Spring 2026 | Impact Newsletter

 

In This Edition:

Meet Marvin Pearson

Letter from the Editor

Designed for Precision: Complex Textiles with Tonya Johnson

Small Parts, Big Impact: Independent in Packaging and Assembly with David Collins

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Meet Marvin Pearson

Seeing possibility through access and technology

Marvin Pearson, Workforce Services division

When Marvin Pearson speaks about opportunity, he speaks from lived experience. He has navigated vision loss his entire life, yet his determination has always far outpaced the limitations others assumed for him. Eight years ago, Marvin sat across from Ellen DeGeneres on national television, proudly wearing his high school varsity football jersey while a clip of his game-winning touchdown played behind him. Blind and deaf, he shared his ambitions with millions—determined toprove that people with disabilities can do anything when given a chance.

Just a few years later, Marvin faced a very different reality. He was homeless, navigating a world that often underestimates people who are blind or visually impaired. The determination that once carried him across a football field now fueled his grit to rebuild his life in search of stability and meaningful work.

Through IFB Solutions’ Workforce Services division, Marven found opportunity for employment as a customer service representative, supporting individuals across the country during some of their most difficult moments—applying for SNAP benefits, Medicaid, or working to rebuild their lives after incarceration or homelessness. “I know what that feels like,” Marvin says. “I’ve lived it. Now I get to be the one who helps.”

Like many people who are blind, Marvin uses assistive technology to work independently and effectively. He relies on JAWS (Job Access With Speech), a screen-reading software that reads information aloud from his computer. During calls, JAWS plays in one ear while the customer comes through the other, requiring focus, training, and practice. The role also requires navigating multiple virtual pages to efficiently collect and manage customer information.

IFB has a Workforce Services team of more than 60 employees, supporting over six partner organizations across 26 states. Together, this team proves every day that with the right accommodation specialized technology, low vision aids, and thoughtful workplace design—people who are blind can succeed in complex, fast-paced roles with independence and confidence.

“Being employed gave me my life back,” Marvin shares. “It’s more than work—it’s a chance to make a difference.”

Thanks to the generosity of donors, IFB Solutions provides the tools, training, and accommodations that make stories like Marvin’s possible. Your support ensures that vision loss never limits potential.

 

 

 

Anastasia Powell photo for Spring 2026 newsletterLetter from the Editor

At IFB Solutions, we deliver meaningful employment opportunities that allow people who are blind to do their jobs with independence, pride, and confidence. Across our Textile manufacturing operations, Packaging and Assembly work, and Professional Services, employees are empowered to succeed at every skill level with the use of adaptive tools, low-vision aids, and accessible technology.

From producing critical performance apparel and protective equipment for the U.S. military, to packaging and assembling products used in every federal government office across the world, to staffing remote call center positions, IFB Solutions meets employees where they are, supports skill-building, and offers career growth.

February marks Low Vision Awareness Month—a reminder of the importance of creating workplaces where every individual can succeed. In this issue, we highlight remarkable people who are blind and share how customized low-vision tools and aids allow them to thrive. Their stories reflect IFB’s commitment to creating accessible, sustainable employment that profoundly changes lives.

Together, we are ensuring that every employee has the opportunity to excel—one job, one tool, and one chance at a time.

Warm regards,


Anastasia Powell

Meet Tonya Johnson
Designed for Precision: Innovation in Complex Textile Operations

Tonya Johnson, Fuel Handler Suit Department

In IFB’s Fuel Handler Suit Department, precision isn’t optional, it’s essential. With more than 150 steps required to complete each garment, every role demands accuracy, consistency, and skill. For Tonya Johnson, who was born with nystagmus, that level of precision became possible through innovation.

Before coming to IFB, Tonya worked in fast food and retail that offered little accommodations. Without the necessary accommodations, she often felt set up to fail. That changed 21 years ago when she joined IFB and discovered what happens when ability meets access.

Today, Tonya works as a subcomponent assembler, helping her team produce more than 360 suits each week. The job requires holding small materials steadily. IFB engineers in collaboration with National Industries for the Blind (NIB) designed a custom 3D-printed jig that stabilizes the fabric, allowing Tonya to work independently and accurately.

“The device holds everything in place, so it doesn’t move,” Tonya explains. “Without it, my vision wouldn’t allow me to do this job.”

Rather than asking Tonya to adapt to the job, IFB adapted the job to her—proving that complex textile work is not limited to those with sight. With the right tools, Tonya’s performance is measured by her skill, not her vision.

Her success reflects IFB’s belief that innovation creates opportunity. Donor support makes that innovation possible.

 

David Collins, Packaging and Assembly

Meet David Collins

Small Parts, Big Impact: Independent in Packaging and Assembly

In IFB’s Stapler Department, success comes down to millimeters. Each stapler contains more than seven tiny internal parts, some no larger than a toothpick. Assembling them requires focus, steady hands, and precise placement—work David Collins performs every day with confidence.

Born with macular atrophy, David previously worked in recruiting and sales, where his vision slowed his pace in environments that weren’t willing to adapt. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t do the work,” David says. “They just weren’t willing to help me meet the standards.”

At IFB, the approach is different. David assembles up to 400 stapler units a day using an electronic magnification device called a CCTV; an adaptive tool that visually enlarges the small parts so David can see them. The device also allows the color of the background and parts to be adjusted, a feature that is especially helpful since David’s eye condition responds best to a white background paired with the natural color of the pieces.

Technology allows him to see clearly, work independently, and meet productivity expectations.

“The magnification makes all the difference,” David explains. “I couldn’t do this job without it.”

Beyond the tools, David values the culture of understanding and respect at IFB Solutions. His needs are recognized, his challenges addressed, and his contributions valued. That support has restored his confidence and pride in his work.

When asked to describe IFB in one word, David doesn’t hesitate: “Reliable—because they always show up for us.”

Because of donor generosity, packaging and assembly jobs once considered inaccessible are now pathways to independence, stability, and purpose for people who are blind.