CRP Connection Fall 2011 North Central

FALL 2011

NATIONAL NEWS FOR ABILITYONE PRODUCING & AFFILIATED CRPS

2011

O ne can often underestimate the intrinsic value of a small tool used to complete a large-scale project. This tool measures roughly three-and-

one-half inches wide by two inches tall, but the impact on an AbilityOne® employee receiving a personal set of business cards is immeasurable.

At the 2011 NISH Grassroots Advocacy Confer-ence, held in late June in Washington, D.C., employees were equipped with a small tool to aid in completing a big job—rallying for support from Members of Congress. The goal of each meeting is to educate Members of Congress and generate AbilityOne Program support that will improve employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities. With nearly 70

percent of people who are blind or have signifi-cant disabilities without jobs, self-advocates must be empowered to communicate the importance of reducing this staggering statistic.

The Importance of the ConferenceThis annual event affords community rehabilita-tion program (CRP) employees a chance to meet with Members of Congress from their local state districts. The goal of each meeting is to rally support for the AbilityOne Program and to create

Grassroots continues on page 14

NORTH CENTRAL REGION AND NATIONAL NEWS

CRP Registration . . . . . . . 2

Products Connection . . . . . . . . . . 2

DLA Award for Cottonwood . . . . . . . . . . 3

North Central Region News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Consequences of Segregation . . . . . . . . . .12

Fee Letter from U .S . AbilityOne Commission . . . . . . . . .17

Social Enterprise Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

2011 NISH Grassroots Conference: Telling ‘Our Stories’ for Results

NISH President and CEO Bob Chamberlin displays one of the self-advocate’s business cards during the opening session of the 2011 NISH Grassroots Advocacy Conference held late June in Washington, D.C. DeWayne Quick (right), of Goodwill of Greater Washington, assists with the presentation.

2 • Fall 2011 • PRODUCTS CONNECTION • CRP Connection

Products Connection

Tell the Products SheriffAs a reminder, please use the “Tell the Products Sheriff” e-mail address: [email protected], to obtain responses to specific Products questions and to comment on Products issues and concerns. E-mails are responded to within three business days and selected responses (minus agency and personal information) will be printed in future Products Connection issues.

Products FY 2011 Statistics October 1, 2010 to September 6, 2011

Number of Sources Sought Notices Posted 12

Number of Informational Postings 18

Number of FTEs Added 46

Total PL Line Extensions/Commercial/M&D 187

Number of Price Changes Processed 239

Number of Allocations Processed 276

CRPs — It’s Registration Time Again!

E ligibility for the distribution of new AbilityOne® projects per the NISH Bulletin No. B-1 requires CRPs to be current in their registration with NISH. Registration begins on October 1 and ends on December 31. To complete registration, you must have an Extranet ID, password and access to the agency info

business tool in the Customer Portal. Additional information will be sent by email and posted on the NISH Web site.

Self-paced training is available on the registration process through the NISH Academy at www.nishacademy.org:

1. Log into NISH Academy.

2. Click the Registration tab.

3. Click the Catalog link.

4. Select the Entire Catalog radio button

5. Type Customer Portal into the search box.

6. Click the Search button.

7. Select: The Registration Module

For assistance with the NISH Registration process, contact Helena Prindle, Affiliation/ Registration—program manager, at (678) 581-7284, [email protected] or contact the appropriate NISH regional office.

CRP Connection • PRODUCTS CONNECTION • Fall 2011 • 3

Products Connection

Cottonwood Receives DLA Award

T he Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) recently honored Cottonwood Incor-porated, Lawrence, Kan., with its 2010

Outstanding AbilityOne® Program Vendor Award in recognition of the nonprofit agency’s exceptional service in providing cargo tie down straps to the Department of Defense.

In 2010, Cottonwood supplied a record 917,000 cargo tie down straps to DLA and maintained the highest achievable standards for superior product quality, on-time delivery, superior customer service, reliability, dependability, consis-tency and accuracy. In the past 12 years,

Cottonwood supplied the military with more than six million cargo tie down straps. Cottonwood is the sole producer of the straps, which are used by all branches of the military to move supplies. The con-tract provides jobs in sewing, labeling and packing for about 90 individuals employed through the AbilityOne Program.

DLA’s Business Alliance Awards recognize industry, military and government part-ners who have demonstrated outstanding efforts to partner with DLA. The awards for Outstanding AbilityOne Program Vendor are presented to AbilityOne Network agencies who exemplify overall excellence in superior product quality, on-time delivery, superior customer service, reliability, dependability, consistency and

“Cottonwood has provided exceptional products to DLA for many years while, at the same time, supporting their community and people with disabilities . Cottonwood has developed strong partnerships with state facilities and local small business . I commend Cottonwood for all that they do for the warfighter, their community and people with significant disabilities .” —Jill Johnson, NISH Products, executive director

Vice Adm. Alan S. Thompson; Nina Van Schmus, Cottonwood government contracts manager; JR Condra, director of Cottonwood Industries; Jill Johnson, NISH Products executive director; Paul Cataldo, NISH Products contract manager and Bob Chamberlin, NISH President & CEO.

Grassroots continues on page 19

4 • Fall 2011 • NORTH CENTRAL REGION • CRP Connection

North Central Region Connection

News From the NISH North Central Region

Executive Director’s Note

Another fiscal year (FY) has already

passed. Many changes and happenings occurred in FY 2011 from the Republican shift in Congress to the budget crisis this

summer. As federal, state and local budgets have become limited and more budget cuts seem inevitable, we were able to have some positive highlights in FY11. The North Central Region’s very own David Ogletree of VGS, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio, was the National Usdane Award winner and one of the best motivating and most sincere keynote speakers we have ever had at the North Central Region NCWC Conference.

