--- USDA and AbilityOne
- Partnering to increase job opportunities
for people who are blind or have
severe disabilities---
The purchase of AbilityOne Program
products and services by federal
customers provides employment
opportunities for people who are
blind or have severe disabilities.
The AbilityOne Program, formerly
known as JWOD, is administered
by the Committee for Purchase
from People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled (Committee) through two
Central Nonprofit Agencies, the
National Industries for the Blind,
and NISH (serving people with
a range of disabilities). NIB
and NISH work with over 600 nonprofit
agencies across the country, as
well as in Puerto Rico and Guam.
At USDA, the Office of Small and
Disadvantaged Business Utilization
(OSDBU) is responsible for administering
and setting policy for the AbilityOne
(formerly known as JWOD) Program.
USDA is one of 11 Federal agencies
represented on the Committee.
James
E. House, Director, OSDBU
was appointed by President George
W. Bush to represent USDA on the
Committee. The Committee is an
independent Federal agency and
is responsible for administering
the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD)
Act and AbilityOne Program.
On May 23, 2007, USDA became the
only cabinet-level Federal agency
to establish an AbilityOne Program
procurement goal. Departmental
Regulation 5080-001 outlines
procedures, requirements, and
performance measurements for increasing
USDA's participation in the AbilityOne
Program.