SPRING 2012

NATIONAL NEWS FOR ABILITYONE PRODUCING & AFFILIATED CRPS2011

The Institute’s strategic goal is to assist in attaining full and fair employment for individuals with significant disabilities, particularly those facing the most significant disability-related barriers to employment. To realize this goal, the Institute has established three key strategic objectives:

1. Increase employer demand for employees with significant disabilities

2. Increase the productivity and availability of persons with significant disabilities who are willing and able to work; and

3. Expand and improve employment support infrastructures needed for ongoing employ-ment and career advancement.

NISH Institute continues on page 9

NISH Institute Helps Create Full and Fair Employment Practices for People with Significant Disabilities

“… what can NISH do to create the future design of employment for people with disabilities in the out years? We need to look beyond our current day-to-day operations and really look at how that landscape is going to look for people with significant disabilities and their employment potential...”

Elmer Cerano 2005 Board

C erano’s quote was part of the 2005 conversation that led the NISH Board of Directors to create the Institute for Economic Empowerment. Established in 2006, the Institute is the dedicated research and development division of NISH that deals head-on with the most significant barriers to employ-

ment for all people with disabilities. The Institute tackles varied workplace challenges, including: increasing productivity, retention of assets, hourly wage issues, accommodating underserved populations in the workforce, expanding competitive employment options, and researching meaningful employment for veterans with disabilities.

NATIONAL NEWS

Products Connection . . . 2

NISH South Region News . . . . . . . . . . 4

NISH/Air Force ACC Alliance . . . . . . . . . . 8

U.S. AbilityOne Commission Chairperson Shares His Thoughts . . .12

QWE Scoop . . . . . . . . . .14

GSA’s Discounted Shipping Rates . . . . . . .16

Seven Things Often Done That DISable People . . .18

Blind and Visual

Impairments 2%

Deaf and Hearing Disabilities

4%

Head Injuries 1%

Intellectual/ Developmental

Disabilities 33%

Mental Illness 35%

Musculoskeletal Disabilities 11%

Other 14%

2  •  Spring 2012  •  PRODUCTS CONNECTION  •  CRP Connection

Products Connection

Tell the Products SheriffAs a reminder, please use the “Tell the Products Sheriff” e-mail address: TPS@nish.org, 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, 2011 to February 10, 2012

Federal Opportunities

Sole Source Notices 4

Sources Sought Notices 5

RFI 1

M&Ds

Sole Source Notices 3

Sources Sought Notices 4

Commercial

RFIs 3

Number of FTEs Added 12.03

Total PL Line Extensions/Commercial/M&D 11.58

Number of Price Changes Processed 68

Number of Allocations Processed 41

NISH Products Team

FY2012 Expos and Conferences ListNISH Products will exhibit at events noted in blue.

APRIL

Marine South ExpoApril 11–12 Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Techtextile North AmericaApril 24–26Atlanta, Ga.

Research and Development Associates for Military Food and Packaging Systems Inc.—66th Annual Spring Meeting & Exhibition April 30–May 2Asheville, N.C.

MAY

National Hardware Show May 1–3Las Vegas, Nev.

GSA Training Conference and ExpoMay 15–17San Antonio, Texas

2012 Joint Warfighting ConferenceMay 15–17Virginia Beach, Va.

2012 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference—SOFICMay 22–24Tampa, Fla.

NISH National Training & Achievement ConferenceMay 21–23 Indianapolis, Ind.

JUNE

International Food Aid & Development ConferenceTBDKansas City, Mo.

DLA Enterprise Supplier Conference & ExhibitionDate TBDColumbus, Ohio

Navy Food ShowTBDNorfolk, Va.

JULY

School Nutrition Association (SNA) ConferenceJuly 15–18Denver, Colo.

AUGUST

Western Foodservice and Hospitality ExpoAugust 12–14Anaheim, Calif.

Outdoor Retailer August 2–5Salt Lake City, Utah

Products Connection

CRP Connection  •  PRODUCTS CONNECTION  •  Winter 2012  •  3

4  •  Spring 2012  •  SOUTH REGION  •  CRP Connection

South Region Connection

News From the NISH South Region

Executive Director’s Note

Once again we were pleased with the atten-dance at the NCWC conference held February 15-17 in Mobile, Ala. The conference offered a wealth of learning tools and workshops that we hope will improve the suc-cess of your organizations.

Thanks to Lori Blakely, Sr. Office Admin-istrator, and Debbie Ignatz, Manager, State Relations, Governmental Affairs & Workforce Development for planning such a memorable event. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the entire South Region Team for their participation during the conference.

We also have the NISH National Training and Achievement Conference that will be held

on May 21-23 in Indianapolis, Ind. at the JW Marriott.

I’ve opened this note mentioning two training events. This is not by accident as we are seeing our federal government customers face enormous budget challenges. AbilityOne® contractors as well as well as commercial contractors in the federal market are going to face ever increasing requests to reduce contract prices. Increasing productivity and efficiency through new tools and techniques will be one focus of the training provided.