Another positive highlight is the encour-aging progress that Evelyne Villines has made with her health. We are hoping to see her at our next national conference in Indianapolis and our NCWC.

Fiscal Year 2012 will have its challenges, as does most years, but we are still very optimistic with several new opportuni-ties in the pipeline, as well as expansion in some existing contracts. Additionally, we will be more involved in looking into more non-AbilityOne® opportunities, such as state and local governments, as well as commercial prospects.

Please stay tuned to your e-mail for an invitation to the first annual NISH North Central Region Fall Harvest...of Ideas and Best Practices. This event

will bring together three of the North Central Region (NCR) teams: Contract Management, Business Development and Quality Management, to work with our regional community rehabilitation programs (CRPs) on new ideas and best practices. The date will be mid-January 2012 and will be held in the Chicago-land area.

I look forward to working with everyone in the next year and putting more people with significant disabilities to work.

Best Regards,Chris

CRP Connection • NORTH CENTRAL REGION • Fall 2011 • 5


Crossroads Industrial Services Leads Local Recycling EffortsCara L. Klaer, Communications Specialist, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce

U se the next 30 seconds to look around your current surroundings.

It’s probably a safe bet that somewhere in your reach is an old book that you have read and enjoyed, but now sits unused on your desktop or shelf. Have you ever thought about what to do with that book? You could take it to a half-off book store and try to get money for it, you could attempt to sell it online or you could recycle it. Of all the options, the latter is the easiest to carry out, and it’s something that a local company has created a business around.

Crossroads Industrial Services started recycling books in May, in collaboration with their partner “Giggil” (green is good, good is less). In just eight months, they have processed almost half a million books. That’s 25,000 books a month, or 2,000 books a day! In addition, other recycling, assembly, packaging and fabrication services take place throughout their 68,000 square foot facility, located at the crossroads of I-70, I-69, I-74 and I-465.

The process is fairly simple. Giggil and Crossroads receive books that have been donated to local libraries or charitable organizations like the Salvation Army. The books come in from as far away as Texas and as close as Carmel, Ind. The books are of all dif-ferent genres-health, fiction, science, non-fiction, memoirs, thrillers, and romance novels. Whatever their genre, new or old, they all arrive, ready to be processed at Crossroads’ facility on East 33rd Street in Indianapolis. The value proposition allows the book donors, usually not-for-profits and Giggil to generate an income and Crossroads to provide jobs for people with disabilities.

“Often times I walk through and see books of great interest to me. It’s hard not to stop and start reading. We receive a lot of fascinating books and we’re happy that many of them will continue to provide enjoyment, and for those books that are too old or worn, we feel good about the fact that they are being recycled to help the environment,” says Curtiss Quirin, Chief Operating Officer at Crossroads Industrial Services.

Crossroads operators scan the barcode on the back of each incoming book. Using software developed by Giggil, they are able to compare and value the book based on demand and condition. If the book is of

value, it will be sold on Amazon.com. If the book is of low value and cannot be sold online, it will be sold to a half-price book store. If the book has no value, it will be condensed to paper pulp.

The latest recycling initiative has employees feeling good about the work they do each day. “At Cross-roads, staff morale is high because everyone is making a positive impact on the community and the environment,” says Project Manager Jeff Gore.

Crossroads does not stop at book recycling. Five months ago, they expanded their recycling program to also include polystyrene, a packaging material you might find when you purchase a new appliance such as a television, dishwasher or vacuum. A white substance, polystyrene is often found in the corner or the base of new products packaging. Crossroads is partnering with Gateway and Wal-Mart to recycle this material.

Jeff Gore, project manager and Curtiss Quirin, chief operating officer (pictured left to right)

Local Recycling Efforts continues on page 6



The benefit to begin recycling polystyrene stems from the fact Crossroads is conveniently located next door to one of the largest Wal-Mart return centers in the United States. The Indianapolis return center handles about 800 Wal-Mart stores and 150 Sam’s Club centers. The partners collaborated and decided it would benefit the community to begin recycling the packaging material. Instead of having consumers drive to a recycling facility, Crossroads takes the guesswork out and works directly with Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club to recycle the polystyrene before the packaging even gets into the consumers’ hands.

Wal-Mart has a great stake in the process. Wal-Mart employees remove the polystyrene packaging from their products before selling them to consumers. They then transport the polystyrene to Crossroads’ facility. At Crossroads, they have employees ready to sort the material, along with the machines needed to compact the material. Workers sort many pieces of polystyrene and place them on a conveyor belt, the polystyrene inches upwards, where finally at the top, it falls into a machine where it is shredded, compacted and transformed into a dense log. The logs are then loaded on to skids, where they will

await the next leg of their journey. One tractor trailer full of loose polystyrene is equivalent to about one skid of compacted material. Ultimately, the com-pacted material is sold to a picture frame company in Wisconsin. There, they re-process the compacted material into poster art and pictures frames. It is no coincidence that the frames are then sold at Wal-mart stores across the country.

“It’s a circle of sustainability,” Quirin says. “Wal-Mart wins because they are not putting the polystyrene into landfills, Crossroads wins because we are able to increase our workforce, and the picture frame company wins because this is a source of low-cost raw material. At our current rate of production we are processing more than 150,000 pounds of polystyrene per year that would have gone into the landfill and this is just the beginning.”

