National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2014

AbilityOne Base Supply Center™

Quick Start Guide

Thank you for joining NIB in recognizing NDEAM this October!

Questions? Contact Tommy Thomas, 703-310-0344 or Mike Stine, 703-310-0463

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)!
Facilitated by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, this national observance raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many contributions of Americans with disabilities in the workplace.
National Industries for the Blind (NIB) invites you to join the campaign to raise awareness of the workforce capabilities of people who are blind by participating in NDEAM-related activities throughout the course of the month.
You should have received your NDEAM posters and shelf talkers already. We hope these additional marketing resources will help you to further leverage NDEAM to encourage customers to buy SKILCRAFT® and other AbilityOne products at your store. To make your outreach efforts as seamless as possible, we are sharing with you some marketing strategies to consider, as well as messages you can use to communicate with your customers and the public. We hope these tools will help make NDEAM a success for you.
NDEAM is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the actions your agency is taking in support of people who are blind. Thank you in advance for your support!

Table of Contents

Key Messages

1. 
   Capabilities –October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the AbilityOne BSC Store at [insert location/store name] is joining the campaign to raise awareness of the capabilities of people who are blind.
   
   • 
     More than 5,500 people who are blind are employed through National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and its associated agencies. These employees assist in the production and distribution of more than 7,000 high-quality products and services to federal, military and commercial customers, including many products carried by the AbilityOne BSC Store at [insert location/store name].
     
   • 
     At the AbilityOne BSC Store at [insert location/store name], sales of SKILCRAFT® products through the AbilityOne program contribute to sustaining and growing employment of more than 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
     

2. 
   Take action – Support the employment of qualified individuals who are blind by purchasing through the AbilityOne Program.
   
   • 
     When federal customers choose SKILCRAFT® and other AbilityOne products, they help employ [insert number of people] who are blind across the country.
     
   • 
     At the AbilityOne BSC Store at [insert location/store name], we offer a number of products, including: [Insert types of SKILCRAFT® products carried].
     
   • 
     SKILCRAFT and other AbilityOne program products deliver tremendous value to federal customers.
     

3. 
   Why this matters – The AbilityOne Program helps more than 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities find employment. When you purchase products or services through the AbilityOne Program, you help these people lead more independent lives.
   
   • 
     The AbilityOne BSC Store at [insert location/store name] offers SKILCRAFT® and other AbilityOne products to federal customers to support their missions, while at the same time helping people who are blind lead more independent lives through meaningful employment.
     

AbilityOne Program Fact Sheet

What is the AbilityOne Program?

• 
  The AbilityOne Program was established in 1938 under the Wagner-O’Day Act, after leaders in the blindness community encouraged Congress to open up government markets to products produced by people who were blind.
  
  • 
    National Industries for the Blind (NIB) was established in 1938 as the central nonprofit agency to manage the orders between the government and nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind.
    
  • 
    The law was amended in 1971 to include products produces by people with significant disabilities. The amended law, the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, also and allowed calls for the provision of services to the federal government.
    
• 
  The AbilityOne Program strives to provide employment for every person who is blind or has a significant disability and is willing and able to work.
  
  • 
    It employs more than 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities, making it the largest single source of jobs in the U.S. for individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities.
    
• 
  AbilityOne offers approximately 16,000 high-quality products and services to federal and military customers
  
• 
  In 1995, the first AbilityOne Base Supply Center Store opened at Fort Bragg, NC. Today, there are 150 AbilityOne BSCs located on military installations and federal buildings nationwide.
  

How Does the AbilityOne Program Work?

• 
  The AbilityOne Program leverages a national network of nearly 600 community-based nonprofit agencies that train and employ individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities to work on federal contract projects.
  
• 
  The AbilityOne Program is administered by an independent federal agency – the U.S. AbilityOne Commission®, and implemented with assistance from NIB and SourceAmerica®.
  
  • 
    NIB and SourceAmerica also facilitate the distribution of government orders of Procurement List products and services among nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
    
• 
  The Program serves federal customers by providing them with high quality products and services that are delivered on time, at a reasonable price.
  
  • 
    Federal customers enjoy streamlined acquisition solutions with negotiated prices and the flexibility needed to adapt to changing budgets and service needs.
    
    
    

Why Should You Supply or Purchase AbilityOne Products?

• 
  When you purchase products or services through the AbilityOne Program, you help people who are blind lead more independent lives through meaningful employment.
  
  • 
    Federal and state governments and American taxpayers benefit from the employment of thousands of people who might otherwise be dependent on public assistance.
    

Tactics to Consider

NDEAM provides a great opportunity to increase sales of AbilityOne products and help sustain and grow employment opportunities nationwide for thousands of people who are blind. To help make your participation successful, we’ve outlined four activities you can do throughout the course of the month. Using the messaging outlined on page four, you can easily highlight how your store supports the employment of people who are blind and how your customers can demonstrate their support by purchasing SKILCRAFT products through your store. Potential tactics include:

1. 
   Email
   
   • 
     Share emails with customers to make them aware of your participation in NDEAM.
     

• 
  Explain how purchasing SKILCRAFT and other AbilityOne products can help create jobs for people who are blind and boost local economies.
  

• 
  Let your customers know that you supply SKILCRAFT and other AbilityOne products and share the ways they can purchase products from you.
  

2. 
   Update Your Store Website
   
   • 
     Post a web graphic to your website (click the link in the email to download graphics) highlighting October as NDEAM.
     
   • 
     Other content updates to consider include:
     

• 
  Information on the AbilityOne Program.
  
• 
  How your store supports the creation of jobs for people who are blind by supplying SKILCRAFT and other AbilityOne products.
  
• 
  List the SKILCRAFT products your store offers.
  

3. 
   Social Media
   

• 
  Use your store’s Twitter and Facebook pages to let your followers know that you are participating in NDEAM. Like NIB on Facebook, follow NIB on Twitter, and share or retweet NDEAM posts throughout the month of October.
  
• 
  To help make your messaging simple and consistent, we’ve provided some sample posts to use on your social media channels:
  

• 
  October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. #NDEAM
  
• 
  National Disability Employment Awareness Month is around the corner. Celebrate this October and all year round: www.dol.gov/odep #NDEAM
  
• 
  #NDEAM starts today! Learn more about @NatIndBlind & how you can help create jobs for ppl who are blind at www.NIB.org 
  
• 
  We’re proud to help create jobs for ppl who are blind! Buy SKILCRAFT and AbilityOne products here [linktoyoursite] #NDEAM
  
  • 
    (Feel free to link to individual AbilityOne products that you promote, too.)
    
• 
  We’re joining with @NatIndBlind to raise awareness of the workforce capabilities of ppl who are blind. Join us & RT! #NDEAM
  
• 
  Did you know? 70% of working age Americans who are blind are not employed. #NDEAM @NatIndBlind
  

• 
  #NDEAM is a great time to show your support for creating jobs for ppl who are blind. Purchase products here: [linktoyoursite]
  
• 
  The AbilityOne Program helps more than 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities build careers. www.abilityone.gov #NDEAM
  

4. 
   Direct Mailers
   

• 
  Send direct mailers to current customers and offer promotions during October in recognition of NDEAM.
  
• 
  Use the provided messaging to showcase your participation in NDEAM.
  

• 
  Highlight how purchasing SKILCRAFT and other AbilityOne products creates meaningful employment for people who are blind.
  

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