As always, I am deeply appreciative of all the work that goes into making our region successful. It is our collaborative efforts and support that make this mission possible so keep up the great work!

Best Regards,

Micky Gazaway | Executive Director (678) 581-7282 | rgazaway@nish.org

CRP Connection  •  SOUTH REGION  •  Spring 2012  •  5

South Region ConnectionSouth Region Connection

Contract Management Team HighlightsLeslie K. Nelson, Director

F irst off, it was great seeing those of you who were able to attend the 2012 NCWC/NISH South Region Training Conference in February. In my opinion, one

of the greatest benefits of this conference is the opportu-nity to network and re-engage with NPAs and other NISH staff each year. The majority of the CMBU attended, but if you were not able to connect with your project POCs, hopefully you grabbed business cards and can follow up at your earliest convenience. Of course if there is a contracting action due or any issues requiring NISH’s assistance, please make that connection as soon as possible.

Over the next several months, there will be some project workload transitions that may change your projects POCs. These changes are a result of good things—that is, additional projects added to the PL and collaborative efforts between our regional busi-ness development unit and CMBU, which allows us to tap into the skills and experiences of all contract management project managers. As changes are made, you will continue to receive the appropriate commu-nication via direct phone calls and follow-up e-mails.   

On another note, we are all aware of the cuts to the federal budget that have impacted Department of

Defense and civilian agencies in varying degrees. Because the CMBU manages a variety of contracts, over time we have seen the benefits of cooperating with requests for reductions and working with federal customers to alleviate their budget constraints. Some-times this cooperation, as well as the timeliness in which we respond, has an impact on future decisions to restore performance to “normal” levels when the budget constraints are lifted. To that end, please let us know immediately when reductions are requested so we can provide timely responses to our federal customers. We truly appreciate your efforts thus far in this challenging budget environment.

On behalf of the entire CMBU, thanks for all you do to make our jobs easier. If you need my assistance on any matter, I can be reached directly at (678) 838-5165 or lnelson@nish.org. As a reminder, the respective team leaders are Dana Ferguson, regional products, at (678) 581-7291 or dferguson@nish.org and Rick Walker, services, at (678) 581-2794 or rwalker@nish.org.

Thanks, Best regards

CRP Recognition and AccoladesBrian Sarkisian, AbilityOne® worker at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, was recognized in The Huntsville Times newspaper for doing good things in 2011. Sarkisian apparently made a great impression, because he was mentioned for being a highly energetic and enthusiastic worker.

20th Contracting Squadron hosted the 12th Annual AbilityOne Appreciation Picnic on Oct. 13, 2011, at Shaw Air Force Base in commemoration of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month. More than 100 people attended the event, and awards were presented to several employees in recognition of their achievements and contributions in their workplace.

The Rainbow Row Galley and Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station received mention in the Heart of Daily Success news regarding their outstanding partnership with Goodwill, which employs 80 percent of its workforce with people who have disabilities. In addition, Nathan Brown, Goodwill employee, has been nominated as a recipient of the William M. Usdane Award for his superior achieve-ments and impeccable character. Usdane is slated to receive the award in May.

6  •  Spring 2012  •  SOUTH REGION  •  CRP Connection

South Region Connection

Business Development Team UpdatesMark Hess, DirectorThe following is the BDT’s Pipeline Status Report for FY12 as of February 6, 2012: Opportunity Stage Number DFTEs Value of Projs

Identified 0 0.00 –

Assess Suitability 1 .23 $15,000.00

Obtain Clearances with Committee 4 42.82 $3,970,000.00

Project Distribution to NPAs 4 122.96 $13,233,881.21

Price Development 13 39.34 $4,826,414.77

Subtotal (Opportunities in Process) 22 205.35 $22,045,295.98

Opportunities Submitted to Committee 0 0.00 –

Published Intent in Federal Register 0 0.00 –

Vote Letter Issued 0 0.00 –

Subtotal (Opportunities At Committee) 0 0.00 –

Added to Procurement List 2 1.12 $123,870.52

Regional Staff RecognitionTim Huffman, Senior Deputy Director

SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES

The following South Region staff celebrated service anniversaries with NISH between January and February 2012:

Employee Number Yrs Position Service

Lauren Alexander 1 Business Development Manager

Najeedah Stover 11 Project Manager

Tim Huffman 25 Sr. Deputy Director

CRP Connection  •  SOUTH REGION  •  Spring 2012  •  7

South Region Connection

Please send any congratulatory news about your agency to Charnel Coleman-Butler at ccbutler@nish.org for possible inclusion in future issues of this newsletter. Workplace magazine story ideas can be forwarded

to either Najeedah Stover, (nstover@nish.org), South Region or Vatrice Jones (vjones@nish.org), NISH Corporate Communications.