Crossroads is only five months into polystyrene recycling, but already the response has been over-whelming. The response has led them to purchase a larger, more efficient machine that can handle the compacting of more material at once. Crossroads is also adding more workers to facilitate the recycling. Both recycling programs have each generated five jobs for workers with disabilities.

Crossroads Industrial Services is a division of Easter Seals Crossroads. More than 86 percent of employees at Crossroads have some form of disability, and the income the company generates is used to support disability services at Easter Seals Crossroads for those who cannot work.

“At Crossroads we look at a person’s ability, rather than their disability” says Jim Vento, President of Easter Seals Crossroads. People that have good cogni-tive skills, but may have a mobility issue are utilized in the book recycling program, whereas people with stronger physical skills take on the polystyrene recycling.

At Crossroads, Staff Morale is high because everyone is making a positive impact on the community and the environment.

Local Recycling Efforts continued from page 5



If your organization has news it would like to share with the North Central Region CRP community, please feel free to email the information to Frank Gidcumb at the NISH North Central office at

[email protected]. If it is a large file (over 2MB) you can contact Frank by phone at (847) 789-8424. We would love to hear from you.

@

“We have an extensive recruiting and training process. Our employees range in age from their 20s to their 70s. What they all have in common is their tremendous work ethic, their desire to be here each day, to do good work and become self sufficient,” said Quirin. “They are part of a culture of social entrepreneurship here at Crossroads that they wouldn’t find at other companies.”

It’s that culture that is paving the way for future recycling projects.

Next time you look around your surroundings, think about the myriad items that can be recycled. Think about the many ways you can begin to make an impact on the world in which you live. Think about the workers at Crossroads that are committed to changing the face of tomorrow by turning old, gently-used, everyday items into another man’s treasure. It’s thought-provoking. It’s humbling. Perhaps it will serve to inspire you.

Crossroads Industrial Services is ISO 9001 registered, and FDA registered for handling medical devices. They employ “lean manufacturing” principles and have a quality system and process controls in place. Crossroads manufactures products, fabricates metal, packages, and fulfills orders for companies like: Von Duprin, Metro Plastic, Herff Jones, Westvaco, Skydex, Arrow Container, NAPA, and the Department of Defense.

To learn more about Crossroads Industrial Services, visit: http://www .crossroadsindustrialservices .com . Cara Klaer can be reached at cklaer@indylink .com or (317) 464-2251.

Reminders NISH’s Annual Registration

NISH’s annual registration begins October 1. Please complete this by December 31. For questions or assistance, please contact Darcy Hedrich, [email protected] or Margie Boyd, [email protected] (847) 789-8400.

Watch for details coming soon!

WHAT: First annual NISH North Central region Fall Harvest…of Ideas and Best Practices.

WHEN: Mid-January 2012

WHERE: Chicagoland

Date and location to be determined, please look for invitation via e-mail!!



NISH North Central Region Hosts 2011 National Council of Work Centers Conference

T he 2011 NISH North Central (NC) Region National Council of Work Centers (NCWC) Conference was held again in downtown Chicago at the bohemian-

style Hotel Sax. Due to the location’s name, Hotel Sax, the conference had a ‘jazz’ theme. This was the first year the conference was expanded by a half day to accommodate the variety of topics that were discussed. The NCWC Conference started on Wednesday, August 17 in the afternoon with the inaugural CEO Forum, facilitated by Bob Chamberlin, NISH CEO and President and Martin Williams, NISH vice president, Regional Operations. The attendees included CEOs or Executive Leadership of NC Region community rehabilitation programs (CRPs). This session was an open forum for hot topics that are impacting or may impact the AbilityOne® Program and the CRP community. A training class was held for the Customer Portal concurrently with the forum and discussed the importance of becoming familiar with NISH’s Customer Portal. This fall will be the first year that QER and the 404 will be submitted electronically through the Customer Portal.

The NCWC conference officially welcomed more than 175 guests after the CEO Forum with Chris Stream, executive director, NISH North Central Region opening the conference with a year-in-review. He was followed by an NCWC update by Mitch Tomlinson, NC Region NCWC representative and Jerry Bettenhausen, NCWC President. Bob Cham-berlin discussed the NISH State of the Organization and results from the most recent NISH Board meet-ing. To conclude the first day of events, an evening reception was held just footsteps away at a Chicago icon, The House of Blues. NCWC attendees packed the House of Blues for two hours of appetizers, music and networking.

The second day of the conference began with the biggest highlight, David Ogletree. Ogletree is this year’s National William M. Usdane Award winner and is from VGS, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio. Ogletree was not only acknowledged again for his award with an encore of his video from the National Conference, but he also gave the keynote address, which brought

175 guests attended the 2011 North Central Region NCWC mid-August at the Sax Hotel in Chicago, Ill.



some teary eyes and demanded a standing ovation. His speech can be viewed on YouTube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQV18grcd6Q.

Paula Scanlon followed Ogletree’s motivating address with updates on some name changes that were fresh from the NISH Board meeting. Paula then provided great insight and best practices on branding for AbilityOne and for CRPs. Scanlon also reiterated the importance of the month of October being the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and to make arrangements for events and spread the word to customers. NISH CFO Elizabeth Goodman updated attendees on NISH’s Finance Department and provided an update on new and existing NISH financial assistance programs. From the results of a survey from previous NCWC conferences, a session for regional updates was added to this year’s conference. Fred Aske, director Contract Management, NISH North Central Region; Jill Johnson, executive director, NISH National Products; Nancy Yoder, director, Business Development, NISH North Central Region; Ryan Blackman, senior deputy director, NISH National Business Develop-ment and Robert Easton, quality manager, NISH North Central Region provided the regional update for respective departments.

