Welcome to the AbilityOne NDEAM Resource Kit

...Your toolkit for spreading the word about the AbilityOne Program during the October 2007 observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)!

AbilityOne NDEAM MATERIALS

• Message From AbilityOne Acting Executive Director
  


• AbilityOne Program Partners
  


• Planning Federal AbilityOne Celebration Activities
  

Dear Colleague:

We hope that this kit provides you--our Federal customers and participating nonprofit agencies--with the tools you need to help us spread the word in your communities and across the country that AbilityOne Works for America!

The AbilityOne Program creates employment opportunities that enable people who are blind or have other severe disabilities to fulfill their potential while providing a wide array of custom solutions at a fair market price to Federal customers. The AbilityOne Program is the largest single source of employment for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities in the United States, currently employing nearly 48,000 such individuals at more than 600 community-based nonprofit agencies across the country. Although we celebrate this success, there remains a critical need for the Program as 70 percent of people with severe disabilities remain unemployed or underemployed.

Employment opportunities made possible through the AbilityOne Program equip tens of thousands of people who are blind or have other severe disabilities with the job skills and training necessary to earn equitable wages, benefits and greater independence. Nonprofit agencies that employ these individuals provide best value products and services to the Federal Government.

We kick off our fiscal year with National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. This is an exceptional opportunity to celebrate the successes of the AbilityOne Program, but there are numerous other opportunities throughout the year to plan and participate in AbilityOne commemorative events. New contracts, ribboncutting ceremonies, anniversaries and other milestones, visits by prominent individuals and awards presentations are all opportune events for conducting outreach to local, state and national leaders as well as local businesses and media organizations.

According to President Bush, "All of our citizens should have the opportunity to live and work with dignity and freedom. Every October, we observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month to recognize the talents, skills and dedication of people with disabilities who are a vital part of our workforce."

Not only are people who are blind or have other severe disabilities a vital part of the American work force, under the AbilityOne Program, they are also a critical part of the U.S. military industrial base, providing support to warfighters and international relief through the provisions of products and services. AbilityOne products include military unique items, such as the Army Combat Uniform, chemical protective suits and first aid kits; food items, such as nonfat dry milk, that support Government international relief feeding programs; office supplies, such as pens and notepads sold under the SKILCRAFT® brand; and much more! AbilityOne services include—to name a few—fleet maintenance, call center support, administrative and mailroom services, document management and destruction, grounds and landscape services, full facility maintenance, and food and laundry services.

We hope that you will take advantage of October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month observance--as well as other commemorative events throughout the year--to recognize the many achievements and benefits of the AbilityOne Program.