@

Custodial HighlightsTaking Advantage of Training Opportunities in 2012

E ach new year, many of us make a list of resolutions to lose weight, get a hobby, spend more time with family or some other worthy goal. What about

exercising your mind and expanding your horizons by taking advantage of the multitude of classes available in 2012 from the NISH Training Academy? The 2012 NISH Training Academy catalog has a wealth of training opportunities ranging from scheduled classes requiring travel to e-learning courses that you can access from your computer. There are hundreds of different training opportunities scheduled across the country with more than 140 sessions for the South Region alone. Don’t forget the annual Training and Achievement Conference slated for Indianapolis, Ind., May 21–23. It is the best opportu-nity for learning and networking that NISH provides.

I highly recommend you invest a few moments in perusing the catalog to take advantage of all that it has to offer. It is broken into six primary areas that include General Information, Individual Training Plans, Classroom Training Courses, Distance Education and eLearning Courses, On-Site Work-shops and the Course Calendar. I suggest you focus on the General Information and Individual Training Plans first so that you understand how to register, what agencies are eligible, and special certification programs that enable you to earn a certificate in Custodial Management or Human Resources, just to name two. These certificates are earned over a three-year period, allowing you to budget time and resources to achieve your goal. Don’t forget about the Training Incentive Voucher Program designed to help defray travel related costs for attending these free workshops.

Since everyone on your staff may not be able to attend a workshop out of town, the On-Site Workshops allow for your agency to partner with sister CRPs to host a two or three day workshop at or near your facility. As the host agency, you are responsible for providing a suitable training room and basic supports to the NISH trainer. An example is the Cleaning NISH Smart Workshop, conducted by Mickey Crowe. This can be a two day (lecture/exercises) or three day (includes hands on experience) workshop in custodial related topics ranging from “How To Clean” to “Supervision and Quality Control” to “Estimating, Workloading and Schedul-ing.” Your only cost is the investment in your staff time to participate. The catalog explains the process, or you can contact your NISH Team Member for assistance. All of this and more is explained in the 2012 NISH Training catalog, which is in hard print format as well as on line at www.nish.org > Training > 2012 Training Catalog. Let’s make 2012 a year of learning and growth for ourselves and our agency.

8  •  Spring 2012  •  NATIONAL  •  CRP Connection

National Connection

A s NISH continues to stress the im-portance of quality and performance amongst NISH-affiiated AbilityOne®

producing Non-Profit Agencies (NPAs), so are the government agencies the program supports. In the Department of Defense com-munity, the Air Force (AF) Air Combat Com-mand (ACC) Installation and Mission Support Directorate and NISH have signed a Memo-randum of Understanding (MOU) to evolve a strategic business partnership to improve the delivery of service and quality for respective government customers and end users. Based on the principles of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part One, the AF Civil Engineering division, AF Contracting and NISH created an ACC Alliance Team to develop and imple-ment consistent, mutually beneficial contract administration processes that accomplish the objectives of the MOU.

Since May 2010, the NISH team, headed by NISH Contracts Manager Fil Tellez and supported by Project Manager John Frisk and Sr. Quality Manager Tom Deagen, has been collaborating with the U.S. Air Force to establish partnering, negotiation, and pricing models, along with consistent quality processes and standards. The ACC Alliance Team includes representation of a producing AbilityOne NPA through the Vice President of Contract Administration and Information Technology, Kevin Cloud, of Professional Contract Services Incorporated (PCSI), headquartered in Austin, Texas. While the Alliance is presently concentrating on custodial services, the team plans to evolve these models into AbilityOne grounds maintenance contracts with the ACC in the near future.

Although cost or price is important, value is the stated contracting prerogative of the Air Force. Using the simple equation price + quality = value, the ACC Alliance Team has focused their efforts on develop-ing a Pricing Estimator based on the ISSA 540 Cleaning Times standards to determine labor costs and consistent Quality tools

and Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements, to deliver the best Value.

The Air Force’s decision to develop and implement a standardized PWS across all ACC custodial contracts was central to designing a robust quality system. The standardized PWS, developed by the AF Civil Engineering division, allows for more consistent pricing, quality and levels of service across the ACC command. The standardized PWS will also lead to improved management and measurement of contracts by validating that they are delivering best value. Section two of the PWS now standardizes quality and contract service requirements, which are summarized in performance thresholds that are crucial to mission success. The performance thresholds briefly describe the acceptable levels of service for each requirement.

Section two of the PWS includes quality control, quality assurance and performance assessment requirements. The Air Force allowed the ACC Alliance Team to provide quality input to this section of the PWS and has incorporated this input into the standardized PWS template. By doing so, the Air Force PWS is better aligned with FAR and industry recognized standards of practice. This PWS now delineates minor versus major non-conformances, identifies timeframes for re-performance of non-conformances, identifies number of allowed non-conformances by building size, and sets the expectation and outcomes of periodic quarterly progress meetings, making them a mandatory requirement of the contract. In order to synergize the compliance efforts of both the contractor and the government, the Standardized PWS template also clarifies the role of both parties in terms of quality requirements.