The conference continued in the afternoon with a presentation on NISH’s job growth initiative from Martin Williams, NISH vice president, Regional Operations. Williams’ presentation tied into Melissa McKenzie’s presentation on non-AbilityOne/commercial updates, as these opportunities have been eyed for AbilityOne’s strategy in job growth. McKenzie provided information on how NISH will be pursuing commercial contracts and subcontracts, especially with prime vendors. Further on the topic of growth, was Nicole Hansma, senior program manager, National Business Development, speak-ing about growing CRP capabilities and attracting customers. Nancyellen Gentile, NISH vice presi-dent, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Government Affairs and John Kelly, NISH director, Government Affairs, provided on update on the

happenings on Capitol Hill. They provided insight on the Workforce Re-investment Act, 14c and most importantly, the Congressional Champions Program and the importance of pursuing your Congress members.

Friday, the final day of the conference, started with an informative presentation on Quality Work Environment (QWE) by Jan Williams, director, QWE, NISH Institute. Williams reported the number of CRPs for the region was the highest of all NISH regions with 30 CRP adopters. Williams was followed by the new Director of the Employment Research System (ERS) Peta Leonard, who showed particularly interesting statistics about the AbilityOne Program that are now gathered using ERS. The NCWC conference was anchored by Kim Zeich, deputy executive director and COO, U.S. AbilityOne Commission (formerly the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled), providing an update from the Commission on the name change and additional hot topics about the AbilityOne Program. Zeich also introduced Jim Kesteloot, vice chairperson, who shared his regional connections and first year experience on the Com-mission. Stream concluded the conference with a “top ten” summary and reminded everyone to stay tuned to their e-mail for an invitation to the first annual North Central Region Fall Harvest…of Ideas and Best Practices and to save the date for the 2012 National Conference being held in Indianapolis, Ind.

A new session was added to the end of the conference that included a collection of roundtables for network-ing with NISH staff on a more personal basis. Some of the tables included expert staff from different lines of business, including Total Facilities Management, Contact Center Services, Fleet Services, Commercial, Hospitality and Products. Everyone grabbed lunch and had their questions answered by the NISH team members before heading home. As folks departed the conference, many were treated to a preliminary show of Chicago’s Annual Air & Water Show, as fighter jets practiced their routines flying around the buildings of downtown Chicago in preparation for the show over the weekend.



2010 GSA/NISH Partners In Service Excellence Award

HistorySince 1999, this award has recognized the joint efforts and partnership of GSA and community rehabilitation programs (CRPs) for efforts to provide tenants with excellent and quality service on janito-rial/custodial service contracts. The program was designed with one purpose in mind—to recognize the efforts of individuals, property managers, site supervisors, GSA and CRPs who are benefiting from and supporting the AbilityOne® Program.

For the past 12 years, nine CRP’s and GSA property management offices have received this award. Those recipients are selected in recognition of their dedication and service. The rest of us are introduced to stories of success—some reflecting personal courage, commitment, determination and pride while others demonstrate the benefits of creativity, the spirit of partnership and hard work by individuals and organizations.

Selection ProcessThe six-member selection committee, which consists of both GSA and NISH representatives, began the process in October 2010. This year, the selection committee received eight nominations representing the Midwest region, from Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.

Nominations for the GSA/NISH Partners in Service Excellence Award must be submitted as a representa-tion of the existing partnership between GSA and the CRP provider. Each nomination must demonstrate the successes of this partnering approach from the interests of GSA, CRP and tenant perspective. Nominations are reviewed on the ability to solve problems, respond to issues, implement best stan-dards to provide quality service, manage contract administration issues and level of partnership.

After careful review of each nomination, scores were collected and tabulated. This year was especially dif-ficult as the scoring was close. For the first time ever, three nonprofits were given an honorable mention. Of the eight nominations, four were chosen for site

visits. During the month of January and February, the selection committee made visits to Ohio and Illinois talking to CRPs, GSA and touring buildings.

The sites visits were a wonderful opportunity to witness the strong partnerships between the CRPs and GSA and share in their accomplishments.

And the Winner is…The Paul Findley Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse was the last site visited. After much discussion and debate, the 2010 Service Excellence Award was presented to an Illinois site in Springfield.

Paul Findley Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse Springfield, Illinois

General Services Administration, Property Manager & Contracting Officers Representative Philip Heimlich

Challenge Unlimited, Inc., Project Manager Tami McKittrick



The reason for the great service level is due to clear communication between GSA building management, Challenge Unlimited, Inc. building supervision and upper management and NISH. The partnership between Phil Findley and Tami McKittrick has led to many accomplishments:

• Thecontractdollaramountwasreduced through partnering efforts in relation to vacant space allotment.

• Thedecreasefrequencyofperiodiccleaning elements reduced water usage, helping the organization to achieve the water reduction goal of 3 percent for FY 2011.

• Refocusontheavailabilityofadditionalrecyclingcontainers for tenants and the building in general helped increase the gross recyclables.

• 1,112AccidentFreeDays

• UtilizeaWeb-based“OperationsCourtesyCard”format to solicit tenant service related feedback.

