IFB President & CEO David Horton Responds to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Decision (10/17/18)

Contact
Nicole Ducouer, IFB Solutions Director of Corporate Communications
336-245-5615 | nducouer@ifbsolutions.org

Background
Since 2016, IFB Solutions has been involved in litigation alongside the U.S. Government to protect jobs for people who are blind. The case centers around whether veteran-owned small businesses should receive priority for contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs over AbilityOne nonprofits like IFB Solutions who employ people who are blind. Today, we received a ruling on our appeal filed in Federal Claims court that upheld a lower court decision to rule in favor of veteran-owned small businesses.

IFB Solutions President & CEO David Horton Statement
IFB Solutions remains 100% committed to our mission of creating life-changing jobs and opportunities for people who are blind.

As we have said before, we believe strongly in protecting jobs for people who are blind and we will fight this decision all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month — a time when we focus on growing awareness of the extraordinary employment challenges faced by people who are blind. Seventy percent of working-age adults are not employed, and it is paramount that AbilityOne agencies like IFB Solutions continue our work as defined by the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act of 1938 with the specific intent of creating employment opportunities for those who are blind or with severe disabilities.

Today’s court decision underscores the importance and absolute necessity of awareness and advocacy on behalf of people who are blind seeking the chance to have a job of their choice. 

Right now, we are weighing our options to decide our next steps.

A special exhibit by local photographer Bowman Gray will be on display at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) from Oct. 18 to Nov. 4 celebrating the stories of five local employees from IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country. Each person’s portrait will be accompanied by a thermally generated tactile print that enables visitors to both see and touch the work. SECCA donated the time and technology to translate Gray’s photography into a tactile print that brings the image to life without the need for sight.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at SECCA, which is located at 750 Marguerite Drive in Winston-Salem. The reception is free open to the public.

“I was drawn to the challenge of taking what is a highly visual medium—photography—and making it accessible for people who are blind,” said Gray. “The portraits also capture each person doing what they love outside of work as an expression of independence that breaks many of the stereotypes of what it means to be blind.”

The employees featured in the portraits are Chris Flynt, director of Programs and Services, working on his farm; Charity Hampton, music instructor at Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse, singing a favorite Broadway tune; Faith Harding, inside sales for Base Supply Center operations, practicing yoga in her journey to become a certified instructor; Pablo Morales, assistive technology coordinator, demonstrating martial arts; and Dennis Rothfuss, RABU sewing operator, using a magnifying device to complete a woodworking project.

“We are excited to host an exhibit that celebrates inspiring stories of people from our community in such a unique and innovative way,” said Deborah Randolph, curator of education for SECCA. “It’s a wonderful collaboration with IFB and Bowman to use our thermal printing technology and make art accessible to people without sight.”

The dates of the exhibit were chosen by IFB to mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October. “We are very grateful to SECCA and Bowman for donating their time and talents to make this innovative exhibit a reality during a month when we want to both celebrate the accomplishments of our employees and also raise awareness for the many challenges people who are blind still face in finding jobs,” said David Horton, CEO of IFB Solutions. “Although our national unemployment rate is now below 5 percent, the rate for someone who is blind is an astounding 70 percent. We’ve got to do more to grow job opportunities because there is so much potential for individuals who are blind in the workforce and in the community.”

About IFB Solutions (IFB)

IFB Solutions is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB Solutions funds employee training and services as well as community programs through grants and private donations, making possible the Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and in Little Rock, Ark., and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse based in Winston-Salem. ifbsolutions.org

About SECCA

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is a creative leader of the arts in the Southeast, a museum boldly giving artists of the region a platform for visibility while connecting local communities with the international world of contemporary art. Located at 750 Marguerite Drive, the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. For hours, please visit secca.org. SECCA is an affiliate of the North Carolina Museum of Art, a division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. SECCA receives operational funding from The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Additional funding is provided by the James G. Hanes Memorial Fund.

 About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susi H. Hamilton, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development. NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit ncdcr.gov

Rep. Virginia Foxx visits IFB Solutions, advocates for breaking down barriers to employment for people who are blind.

In her role as chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. Foxx is a leader in breaking down barriers that prevent workers from succeeding, including those who are blind or visually impaired.  She is meeting with executives and employees at IFB Solutions to learn how individuals who are blind are kept out of the workforce because of guidance provided by the U.S. Dept. of Education.

According to IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind in the country, the Department’s guidance associated with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA) is keeping individuals who are blind from being referred to job opportunities at agencies like IFB because some state vocational rehabilitation agencies may not consider them to be places of competitive, integrated employment.

“Individuals who are blind should have the freedom to choose where they pursue jobs and make their own successes,” says Dan Kelly, Chief Operating Officer for IFB Solutions and who also is totally blind. “Rep. Foxx is an advocate for removing barriers for anyone seeking to enter the workforce, and we want her to meet with several of our employees who have restarted their careers after losing their vision thanks to jobs at IFB.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx will meet with IFB COO Dan Kelly and speak with several employees including Ken Mullins who recently joined as a supervisor in the IFB optical lab. Mullins spent 16 years as a plant supervisor with a FORTUNE 500 company but had to leave that role when his vision diminished.  After three years of job searching, he found IFB.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (meeting & brief facility tour) Rep. Foxx will answer questions from the media at 12:15 p.m.

IFB Solutions, 7730 North Point Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27106