Cincinnati Association for the Blind

Established in 1911, the Cincinnati Association for the Blind (CAB) has provided 90 years of quality service to people who are blind or have low vision in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hank Baud, Executive Director, attended the Committee's March 8, 2001, meeting to discuss the services CAB provides to the Federal Government as well as to its community.

CAB manufacturers a number of adhesive products under the JWOD Program, such as duct tape and tape for computing machines, teletypewriters and postage meters. Through a partnership with the commercial brand OXO, CAB also assembles many ergonomic kitchen gadgets and cooking utensils from the "Good Grips" product line for use in military commissaries. CAB's latest addition to the Procurement List, however, is a Base Supply Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside of Dayton, Ohio.

The Office Runway, which opened its doors on February 15, 2001, held its Grand Opening on March 14, 2001. The store's product line, which features many items provided by JWOD-participating nonprofit agencies, includes office and janitorial supplies, software products and publications, and computer accessories. The Office Runway provides the JWOD Program with an additional distribution channel for its products, and Wright-Patterson AFB customers with a convenient way to obtain the JWOD products they have come to trust. Along with the creation of retail employment opportunities for JWOD employees, The Office Runway's sale of JWOD products help secure stable, quality work opportunities for those Americans who are blind or have other severe disabilities working on JWOD product contracts across the country.

Wright-Patterson AFB employs over 19,000 military and civilian personnel and is home to numerous acquisition operations, research laboratories, and high level support units as well as a hospital, a hotel, a large officers' club, and a museum.

Colonel Michael W. Hazen, Commander, 88th Air Base Wing, presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony on March 14, 2001. Approximately 75 people attended the ceremony, including base personnel, members of national and local organizations, vendors, media representatives and CAB's board and staff. Also in attendance was Leon A. Wilson, Jr., the Committee's Executive Director, and Al Clelland, President of NIB's Board of Trustees.

For more information about JWOD Supply Centers, please visit the JWOD Supply Center Initiative page of this website.