The open communication that Findley sets and the front line supervision of McKittrick have made a positive impact on the community. We are thankful to continue this tradition of awarding CRPs and GSA for their dedication and commitment to excel-lent service and partnership.

Pictured from left to right: Front row: Andrew, Leigh Ann Davis, assistant manager, GSA; Tami McKittrick, project manager, Challenge; Back row: Alex, Harold, Kathy, Cynthia, Joyce, Carlos, Jeff, Shan and Philip Heimlich, GSA.

12 • Fall 2011 • NATIONAL • CRP Connection

National Connection

Consequences of SegregationReprinted with permission from www.disabilityisnatural.com E-Newsletter by Kathie Snow

W hat are the consequences of segregation? Segregation can certainly harm children with disabilities. But it can also cause negative con-

sequences for children and adults without disabilities and our society-at-large.

Experiences during our recent family vacation provide a good illustration. We headed off for a two-week driving trip to visit presidential museums (a passion of our son, Benjamin) in different cities, then on to museums and memorial sites in Washington, D.C. All was well; we had great weather and light crowds at presidential museums in May.

Things changed, however, when we arrived in D.C. The weather was still great, but huge crowds were everywhere, composed primarily of middle-school tour groups, herded here-and-there by their teachers/chaperones. Making our way was sometimes difficult as Benjamin carefully maneuvered his power wheel-chair through the crowds. We could handle that. What was more difficult to deal with was the behavior of thousands of middle-school students and their teachers.

Most stared bug-eyed at Benjamin and some whispered to each other as he passed by. Many displayed exaggerated responses as Benjamin tried to get from here to there. Some students gave him an extremely wide berth (urged on by loud exhortations from their teachers) and made a “big deal” of moving out of the way, as if Benj had a com-

municable disease. Others did the opposite—barely moving aside—despite Benj’s numerous and polite requests saying, “Excuse me, please.”

At one museum, visitors were instructed to take a large glass elevator to the top (sixth) floor, visit that floor’s exhibits, then proceed down to the next floor using the two sets of stairs on each floor. We were told to use one of the two elevators, which were marked as being only for people with disabilities and/or people pushing children in strollers. Piece of cake, we thought. To the contrary, the designated elevators were routinely full of middle-school students—none of whom had a disability or pushed a stroller!

After waiting and waiting, we ‘bit the bullet’ and

entered an elevator that was only half-full. The students and their teacher had to squeeze together so we’d all fit; staring and an uncomfortable silence followed. I asked the teacher if she was aware of the signage regarding the use of the elevators. She gave me a blank look and said, “No.” Her students’ faces had similar blank looks. I politely told her what the signs said; she had no response and looked away.

Why did the students—and their teachers—behave the way they did? I don’t believe they were inherently mean-spirited. I do believe they were ignorant and prejudiced. Prejudice—prejudging someone—is usually rooted in ignorance and this ignorance is probably caused by a lack of personal contact with—or even basic awareness of—people with disabilities. This, in turn, seems to be a consequence of the segregation of students with disabilities in “special” separate environments in public schools, houses of worship, and/or social-recreational activities. Despite all the progress in laws that prohibit disability-based discrimination, too many people with disabilities remain invisible to society-at-large.

On our trip, we saw thousands of students in their tour groups, but did not see one who had an apparent disability. Thus, it seems the students did not attend schools where children with and without disabilities were together in general ed classrooms. If those students—and their teachers—had friendships and/or familiarity with children with disabilities, the students and their teachers may not have behaved the way they did toward my son.

When children with disabilities are excluded from participation in ordinary environments, children without disabilities have no opportunities to get to know them, to see them as their peers/equals, or to see beyond the disability. Thus, they’re ignorant that children with disabilities are children first, and are more like them than different.

Worse, however, are the attitudes and perceptions children without disabilities may acquire based on their awareness that children with disabilities are in other segregated settings. This awareness can breed negative attitudes, such as children with disabilities being perceived as “other,” they’re not “like us,” they don’t belong, they’re “less than,” and more. In the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education that outlawed racial segregation, Chief

“ The world of education is like an island where people, cut off from the world, are prepared for life by exclusion from it .”

—Maria Montessori

Segregation continues on page 21


National Connection

employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities through procurement initiatives.

The experience is an empowering one that affords AbilityOne employees with disabili-ties opportunities many of their peers might not have. Employees receive travel to Washington, D.C., a full day of training and a chance to communicate with Members of Congress. For many, this is their first time flying in an airplane and being asked to speak before a group of legislative officials.

Self-advocates receive training on best practices when telling their own stories to Congressional Members related to the

positive impact obtaining employment through the AbilityOne Program has had on their lives.

Sgt. Kendrick’s Story Sgt. David Kendrick (U.S. Army Ret.) shared his moving story with the attendees at the 2011 NISH Grassroots Advocacy Conference, in Washington, D.C. As a featured speaker for the conference held from June 20-24, Sgt. Kendrick touched the hearts of audience members as he connected with them by sharing his experiences, obstacles and triumphs. Kendrick is employed with CDS Unistel as a production supervisor in the spice factory.

“I’m just one person, but I represent a population of more than 45,000 people

with disabilities who are employed by the AbilityOne Program right now,” says Kendrick.

His story began in a rough east side neighborhood of Rochester, N.Y. where he lived with his parents until he joined the U.S. Army in 2005 at the tender age of 18. This major life step was an exciting one for Kendrick since he had only traveled once outside the state of New York.