The ACC Alliance team has fostered standardized “tools” to assist the entire acquisition team and the end user to communicate and manage contracts in a

more collaborative manner. The Air Force has defined an AbilityOne acquisition team as containing a representative of the contract’s NPA, NISH, the government contracting authority and an end user (tenant). The ACC Alliance Team developed an implementation training, spanning three days, regarding the proper use of standard-ized tools for all AbilityOne acquisition teams. The tools consist of a Communica-tions Matrix, Action Register, Acquisitions Milestones Schedule, and a Pricing Estimator. When correctly incorporated, these tools will greatly enhance the acquisition teams’ ability to provide consistent quality, at fair and reasonable prices, with the ultimate goal of becoming the government’s best supplier of services.

Any entity that is part of an acquisition team faces challenges in today’s economic environment that make it more and more critical to form partnerships and alliances that can reap the benefits of the FAR Part One’s principles of collaboration. NISH and the U.S. Air Force ACC have made great strides into a mutually beneficial environment, capable of providing a win/win solution for everyone involved. By working collaboratively to provide direction, training and tools, the ACC Alliance Team continues to make very proactive inroads that will pave the way for future AbilityOne growth and thereby ensure that people with significant disabilities will have the opportunity to work.

NISH Signs MOU with DoD to Improve Business PartnershipBy Tom Deagen, senior manager, Quality, NISH Pacific West Region

CRP Connection  •  NATIONAL  •  Spring 2012  •  9

National Connection

The Institute has set forth varied workforce develop-ment initiatives to carry out these objectives. Numer-ous projects are in different stages of development operating at all times. A few key projects include:

Employee Research System

Launched in October 2010, the Employee Research System (ERS) is a national database that tracks employment of people with significant disabilities over time. It uses a secure data warehouse to enable production of a wide range of analytical and statisti-cal reports. ERS focuses on baseline and outcome information for people with significant disabilities working in the AbilityOne® Program. At the indi-vidual worker level, ERS tracks:

• Demographicdata,suchasage,raceand disability

• Employmentdata,suchastraining,wage rates and hours

• Benefitsandfundingdata

• Veteranstatus

• Employmentstatuschanges,suchasplacements,promotions, terminations and reasons for change in status

The information in ERS answers questions about the NPAs’ workforce and the outcomes of the AbilityOne Program. These insights can help the NPAs grow their businesses, defend and expand the AbilityOne Program and other work for people with disabilities that they serve, and provide insights that can help NPAs improve the quality of the work environments they provide.

Benchmarking reports enable NPAs to compare their outcomes against aggregate data by industry, geography and various demographics.

Participation is voluntary and free. NPAs are encour-aged to participate, to ensure that the system includes sufficient data to be able to draw reliable conclusions about the AbilityOne workforce (and ultimately, to compare the AbilityOne workforce with other programs and people served).

The Quality Work Environment (QWE)

The QWE initiative empowers people who are blind or who have other significant disabilities to achieve their maximum employment potential. This is accomplished through a goal-setting process that implements new practices and enhances existing practices to improve the quality of the work environment.

The Quality Work Environment Initiative was first introduced in a January 2009 memorandum from the U.S. AbilityOne Commission. QWE was established to renew the focus on AbilityOne as a disability employment program. Currently, 65 percent of NISH-affiliated AbilityOne employees work for a NPA that has adopted QWE. The benefits can be seen on all levels.

Some positive outcomes expected from QWE are: At the individual level, employees can have increased wages as a result of increased productivity, use of

NISH Institute continued from page 1

NISH Institute continues on page 10

Begin

Strategic Action Plan with Annual

Updates

QWE Assessment & Planning Tool

Outstanding Practices

Strategic Action Plan

• Implement goals in the Strategic Action Plan

• Measure results• Communicate results

• Establish executive support• Establish cross functional team

• Review practice guidelines• Perform self-assessment

• Write goals in the Strategic Action Plan

• Use Project Plans to stay on track

• Complete Outstanding Practices form

• Identify gaps• Research approaches

• Benchmark with other organizations

QWE Project Plans

Implement QWE Goals

Develop Strategic Action Plan

Conduct Self Assessment

Learn from Others

10  •  Spring 2012  •  NATIONAL  •  CRP Connection

National Connection National Connection

assistive technology, or changing the culture of the agency. On the organizational level, QWE assists an agency in becoming a leader in providing employees with disabilities the opportunities for advancement, outplacement, or other community-based employ-ment of the individual’s choice. At the national level, the QWE initiative provides an agency with the framework to develop and showcase best, promising, and emerging employment practices as a progressive employer.

Veterans

NISH, through the AbilityOne Program, has always supported veterans with significant disabilities. NISH became aware that returning veterans with disabilities from Iraq and Afghanistan (Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom) were struggling to reintegrate into civilian life. They were also having difficulty obtaining suitable employment, especially with the long term supports they were going to require of the National Organization on Disability (NOD) to actually speak with veterans with disabilities. The Institute sought information

from veterans about their employment needs and capabilities. NOD began researching the support alternatives that would be appropriate to maintain successful long-term employment.

This veteran research revealed consistent lines of business appropriate for veterans with education and job skills to focus on for AbilityOne contract oppor-tunities. The Institute is in the process of disseminat-ing the findings from this research and continuing to focus on long-term support needs for veterans.

