The 2024Annual Report
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2024 Annual Report
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It was a year of success in support of our mission to create and sustain employment opportunities for people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired across the country.
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NIB and its nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies:
Employed 5,112 people who are blind
Employed 451 veterans
Promoted or hired 439 people who are blind
Created 268 new job opportunities for people who are blind
Paid $172M+ in wages and benefits to people who are blind
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NIB President and CEO Kevin Lynch retired after 44 years with NIB and its associated agencies
Soraya Correa became NIB's new president and CEO in April.
NSITE Program Revenue: $1,096,484, 53% increase from 2023
NSITE Grant Revenue: $137,362, 833% increase from 2023
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NSITE, NIB's talent management enterprise, connects job seekers who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired with employers to meet their workforce needs.
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NSITE Connect Job Board: 525+ profiles
584 NSITE professional development training programs completed
NSITE-U learning management platform expanded to offer 100+ courses
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NIB expanded its footprint with new Base Supply Centers, grew its training programs, and shared our mission with a record number of government employees.
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Opened 4 new AbilityOne Base Supply Centers
83 graduates from the Contract Management Support training program
4,000+ federal government employees trained
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NIB advocated for legislative change and created a podcast designed to open doors for people who are blind.
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Launched the new Heard & Empowered podcast
40 episodes
3,871 unique downloads
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In 2024, NIB connected with 1,500+ people in support of our mission.
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NIB/NAEPB Public Policy Forum, May 2024
NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo, October 2024
AccessTech - Smart Office and Accessible Technology Showcase
1:10:12 – 1:22:00
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AccessTech - Smart Office and Accessible Technology Showcase
Demonstrations from organizations providing cutting-edge accessible technology
International launch of Envision's new AI assistant
Logos displayed for these companies: Amazon Business, Envision, Glidance, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Lighthouse Louisiana, Freedom Scientific, and American Printing House for the Blind
1:23:00 - 1:33:00
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79 Employees of the Year
2 National Winners
Oleksandr "Olek" Onikiienko, Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award
Terrie Collins, Alphapointe, Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award
1:33:00 - 1:40:00
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2024 Annual Report
Thank you for being part of our mission.
A Message from theChairperson & President
From Paul Healy:
This year was one of transition at National Industries for the Blind (NIB) following the retirement of Kevin Lynch, our long-time former president and CEO. The NIB Board of Directors welcomed Soraya Correa to the organization almost a year ago, and she began her new role in April 2024. Her leadership, enthusiasm, engagement, career experiences, and commitment to investing in new initiatives to advance our mission has played a critical role in our accomplishments.
It was also a year marked by steady financial recovery and measured growth in employment. Employees of NIB, NSITE, and our nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies nationwide continue to champion our mission to increase employment opportunities for people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired. Due to their efforts, we were able to build on existing partnerships and grow sales. For example, at one such partnership, the AbilityOne Representative (ABOR) program, several additional federal agencies added ABORs at the mission/departmental level.
As we continue to work together and as Soraya and her team continue to test new ideas, I have no doubt that we will continue to realize our goals for Fiscal Year 2025. Thank you for all that you do for National Industries for the Blind.
From Soraya Correa:
It has been a privilege to lead our dedicated staff, and to travel the country getting to know our associated nonprofit agencies and the inspiring people who work there. I visited 15 agencies in Fiscal Year 2024, and I look forward to visiting many more in the coming year. I greatly appreciate the support and the trust placed in me by the NIB Board of Directors, along with their commitment to investing in new initiatives.
NIB's strategic relationships proved vital in addressing a variety of issues during FY2024. Along with the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB), NIB led efforts to achieve unprecedented collaboration and consensus with SourceAmerica, the National Council of SourceAmerica Employers (NCSE), the AbilityOne® Commission, VisionServe Alliance, and other national disability organizations to outline key tenets needed to help transform and strengthen the AbilityOne® Program for decades to come.
In this report, you will see the tangible results of these partnerships and all we have accomplished together – including a 9.3% increase in the hourly wage paid by NIB agencies to employees who are blind, which is more than double the national average wage growth of 4.5%; an increase of over 100 in the number of promotions and new hires for people who are blind within NIB associated agencies, as reflected in the Promotions and Placement graph; and inspiring growth in the number of people who have completed NSITE's training courses – all of which will serve as a foundation for the next fiscal year and beyond. Thank you for being part of our success.
SORAYA CORREA
President & CEO
PAUL M. HEALY, Ph.D., A.C.A.
Chairperson of the Board
