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October 1, 2001
Memorandum
Subject: The Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program
From: Judy S. Davis, Director
Office of Acquisition Management
To: OAM Division Directors
Regional Contracting Officers
Purchase Card Holders
As part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the
Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program is celebrating National JWOD
Week from October 6 to 14, 2001. Since its inception in 1938, this
unique federal procurement program has provided employment for thousands
of individuals with 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 products and services
at reasonable prices.
The Program is administered by an independent federal agency, the
Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled,
in partnership with two national nonprofit organizations, National
Industries for the Blind (NIB) and National Industries for the Severely
Handicapped (NISH). NIB and NISH assist over 600 community-based
agencies across the nation in their efforts to employ people with
severe disabilities on federal contracts under the Program.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Javits amendment to
the Wagner-O'Day Act, which expanded the Program to serve people
with a range of disabilities other than blindness and allowed federal
agencies to contract for JWOD services in addition to products.
The JWOD Program set a new goal to increase the number of jobs federal
agencies generate from its current level of 36,000 jobs to 50,000
jobs.
I ask that each of you commit to greater utilization of the JWOD
Program, thereby creating new positions for workers with severe
disabilities. I encourage all EPA personnel to support the JWOD
Program whenever possible. In particular, government Purchase Card
users should always buy items furnished by the JWOD Program before
considering other commercial sources.
Products 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. These items
are distributed through http://www.jwod.com, the GSA Advantage!
online shopping service (http://www.gsaadvantage.gov) and authorized
commercial distributors. For more information about JWOD supplies
or distributors, visit the program's web site: http://www.jwod.gov.
The JWOD Program also performs a wide range of services such as
administrative services, food service, grounds maintenance, janitorial/custodial,
mailroom operation, switchboard operation and warehousing/distribution.
The Program can be an effective vehicle for outsourcing service
requirements.
If you would like additional information, including catalogs and
videos, a JWOD briefing or to suggest new products or services you
may wish to procure through JWOD, please contact the Agency Competition
Advocate, who is also EPA's JWOD Liaison, Corinne M. Sisneros, at
(202) 564-4321.
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