Partnership Update
Posted In Categories: Programs & Services
Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IBVI)
Established in 1952, Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IBVI) is dedicated to creating jobs for those impacted by vision loss. The company is known for producing and distributing industrial supplies to the US government, military, and other businesses. As an authorized AbilityOne® provider and GSA contract holder, IBVI ensures full compliance with federal budget requirements and purchasing regulations.
CJ Lange has been the President and CEO of IBVI since 2015. He is credited with developing an industry-first E-Commerce website that was 100% accessible for the blind to fully administer all customer service needs and processes. That website, at its highest point, reached over $30 million in revenues and employed 15 blind or visually impaired employees.
In addition to having a website managed by a blind and visually impaired customer service team, IBVI has a sales and marketing team that includes those with vision loss. IBVI’s can-do attitude and willingness to incorporate new technology into workflows, allows them to offer upwardly mobile jobs to the blind that were typically only available to the sighted.
In 2022, IBVI and Vision Forward created a new partnership initiative, that would create a better world for blind and visually impaired individuals who work at IBVI. In this initiative, Vision Forward has helped facilitate job-specific staff training, accessibility consultation, individual staff development and administrative support training. Through this program, IBVI’s blind and visually impaired employees have been able to find new career paths in fields and positions that might have previously seemed unattainable.
To learn more about IBVI visit https://ibvi.org/