Beyond Vision

AbilityOne Program

Beyond Vision is proud to be an AbilityOne participating agency dedicated to providing employment opportunities for individuals who are blind.  The AbilityOne program is enabled by the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act and creates employment and training opportunities for people who are blind or who have other severe disabilities through a federal government preferred sourcing program. Federal purchasing of products under the AbilityOne Program allows the government to procure the products it needs at a fair-market price, while simultaneously creating employment for more than 47,000 Americans across the nation.

 

How it Started

AbilityOne products are products and services that are provided by nonprofit organizations that employ people with disabilities. The AbilityOne program was created by the U.S. Congress in 1938 as the Wagner-O’Day Act and was later amended and renamed the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act in 1971.

The program is managed by the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, which is an independent federal agency that administers the program in partnership with nonprofit agencies. These nonprofit agencies provide job training and employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities, including veterans.

 

A Program that Works

A woman with glasses holds a couple piece of metal.The AbilityOne program aims to promote the employment of people with disabilities and provide quality products and services to the federal government. The program offers a wide range of products and services, including office supplies, janitorial services, uniforms, and food services. The products and services provided through the AbilityOne program are sold to federal agencies through the General Services Administration (GSA) and other authorized procurement channels.

Purchasing AbilityOne products helps to support employment opportunities for people with disabilities and promotes the mission of the program. In addition, federal agencies are required by law to purchase certain products and services from the AbilityOne program if they are available and meet the agency’s needs.

Overall, the AbilityOne program is an important initiative that helps to provide employment opportunities and promote independence for people with disabilities, while also providing high-quality products and services to the federal government.

 

Meet Our Base Supply Centers

Beyond Vision operates Authorized AbilityOne Base Supply Centers across the country. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and shipping from 32 warehouse locations nationwide, we are proud to serve the needs of our Country’s finest. Here is a list of our locations.

When you purchase from your Authorized AbilityOne BSC, operated by Beyond Vision, you are doing far more than supporting your local staff. You are giving independence to Americans across the country who are blind or visually impaired. Meet one of our great team members:

Kris, Assistant BSC Manager, Fort McCoy

Kris Mize, assistant BSC Manager, sits at a desk. AbilityOne BSC logo.

Kris started at the BSC in November of 2008. She’s coming up on her 10th Anniversary!! Her hard work has made her the first BSC staff member to be promoted to a management position. And it’s well deserved. She has also been named our Employee of the Year two times!

She grew up in Ontario, WI and currently lives in Tomah, WI with her husband Curt. For fun she loves spending time with family, vacations and having a girl’s weekend now and then. In Wisconsin, we can all appreciate trips to Florida. Her Black Lab/Boxer mix named Ava is great company but is so smart it’s scary! Just ask Kris.

When asked what she would have to say, she told us, “Through the years of going through the disabilities I deal with and what other people have, I am so amazed at the people that I have met. And what people with disabilities can get done. It is amazing my hat goes off to every person through the AbilityOne/BSC mission with disabilities to say Thank You for your dedication and a job well done.”

If you ask her manager, Gisele, she would tell you, “She is amazing, our customers love her and she receives hugs all day from them.  I cannot tell you how blessed I am to have her on my team!!”

 

On a Mission for Quality

AbilityOne Program LogoIn order to meet the exacting standards of the United States Government, Beyond Vision frequently partners with commercial suppliers and manufacturers. Beyond Vision sources many of the raw materials used in the production of AbilityOne products from local commercial suppliers.  We also partner with manufacturers to provide value-added work on their products. These partnerships allow Beyond Vision and its partners to provide government customers with great products and services while maintaining an exclusive channel to all federal agencies including all branches of the Department of Defense.

To learn more about AbilityOne products, check out our online catalog.

If you have questions about the AbilityOne program or are interested in partnering with Beyond Vision in the future, please contact us at sales@beyondvision.com.