Design Challenge

For 10 years, NISH has sponsored the AbilityOne Design Challenge, a competition for students to develop assistive technology devices that empower people with significant disabilities in the workplace. The design challenge is a service learning opportunity for students that also enhances science, engineering and technology skills. The competition is open to high school and university student teams.

University students work in collaboration with local AbilityOne NPAs and design assistive tech-nologies for specific individuals with disabilities at these organizations. The students are eligible to

NISH Institute continued from page 9

CRP Connection  •  NATIONAL  •  Spring 2012  •  11

National Connection National Connection

win cash prizes up to $10,000. High school teams can earn a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their devices and compete for up to $5,000 in cash prizes.

These student-created devices and systems help employees achieve their work related goals and can also increase overall productivity. For example, the 2011 University First Place Award winner created a mechanical press to assemble a liquid valve used in McDonald’s Frappe dispensers. The dispenser device increased productivity by 200 percent. Projects created by the high school students are equally impressive and frequently aid a classmate, family member or other person in their community with a significant disability. The 2012 High School Best Overall Design, the Newspaper Packing Device, was developed by Poolesville High School students from Poolesville, Md.

This competition is a “win-win” opportunity. It helps employees overcome productivity challenges or other barriers to employment while creating an avenue for students to better understand the positive impact they can make by applying their talents and skills to the development of assistive technology.

Rehabilitation Engineering

The Institute’s rehabilitation engineers are restructuring lines of business to improve access to employment for people with physical, intellectual, memory, sensory and behavioral issues. Rehabilitation engineers also improve overall productivity and quality through innovative processes. Our rehabilitation engineers spend most of their time at NPAs, working with individuals, on lines of business, and to enhance NPA procedures to create accessibility to more jobs. The Institute rehabilitation engineers are available to coach on:

• Applyingobjectivetechniquestoevaluateindividual capabilities

• Trainingergonomicsandjobaccommodations

• Developingconceptsaboutuniversaldesign

• Usingjigsandfixtures

Far left: VTC Enterprises employee and CalPoly students evaluate assistive technology device.

Near left: 2012 High School Best Overall Design Winner—Newspaper Packing Device

Below: Assistive technology devices like this one to align mailing labels.

NISH Institute continues on page 18

12  •  Spring 2012  •  NATIONAL  •  CRP Connection

National Connection

U.S. AbilityOne Commission Chairperson Tony Poleo Shares His Vision, Plans and Personal Thoughts

J. Anthony Poleo took over as U.S. AbilityOne Commission Chairperson™ (The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled operates as the U.S. AbilityOne Commission) last summer. He recently sat down with Workplace magazine to discuss his priorities, plans, predictions and personal thoughts for moving the AbilityOne Program forward. He also shared how he plans to use his experience as chief financial officer for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to lead the Commission.

Q: What do you see as your initial areas of focus as the Chairperson of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission?

A: What are you most passionate about as you begin your position as Commission chairperson? Why?

I think there are two priorities—employment growth and continued progress in providing

a Quality Work Environment. We need to make sure the people in the AbilityOne Program are put in the best possible environment to be successful. We always need to strive to make employment opportunities better with the workforce in general—for people with and without disabilities. Everyone deserves a quality work environment. And, while progress has been made, we need to be vigilant in making sure we continue to make even more improvement.

Q: What changes affecting the Commission have you seen since you began your service in 2007?

A: Since I have been serving on the Commission, I have seen an increased focus on the mission of the program and less on time spent on administrative duties. I credit [immediate past chairperson] Andy Houghton and Tina Ballard, our executive director, for taking this on and truly focusing on the issues of the program with more frank and productive discussions and meetings. We have become more vigilant in compliance of the program and focus on the mission in general. We need to make sure we are compliant at all times because inattention in this area places the program and its participants at risk. And, that is simply unacceptable given what is at stake.

Q: In light of your experience at DLA, you bring a unique perspective to the AbilityOne Program as Commission chairperson. What aspects of that experience do you feel will be important in your new position?

A: My experience has prepared me for big challenges. Any large organization, even NISH, has many dis-tractions every day. If you let them, these distractions can divert your focus from the core mission. At DLA, I’ve had the opportunity to hone my ability to stay mission focused amid the daily distractions. I call this challenge the “tyranny of the now.” A mentor once told me that everyone gets the same “24 hours.” We each choose what we do with them. The other key, in my experience, is to recruit, train, and equip the best talent you can find and then get out of their way.

1981 Started at DLA as undergraduate cooperative education student

1984Bachelor of science degree in finance from Virginia Tech; Returned full-time to DLA

1986 Interned as the defense legislative aide to Senator J. Bennett Johnson, U.S. Senate

1989 Earned master’s degree in public financial management from American University

1990-99 Held various progressively more responsible positions in the office of comptroller, DLA

CRP Connection  •  NATIONAL  •  Spring 2012  •  13

National Connection

Q: How do you think the proposed FY 12 and 13 budget cuts will affect the AbilityOne Program and what steps might we take to ensure continued employment growth for individuals who are blind and who have significant disabilities?

