Central Nonprofit Agencies

The Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act directs the Commission to designate "a central nonprofit agency or agencies (CNA or CNAs) to facilitate the distribution" of government orders of Procurement List products and services among nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. The Commission has designated National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (serving people with a range of disabilities) as the national nonprofit organizations that perform this and other functions that assist nonprofit agencies to participate in the AbilityOne Program. NIB and NISH work closely with contracting activities and nonprofit agencies to match government requirements with nonprofit agency capabilities.

One of NIB's and NISH's key activities is visiting government contracting activities to jointly explore with government personnel products and services that may be suitable for provision by local nonprofit agencies or NAs. Once a potential Procurement List addition is identified, NIB or NISH works closely with the contracting activity to obtain the data needed by the Commission to determine its suitability for the AbilityOne Program.

At least 75 percent of an agency's total direct labor hours must be performed by people who are blind or who have other significant disabilities. The work on Federal contracts may be facility-based, such as the contract to manufacture the U.S. Army Battle Dress Uniform, or community-based, such as our call center service contract with the Environmental Protection Agency that was established to assist consumers with questions about the harmful effects of lead.

NIB Nonprofit Agencies

NIB associated agencies provide people who are blind with employment and rehabilitative services such as early childhood intervention, adult literacy, low vision examinations and aids, Braille literacy, nutritional/health services, occupational/physical therapy, personal and career counseling, recreation, transportation, mobility, daily living skills, employment training, and more. To participate in the AbilityOne Program, non-profit agencies must associate with either NIB or NISH. For more information about how to become an NIB associated agency, go to NIB for more information.

NISH Nonprofit Agencies

NISH is a national nonprofit agency whose mission is to create employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities by securing Federal contracts through the AbilityOne Program for its network of community-based, nonprofit agencies. For more information please visit the NISH website.