Kendrick attended cavalry scout training at Fort Knox, K.Y. and was assigned to the 361st Cavalry Regiment. In October 2006, his unit was deployed to Iraq. Nothing in the recruitment videos has prepared Kendrick for a time as this. It was clear from the locals that his reconnaissance unit was not welcome. The locals would even spit on them and throw rocks.

After only eight months of duty, his life would be forever changed when he was shot in the leg on June 17, 2007. The damage was so severe; he could hardly recognize his leg. After receiving treatment in Baghdad, it was discovered he sustained femoral artery and nerve damage in his left leg. The femur is the largest bone in the body that enables running and jumping. The injury left Kendrick with questions about his future. Was it dismal and hopeless?

Upon returning to Rochester, N.Y. in the spring 2010 as a 23-year old man with gunshot wounds, nerve damage and post traumatic stress disorder, many did not know how to interact with him.

Kendrick was not the same 18-year old boy who left home just five years earlier.

While experiencing homelessness and unemployment, Kendrick’s desperation caused him to start thinking of people he might be able to turn to for help. That’s when he remembered General Mixon, his commander at Ft. Carson during his hospital stay.

When Kendrick contacted Gen. Mixon, he was working with CDS Unistel, an AbilityOne NPA. He helped Kendrick enroll in the Warrior Salute Program. This program provides service members, who sustained injuries in the line of duty, urgent assistance to transition back into civilian life.

National Connection

Grassroots continued from page 1

2011 Grassroots Self-Advocates

Aleta Haywood Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin

Amanda Napper Work Services Corporation

Byron Cole

ServiceSource

Charquilla McGaffeny Calidad Industries, Inc.

Cindy Toth ServiceSource

Darius Henderson Challenge Unlimited, Inc.

David Ogletree Vocational Guidance Services

Devaughn Pratt Eggleston Services, Inc.

Donte McKinley Solano Diversified Services

Erin Anderson Work Services Corporation

Eugene Shelly Tommy Nobis Enterprises

Jack Freeman Bobby Dodd Institute

Jack Busby ServiceSource

Jason Dale The Arc of Caddo-Bossier

Jerry Sethongkang Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center

Johnathan Smith IBS Industries

Dewayne Quick Goodwill of Greater Washington

Kevin Ogletree ServiceSource

Linda Saffore Bobby Dodd Institute

Lori Thieberger ServiceSource

Louie Rivera Bobby Dodd Institute

Michelle Hensley United Cerebral Palsy

Milton Canty Didlake, Inc.

Neil Colomac Skookum

Patricia Cruz Job Options, Inc.

Patrick Haight Tommy Nobis Enterprises

Ramon Thibodeaux Toolworks

Rebecca Hardin New Leaf, Inc.

Rodney Yamada The Arc of Hilo

Ron Devine Knox County ARC

Rosemary Perez Tresco, Inc.

Sandra Shade Human Technologies Corporation

Scott Noell BH Services, Inc.

Steven Blunt Eggleston Services

Tabatha Neller Peckham, Inc.

Tom Ingoldsby ServiceSource

Victor Prassel Goodwill Industries of San Antonio

William Gould Pathways, Inc.

William Totten OE Enterprises, Inc.

CRP Connection • NATIONAL • Fall 2011 • 15

National Connection

Shortly after entering the Warrior Salute Program, homelessness and unemployment was a part of Kendrick’s past. He now had keys to his own two-bedroom apartment and moved into the role of a production supervisor in the spice factory at CDS Unistel managing 30 employees.

“I love my job and the people I work with. My favorite part about it is that I have the chance to work again. I love the indepen-dence and the feeling of importance I get from working for the AbilityOne Program,” explains Kendrick.

Hometown Radio Helps ‘Stories’ Hit the AirwavesWhile the conference focused on bringing AbilityOne stories to the Hill, informing U.S. senators and representatives about the AbilityOne Program and its influence is only one step in promoting the AbilityOne Program. The other equally important step is ensuring the AbilityOne story is told locally.

The AbilityOne advocates shared their AbilityOne stories through Hometown Radio interviews held during the first day of the conference. It was an important feature of the conference as it provided the advocates an opportunity to practice sharing and structuring their personal story. More importantly, Hometown Radio provided an opportunity for multiple AbilityOne stories to air across the U.S. in local markets, reaching the ears of influential people who would be apt to support the program but were not in Washington, D.C. during the June conference.

Preparation for the ‘Stories’Before the AbilityOne advocates stepped foot on Capitol Hill, they spent time in informational training sessions throughout day one of the conference to learn about the issues to be discussed with respective Members of Congress. This year, the Grass - roots Conference centered on providing representatives with an idea of the impor-tance of the AbilityOne Program through the story of the AbilityOne advocates.

The “Telling Your AbilityOne Story”

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Grassroot continues on page 16

Hometown Radio host Christopher Michael interviews AbilityOne employee Charquilla McGafferny during the 2011 NISH Grassroots Advocacy Conference.

Sgt. David Kendrick (U.S. Army Ret.) shared his moving story with the attendees at the 2011 NISH Grassroots Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.


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sessions, led by NISH Board member and AbilityOne employee Tom Miller and former NISH Board member Paul Stabile were dedicated to teach the AbilityOne advocates how to share their personal stories on the Hill. Abandoning a lecture-like atmosphere, Miller and Stabile opened the session with group activities allowing for transitions into group discussions and learning.

