Announcement: August 8, 2005
RE: The Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program

The Department fully supports and recognizes the many achievements and benefits of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program. Since its inception, this unique federal procurement program has provided employment for thousands of individuals who are blind or have other severe disabilities, enabling them to lead more productive and independent lives. While providing work for people with severe disabilities, Federal contracts placed under the JWOD Program provide government personnel with quality supplies and services at reasonable prices.

The JWOD Program is administered by a small, independent federal agency, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, in partnership with two national not-for-profit organizations, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (serving people with a range of severe disabilities). NIB and NISH assist over 600 state and local nonprofit agencies across the nation in their efforts to employ over 45,000 Americans with disabilities on federal contracts.

The Procurement Executive is committed to assisting the JWOD Program in its efforts to increase federal sales, thereby creating new positions for workers with severe disabilities. All Department of State personnel should support the JWOD Program whenever possible. In particular, Government purchase card users should buy items furnished by the JWOD Program before considering other commercial supplies if the items meet their needs. Supplies available under the JWOD Program are mandatory source items, and include a wide range of office supplies, cleaning products, hardware items, medical/surgical products and textiles. JWOD products are distributed through a variety of government and commercial channels including the JWOD program electronic commerce website http://www.jwod.com and the General Services Administration's website at http://www.gsaadvantage.gov/. JWOD supplies are also available through the Defense Logistics Agency, military base supply centers and authorized commercial distributors. For more information about JWOD supplies on-line, visit the JWOD information site at: http://www.jwod.gov. Meanwhile, the JWOD e-commerce site is also accessible from the A/OPE Home Page at http://www.statebuy.state.gov. For information regarding the location of base supply stores which allow for walk-in shopping, and in many cases, will deliver orders, as well as authorized commercial distributors, go to: http://www.jwod.gov/distributors.

The JWOD Program also performs a wide range of services at Federal locations, including administrative services, food service, grounds maintenance, janitorial/custodial, mailroom operation, switchboard operation, customer call centers, document imaging, and warehousing/distribution.

You may contact Joan Smith of the JWOD Program staff at (703) 603-2131 if you would like additional information, including catalogs and videos. You may also call to arrange a JWOD briefing or to suggest new products or services you may wish to procure through JWOD. Questions on this notice may be directed Jan Visintainer, Department Competition Advocate, on 703-516-1693, (fax) 703-875-6155, visintainerjl@state.gov.