In the New York Community Trust's recent Grants newsletter, there is a story about a local business that's found success with a workforce where three-quarters of the employees are blind. New York City Industries for the Blind, located on 14th Avenue between 36th and 37th Streets, is a small nonprofit manufacturing business that recently landed a three-year contract making 100,000 specialized combat uniforms, with the possibility of more work down the line. The company received a Trust grant of $125,000 to help recruit, hire, and train 45 people to fill these jobs.
“You have to be understanding and supportive,” continues Irene [Schwartz, director of rehabilitation services at NYCIB], “but this is also a job, and you’ve got to get the uniforms produced. If your employees know they’re needed, they will work hard for you.” She recalled, “once while shopping, I struck up a conversation with a service man in uniform. I told him about our business, and he asked me to sincerely thank our staff for their work, and that it meant a lot to him that we sewed their uniforms. When I relayed this message to those laboring on the shop floor, productivity went through the roof.”
NYCIB was founded in 1995 and has grown to become the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the Northeast. According to their website, "there are approximately 100,000 people registered as legally blind within New York State - approximately half of those living in the NY city metro area. The unemployment rate is over 70% for people who are blind."
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.