The session began with an icebreaker activity. Unlike many icebreakers frequently used in office or party settings, the advocates were asked to take off their shoes and find someone else in the room that did not have the same type shoe. Their “sole mates” would become their partner for the session.

Once the advocates found their partners, they were placed into small, two-person teams.

Much of the training focused on discussion related to what the self-advocates identified as most valued in their lives. Typical answers included: ‘my job, my family, and my health.’ The advocates openly discussed the impact of their AbilityOne jobs on their lives as well as the importance of the program’s success. The advocates agreed that their AbilityOne jobs played impor-tant roles in fulfilling what was most important to them.

The activities conducted during the training session were opportunities for the advocates to shape and practice personal AbilityOne stories for delivery to Congres-sional Members on the Hill. Additionally,

the session provided AbilityOne advocates with the tools to express to Members of Congress how important the AbilityOne was to sustaining what is important—their jobs, families and health.

Explore the IssuesSelf-advocates trained to become familiar with the current legislative issues on Capitol Hill to rally support from Members of Congress in their state and local districts. The two main talking points during these visits were related to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program.

The first issue, related to the Workforce Invest Act (WIA) reauthorization proposal,

Grassroots continued from page 15

During a training session, self-advocates were asked to take off their shoes and find someone else in the room that did not have the same type shoe.

AbilityOne self-advocates met with Members of Congress within their local districts to discuss issues pertinent to the disability community.


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U.S. AbilityOne Commission Approves CNA Fee

The AbilityOne Commission, formerly the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, approved a central nonprofit agency (CNA) fee ceiling of 3.85 percent effective October 1 for NISH for fiscal years 2012 through 2014. The fee, approved in early July, applies to transactions effective on or after

October 1, including Procurement List additions, renegotiated contracts (other than those with predetermined annual price change provisions) and previously negotiated contracts with follow-on year pricing that provides for adjustment to reflect a fee ceiling change.

is important to the disability community and NISH because it improves, aligns and coordinates employment, education, training and vocational rehabilitation services for employees with significant disabilities. Senators Murray (D-ME), Harkin (D-IA), Enzi (R-WY) and Isakson (R-GA) have been working over the past two years, in a bi-partisan effort, to renew and improve the WIA.

AbilityOne Program employees told their stories during meetings with Members of Congress to:

• stresstheimportanceofencouragingthe Senate HELP Committee to reschedule a late June markup until after the August recess so the disability community can review and recommend changes to this critical act.

• askmemberstoreinforcewiththeSenate HELP Committee the changes identified by NISH to ensure individu-als with significant disabilities continue to be afforded meaningful employment opportunities.

The second issue was associated with the issuance of a notice of proposed rule making by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would prohibit home- and community-based settings (HCBS) from being located on

the campus of a facility that provides institutional treatment or custodial care. The proposal would also prohibit housing complexes designed for persons with disabilities to qualify as “home- and community-based settings.

The goal of the Medicaid HCBS Waiver Program is to integrate people in the social mainstream with equal opportunities allowing them to make individual choices and NISH supports this effort. As an active representative of the disability community, NISH’s concern is the proposed changes to HCBS settings and person-centered planning are ambiguous and broad and may have unintended consequences for the nonprofit agencies that currently provide employment support services to Medicaid beneficiaries. In addition, states may misin-terpret the guidance to withhold HCBS waiver funding from NPAs supporting individuals with significant disabilities.

Members of Congress were asked to encourage the CMS to ensure that final Medicaid HBS Waiver Program regula-tions do not limit choices available through the person-centered planning process or otherwise result in loss of necessary services or supports for individuals with disabilities based on individual needs.


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accuracy. Lions Industries for the Blind, of Kinston, N.C., an NIB-affiliated agency, also received the award.

As America’s combat logistics support agency, DLA has a global mission to provide soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines with all they need to stay mission-ready. “Our DLA team could not successfully complete this mission without the support of our industry partners, especially those here tonight, who are setting the standard all DLA suppliers strive to reach,” Thompson said during the awards ceremony.

Nominations for each award were submit-ted by DLA Aviation industry partners and judged by a panel of subject matter experts at DLA Aviation with the winners being forwarded to DLA Headquarters for consideration.

Vice Adm. Alan S. Thompson, DLA director, presented the award to Nina Van Schmus, Cottonwood government contracts manager, and JR Condra, director of Cottonwood Industries, at the DLA Business Alliance Awards Ceremony held on June 28 in conjunction with DLA’s Industry Conference and Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio.

Cottonwood continued from page 3


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Benefits consulting (half page–text to come?)

Justice Earl Warren wrote that segregation is “usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the [segre-gated] group.” If children without disabilities grow up with only negative perceptions of children with disabilities, most will likely grow into adults whose perceptions remain the same unless or until they have positive personal experiences with children/adults with disabilities.

Let’s think long-term. Children with and without disabilities become adults. When they grow up together—not separated—in schools, worship services, social/recreational activities, etc., they learn from and about each other, and develop relation-ships. What might happen when those children are adults? If a child without a disability grows up to become a general ed teacher, she most likely wouldn’t automatically turn away a student with a disability from her classroom. If a child without a

disability grows up to become the human resources manager at a large company, he probably wouldn’t routinely assume a job applicant with a disability couldn’t do the job. The teacher and the HR manager would remember the children they grew up with; they would have learned from their friends with disabilities that having a disability is not a bar-rier to success; that disability is “no big deal.” Finally, some of those children without disabilities will one day become parents of children with disabilities. Isn’t it probable their attitudes about their own children may be different than the attitudes of parents who did not have positive experiences with children with disabilities during their childhoods? Can you think of other examples that might be possible?