A: In the near term, we will likely see some cutting back on contractual services, but I think it will be situational. I don’t think the AbilityOne Program will be disproportionately affected by budget cuts. Products and services will still be needed; however, it may be less of those products and services. We will need to figure out ways to mitigate the impact. The Federal contracting community will be under intense pressure to receive best value goods and services that meet cost, quality, and delivery schedule requirements. The key to weathering these economic times is to meet and exceed these expectations.

Q: Do you have any thoughts on how the process for adding projects to the AbilityOne Procurement List may be approved?

A: Recently serving as the chair, Business Excellence subcommittee, I initiated a disciplined look at this area. A team comprised of Commission, National Industries for the Blind, and NISH staff used the Lean Six technique to analyze this process. Everyone agreed at the outset that this process takes way too long. There have been some “quick wins” but there is much more to do and actions continue in this area. We need to significantly reduce the time it takes to make additions to the Procurement List. Agility will become increasingly important to Federal contracting officers as they face increasing pressure to reduce cycle time. One specific action underway is to “group” like Commission actions. For example, all simple deletions voted on in bloc as well as standard renewals and non-controversial additions voted on in bloc. The idea is to reduce the “real” workload down to those additions that require Commission and central nonprofit agency discussion.

2001 Principal deputy comptroller, DLA directorate of financial operations

Selected as a member of the Senior Executive Service

2007 Appointed to the U.S. AbilityOne Commission by former President George W. Bush; Became DLA’s chief financial officer

2009 Awarded the Presidential Rank Award

2011Elected chairperson of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission

14  •  Winter 2012  •  NATIONAL  •  CRP Connection

National Connection

One of the biggest questions posed by agency representatives who have not yet adopted the Quality Work Environment (QWE) initiative is, “What’s in it for me? What is this process going to do for my agency?” Below are two shining examples of agencies that have com-mitted to the QWE process and are reaping the rewards.

North Central Region community rehabilita-tion program (CRP) TRI Industries, in located Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, is relatively new to the QWE game. TRI was once the producing arm of Thresholds Inc., the leading provider of social services for people with significant and persistent mental illness in the Chicago area. TRI began operating independently of Thresholds just a few short years ago. The transition, while exciting for TRI staff and consumers, has not been without its challenges. Continuing to meet the demands of the federal customer while building a new staff infrastructure and meeting the needs of their employees with disabilities made TRI the ideal candidate for QWE.

Recently, TRI managers completed their self-assessment and are already seeing the impact that the QWE process is having on their staff and employees with disabilities. During their assessment, TRI staff made the decision to not only include employees with disabilities on the QWE team but also to make sure the ratio of staff to consumers was 1:1. This unique QWE team structure allows for equal representation from employees with disabilities and encourags open and honest dialogue between employees and staff. “The QWE process encouraged honest feedback from several departments,” said Sales and Business Development Manager George

Indelli. “Our agency was provided with a very real view of our relative strengths and, more importantly, a roadmap for some areas of improvement.” TRI now has a clear picture of its consumers’ needs and desires and has a plan in place to begin enhancing the working environment for employees with disabilities.

Another North Central region CRP, Northeastern Michigan Rehabilitation and Opportunity Center Inc. is seeing real change take place thanks to their commitment to the QWE process. After participating in the self-assessment process, the QWE team at NEMROC realized that there was a key component missing from their organiza-tion and hired a full-time QWE director to oversee improvement in areas such as training, assistive technologies, and safety. NEMROC has also dedicated and redesigned a training room where their employees with disabilities will be kept up to date on the latest company policies and provided new skills training, ultimately resulting in upward mobility and work of choice. The new training room has seating for more than 40 and is equipped with an overhead projector and sounds system, four computer stations, and a kitchenette set. NEMROC committed to this goal by making it a part of their QWE strategic action plan and was able to access the QWE grant to fund the remodel. The new room will also help foster ties with the local business community, as it will be available for use by outside organizations at no cost.

For more information on the Quality Work Environment Initiative, contact Jan Williams, Director, at (703) 584-3932, jwilliams@nish.org or visit www.instituteforempowerment.org/qwe.

QWE Scoop A Quarterly Message

North Central Region CRPs Embrace QWE in a Big Way

Jan Williams, QWE Director

CRP Connection  •  NATIONAL  •  Spring 2012  •  15

National Connection National Connection

Blue Solutions Austin, Texas

Bona Fide Conglomerate Inc. La Mesa, Calif.

Bona Vista Programs Inc. Kokomo, Ind.

Brevard Achievement Center Inc. Rockledge, Fla.

Calidad Industries Inc. Oakland, Calif.

Challenge Unlimited Inc. Alton, Ill.

Cooperative Workshops Inc. Sedalia, Mo.

Crossroads Diversified Service Inc. Sacramento, Calif.

Development Workshop Inc. Idaho Falls, Idaho

Easter Seal Society of Superior California Sacramento, Calif.

Genesis Development Jefferson, Iowa

Good Vocations Inc. Macon, Ga.

Goodwill Contract Services Hawaii Inc.Honolulu, Hawaii

Goodwill Contracting Services Tacoma, Wash.

Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley Charleston, W.Va.

Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina Inc. North Charleston, S.C.

Goodwill Industries of the Heartland Iowa City, Iowa

Goodwill Industries of West Michigan Inc. Muskegon, Mich.

Hagerstown Goodwill Industries Inc. Hagerstown, Md.

Opportunity Connections Hood River, Ore.

Hope Services Inc. San Jose, Calif.

Jewish Vocational Service and Employment Center Chicago, Ill.

Kandu Industries Inc. Holland, Mich.

Knox County Arc Inc. Vincennes, Ind.

Landmark Services Inc. Santa Ana, Calif.

Licking-Knox Goodwill Industries Inc. Newark, Ohio

Magic City Enterprises Inc. Cheyenne, Wyo.

MDI Government Services Inc. St. Paul, Minn.

MRC Industries Inc. Kalamazoo, Mich.

Napa Valley PSI Inc. Napa, Calif.

North Bay Rehabilitation Services Inc. Rohnert Park, Calif.

NYSARC Inc. New York City Chapter New York, N.Y.

ODC Government Services Inc. Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

OE Enterprises Inc. Hillsborough, N.C.

Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries Rehabilitation Center Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio

Open Door Center Valley City, N.D.

Opportunities Incorporated of Jefferson County Fort Atkinson, Wis.

Oswego Industries Inc. Fulton, N.Y.

Pacific Coast Community Services Richmond, Calif.

Pathfinder Inc. Jacksonville, Ark.

Portco Inc. Portsmouth, Va.

Pride Industries Roseville, Calif.

Productive Alternatives Inc. Fergus Falls, Minn.

Quad Cities Areas of Rock Island Rock Island, Ill.

Relief Enterprise Inc. Austin, Texas

Rubicon Programs Inc. Richmond, Calif.

Sheltering Wings Corp Blythe, Calif.

Solano Diversified Services Vallejo, Calif.

The Arc of Alameda County San Leandro, Calif.

The Centers for Habilitation/TCH Tempe, Ariz.

The Fontana Rehabilitation Workshop Fontana, Calif.

Thresholds Rehabilitation Industries Chicago, Ill.

Toolworks Inc. San Francisco, Calif.

Tradewinds Rehabilitation Center Gary, Ind.

Transylvania Vocational Services Inc. Brevard, N.C.

United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham Inc. Birmingham, Ala.

VTC Enterprises Santa Maria, Calif.

Western Idaho Training Company Caldwell, Idaho

Willamette Valley Rehabilitation Center Lebanon, Ore.

WorkSource Enterprises Charlottesville, Va.

WORKTEC Jonesboro, Ga.

Sizzlin’ CRPsThe following CRPs recently completed their QWE self-assessment:

16  •  Spring 2012  •  NATIONAL  •  CRP Connection

National Connection

General Services Administration’s Discounted Shipping RatesJoe Werner, Director, E-Commerce and Distribution Programs, NIB 

A ll NIB and NISH associated nonprofit agencies (NPAs) can appreciate the General Services Administration’s discounted rates for shipments

using UPS Ground and Air.

This can substantially reduce the cost of shipping your orders. The elements of this opportunity are:

1. NPAs benefit from easy access and use of the GSA UPS Ground and Air rate structures.

2. NIB review and test use shows the GSA UPS Ground rates alone are at least 20 percent to 25 percent lower than what is currently in use by NPAs.

3. The GSA UPS Ground and Air rate structures do not charge fuel surcharge (currently at 8 percent for Ground and 12.5 percent for Air).

4. Participating NPAs are simply billed at the lower rates against their existing UPS accounts.

These rates are established with GSA under GSA’s Strategic Sourcing Domestic Delivery Services (DDS-2) Program, the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) for package shipments.

Any NIB or NISH NPA that wants to participate needs to complete this qualification process:

• ContactDan Kulak at (703) 463-6111 or dkulak@ups.com, or Joe Werner at (703) 310-0359 or jwerner@nib.org.

• CompleteandreturntoGSAtheParticipationLetter that will be provided.

• GSAaddstheNPAtoitslistofparticipants.

• UPSloadsthediscountedratestotheNPA’saccount on record.

• NewaccountsareestablishedforNPAswithoutUPS accounts or requiring additional accounts (e.g., for additional shipping locations).

• ShipmentsarebilledundertheGSAUPSGround and Air discounted rate structures, producing substantial freight cost savings for the shippers.

• ParticipatingNPAscanusetheseratesforanyoftheir orders and shipments.

For additional information or questions, please contact Dan Kulak or Joe Werner.