When my children were growing up, parents of my son’s classmates at their inclusive school routinely told me they were so glad our children were friends.

Segregation continued from page 12

Segregation continues on page 22


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They also shared that the inclusive school and our children’s friendships had a positive impact on the lives of their children and their families.

Inclusion can generate positive outcomes for every-one. Segregation can generate negative consequences for everyone, and these can continue from one generation to the next. The uncomfortable experi-ences during our trip, as described in this article—and similar experiences of other families and people with disabilities—represent the tip of the iceberg and are all too common.

Parents, teachers, service providers, or others may believe in the value of a child/adult with a disability being in a “special” (segregated) environment. But we must also be aware of—and take responsibility for—the negative consequences, both short- and long-term, generated by segregation.

Segregation—excluding children and adults with disabilities from the mainstream—sets up an “us/them” mentality and also reinforces negative, stereotypical, and erroneous perceptions about indi-viduals with disabilities. Perceptions and attitudes are intertwined, and our attitudes drive our actions. Thus, negative attitudes result in negative behaviors: stares, whispers, rudeness, pity, and more.

Inclusion is the right thing to do, morally and ethically. It can also reverse the negative outcomes of segregation and change the fabric of our society. How did we ever come to believe that people with disabilities are “them”? As adults, do we not have a moral responsibility to eliminate the negative consequences that segregation inflicts on all children?

Copyright 2011 Kathie Snow, All Rights Reserved, used with permission . Contact kathie@disabilityisnatural .com for reprint permission . Visit www .disabilityisnatural .com for new ways of thinking!

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Segregation continued from page 21


National Connection

SEA Establishes Partnership with NISH

Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA) is the member organization that brings together the diverse and rapidly growing field of social enterprise. SEA

serves as champion for the field, hub of information and education and builder of a vibrant and growing community of social enterprises. The organization represents more than 30,000 North American social enterprises, social investors, field thought-leaders, experts, educators and social entrepreneurs and are rapidly building a regional network that includes 11 chartered chapters and 5 in formation.

Although the 700+ members vary widely in business models and methods, what virtually all of them have in common is that they are using an enterprise orientation to help people facing barriers reach their potential.

The annual, signature gathering, national summit is attended by practitioners, stakeholders, change-makers and those looking to learn about the field of social enterprise. The 2010 Summit in San Francisco had nearly 750 participants.

Summit 2011 will take place in Chicago, October 30–November 2. and will integrate social enterprise leaders across the value chain, including key social capitalists, policy influencers and makers, corporate partners and academic leaders, while addressing the topics and issues relevant for those considering, starting, and/or running social enterprises. Best practices, social enterprise models and partnership models with government, universities and corpora-tions from across the nation will be showcased. Features such as participation by the Corporation for National and Community Service, focused networking opportunities and compelling inter-change via SEA Talks, storytelling, and tours will play an important part in the summit.

NISH and SEA have established a national partner-ship to make the Summit more accessible to NISH Affiliates.

Through its National Partnership Agreement with NISH, Social Enterprise Alliance offers 50 percent discount on regular organizational membership from $350 to $175 for NISH affiliates. To take advantage of this, simply goes to the Web site and sign up for membership and then use the discount code “NISHorgdct”

Please visit https://www.se-alliance.org/join to learn more about SEA membership.

Get questions answered at the Social Enterprise Alliance’s 12th Annual Summit, to be held October 30–November 2, at the downtown Chicago Magnifi-cent Mile Marriott. The Summit offers expert advice, quality connections and smart strategies. Connect with more than 750 social entrepreneurs, partners and field leaders to enhance human and financial capital, strengthen supply chain and scale the organization to new heights. Speakers include:

• TheHonorableMayorRahmEmanuel,Mayorofthe City of Chicago (invited)

• TheHonorablePatQuinn,GovernoroftheStateof Illinois (invited)

• BillDrayton,Ashoka

• DarellHammond,KaBOOM!

• CarlaJavits,REDF

• PaulCarttar,SocialInnovationFund

• BobChamberlin,NISH

• JimGibbons,GoodwillIndustriesInternational

• SimonMainwaring,WeFirst

• ReyRamsey,TechNet

• JuliusWalls,FormerlyofGreystonBakeryandnow with Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church

• DavidCarleton,FareStartandCatalystKitchens

• GeraldChertavian,YearUp!

• FelixBrandonLloyd,MoneyIsland/BancVue

• JudyWicks,WhiteDogCaféandBALLE

Summit 2011 is jam packed with 35 percent more programming than last year, and summit registration includes all meals from breakfast Monday morning, October 31, through our closing keynote luncheon on Wednesday, November 2.

For more information on the schedule, speakers, and reasons to join THE national gathering of social enterprise, please visit https://www.se-alliance.org/annual-summit to learn more . For a Summit schedule, visit https://www.se-alliance.org/summit-schedule.

CRP Connection is published quarterly by the NISH Corporate Communications Department . To submit questions, comments or story ideas, please contact: Vatrice Jones at corpcomm@nish .org or (571) 226-4530.

To request additional copies of CRP Connection, or to add or remove your name from the CRP Connection mailing list, please contact Vatrice Jones at corpcomm@nish .org or (571) 226-4526.

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National Connection

CRP Connection Fall 2011 North Central

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