 

 

18  •  Spring 2012  •  NATIONAL  •  CRP Connection

National Connection

Financial and Benefits Counseling Pilot

The Financial and Benefits Counseling Project is a widely successful pilot that the Institute is managing to provide financial and benefits counseling services to people with disabilities. The Institute partners with AmeriCorps and six NPAs across the country for this program, which focuses on:

• IncomeTaxReturnPreparation

• Disabilitybenefitsinformation,intakeandanalysis

• Financialeducationsessions

• Budgetingcreditmanagementandassets development

The Institute has seen dramatic outcomes for people with disabilities at all six of the pilot NPA sites. More than 3,000 people have received income tax prep assistance, with over $2.3 million in refunds and credits, and an average tax return of $1,000 per person.

The Institute has experienced growth and progress in its five years of existence. The nature of the work, the issues of the workers and the advances in how the Institute can improve workers’ lives is continuously changing. The Institute remains committed to its purpose to serve the employment needs of people with disabilities. For more information, visit www.instituteforempowerment.org.

NISH Institute continued from page 11

Seven Things Often Done That DISable People

M ost of us have been brought up to believe that people are disabled by their bodies and minds. But upon

closer review, it is apparent that societal attitudes and actions—or lack of action—are often more disabling than any differences of the body or mind. So here are Seven Things You Do to DISable People.

1. Exclude people from educational opportunities. Inclusion early on in life is essential for fostering life quality. No matter a person’s perceived capabilities, he or she should have the opportunity to learn alongside peers and be challenged. Focus on the long-term benefits of inclusion and find ways to include everyone. Model an inclusive mindset for children. Embrace everyone, no matter how different, in academic settings and beyond.

2. Exclude people from vocational opportunities. Unemployment rates for people with disabilities are exceedingly higher than those of people without disabilities, even though people with disabilities have a proven record for being the most dependable employees. Flexible job development and accom-modations can make a difference for individuals with disabilities and their employers. Create flexible jobs and

accommodations, when needed, and hire people with disabilities.

3. Exclude people from social arenas of life. Everybody needs to feel a sense of belonging within their community. Instead of expecting “special” programs and therapies to meet people’s social needs, embrace all people in arenas such as clubs, churches, community hang out spots, events, etc. If someone makes too much noise, or flaps their hands, or looks too different, get over it. Don’t judge them or their families. Provide any accommodations they might need to feel welcome and valued.

4. Prevent access to environments. For people who have mobility disabilities, barriers to access are a major stressor. Just a few examples are steps, heavy doors, narrow pathways, people placing shopping carts or signs in the middle of sidewalks, or stores placing racks too close together. These and other barriers prevent people from getting to their desired destinations. Think about your daily routes. If you used a wheelchair, how would your environment disable you? Don’t create barriers for people.

5. Maintain low expectations of people’s capabilities. So often, we judge someone based on a diagnosis or his ability to communicate with words. Just as physical limitations are not an indicator of one’s ability, diagnostic labels and speech abilities tell us nothing about what a person can understand and do. Always presume competence. Even if someone cannot respond to you through conventional means, assume that he does understand. Interact with him in a way that emits respect and dignity and empowerment.

6. Disregard people’s thoughts, desires, or communications. We do a disservice to people when we believe that we know what is best for them and fail to honor their expressed thoughts and choices. Sometimes people communicate with their eyes, their bodies, assistive communication devices and/or their behavior. It is important to “listen” to these means of expression as well, and honor the messages. People want to be heard, not patronized or controlled. Listen and hear, and take action to honor people’s perspectives and support people’s choices.

Seven Things continues on back cover

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National Connection

7. Disrespect people through our language choices and our actions. We commonly use terms and phrases that lend themselves to the dehumanization and stigmatization of people with disabilities such as “retard, idiot, spaz, lame, crazy” and many others. And not surprisingly, we support policies and procedures at work, in our government and in our communities that do not acknowledge the value of everyone and our inter-connectedness. In all that you say and do, consider the outcome for people with disabilities. Ask yourself, “Does this demonstrate respect and foster dignity and life quality?” After all, disability is the one minority group that you could join at any time.

Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed. has been an educator for more than 20 years. She is a consultant and trainer on diversity as it relates to disability and is the author of several articles and books on the topic, as well as the author of the children’s book All the Muchos in the World. Her Ability Awareness work has earned her statewide PTA recognitions in the areas of advocacy and outreach as well as her school’s designation of Teacher of the Year. She has also been featured on several radio programs and serves on the Board of Directors of Disability Rights California.

This article is courtesy of www.AbilityAwareness.com.

How to Stop DISabling People:• Model an inclusive mindset for children. Embrace everyone,

no matter how different, in academic settings and beyond.

• Create flexible jobs and accommodations, when needed, and hire people with disabilities.

• Include all people in your social arenas and provide any accommodations they might need to feel welcome and valued.

• Be conscious of people’s need for access to environments, and don’t create barriers.

• Always presume competence and interact with people in a way that emits respect, dignity and empowerment.

• Listen and hear, and take action to honor people’s perspectives and support people’s choices.

• In all that you say and do, consider the outcome for people with disabilities. Ask yourself, “Does this demonstrate respect and foster dignity and life quality?”

Seven Things continued from page 18