The vast majority of us take our 9-5 for granted. Our culture encourages us to hate Mondays, dread the midweek slump of Wednesdays and live for Fridays. However, imagine if you couldn't have a job at all. Suddenly, Mondays seem pretty appealing, don't they?
It may surprise you to hear this, but 7 out of 10 working-age Americans who are blind or visually impaired are not employed. Fortunately, thanks to the AbilityOne® Program, jobs are being created and maintained for individuals with limited or no vision.
Non-profits across the country participate in the AbilityOne Program to make their mission of employment a reality in local communities throughout America. One of those nonprofits is Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI.
Ike Robinson
Ike has been working at Industries for the Blind for the past 27 years. He connected with the nonprofit when the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation recommended applying there. One of Ike’s grade school friends was already working at Industries for the Blind, so Ike took the suggestion and applied. Now 27 years later, it’s safe to say that the decision was a turning point in Ike’s life.
“It's pretty fast and every once in a while it's slow, but more than likely, the job will keep you running all day. I like having things running.”
Over the years, Ike has made a little bit of everything - pens, brushes, mops, candles. He’s worked many departments, and he believes in honing varied skills. “I tell new employees, don't get settled.” Ike encourages new hires to try their hand at many different things because that flexibility is a skill that will serve them well.
Ike was a single father to his daughter, and things were difficult for them until he got started at Industries for the Blind. Having a stable job helped pay the bills, and it also enabled Ike to buy a house and put his daughter through college. Ike’s daughter now has a fast-paced media business in New York.
You would think after a day on the job, Ike would like some downtime, but his idea of relaxing is more work! One of Ike’s hobbies is collecting and restoring classic cars and bikes.
“When I grew up and all my friends were driving these nice cars, I hated it. When I'd go on a date, I'd have to catch a ride. Then I met a guy who owned a Model A. He said, ‘I enjoy working on my car and talking to people about it.’”
Ike, being very mechanically inclined, liked the idea of tinkering with a vehicle, so he and his brother started collecting and restoring classic cars. Ike’s current collection includes a '47 Lincoln Convertible.
“Working with my hands was part of my childhood. I couldn't play ball. I'd end up holding everyone's coats and watches. I ended up working with my hands instead. I didn't think about what working with my hands would do for my future.”
By spending time in solitude, working on his own projects at home, Ike had unwittingly laid the foundation for his future career in machinery and assembly. His mechanical talent and skill were recognized by Industries for the Blind, and he was supported accordingly.
Camelia Woodson
Camelia has worked at Industries for the Blind for just shy of 12 years. She connected with the nonprofit when she began losing her eyesight in 2005. She knew her current job with Milwaukee Public Schools as an educational assistant and tutor wasn't something she’d be able to continue with, so she began making plans. Her plans brought her to Industries for the Blind.
Camelia was assessed and given options regarding how to get started with her career at IB. She started off as a packer and a piece rate. Camelia assembled pens and packed pencils. From there, she went on to assemble mops, cut shammies and run the hot stamper for brushes.
Camelia was assessed and given options regarding how to get started with her career at IB. She started off as a packer and a piece rate. Camelia assembled pens and packed pencils. From there, she went on to assemble mops, cut shammies and run the hot stamper for brushes.
Camelia takes advantage of Industries for the Blind's opportunities that extend beyond work.
“Everyone is a little afraid of the iPhone or Android and I'm in a class. It helps me to not be afraid of the new technology." Camelia says. "Industries for the Blind offers so much!
They hear you speak of things, and they're on it! 'Let's give them the ability to do things.' They help. I took yoga for the first time because they were here. I loved it because I had never experienced anything like that before. These are experiences beyond work.”
Camelia is a bright, vibrant, joyful individual whose warmth is appreciated by those who come in contact with her.
“Everyone watches out for everyone else here. I help people with much worse vision find their way around. I enjoy helping because I love my coworkers. I just love everybody.”
“I don’t like being delayed in any kind of way. They don’t hold you back here. I’m 67 years old, and I could retire. But I just can’t. I just love it here.”
Julie Davis
Julie got started at Industries for the Blind eight years ago, when her kids were grown and gone. “I'm one of those people who needs to do something. If I do something, it makes my day count.” Something inside her told her to reach out to the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, who connected her with Industries for the Blind. When she arrived, it immediately felt like the right fit for Julie.
“I felt like I was at home," Julie says. "It was comfortable, everyone around me had the same issues with visual impairment, and I fit right in. It helped with my self-esteem. It gave my spirit a jumpstart.”
“You name it, I've packed it. I move fast and I take the time to make sure it's all correct. I want people to look at it and see that it's a good product.”
Julie operates a pen packer. She’s a speed fiend, constantly challenging herself to beat her own best time. She can easily pack 50,000 pens in a single day. She’s also one of the only women who can go from the pen department to the brush department. “There aren’t many machines there I can’t run. Brush machines are big and loud, and I love that!”
Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI makes a variety of brushes, including airplane cleaning brushes. These specialty brushes keep the Air Force’s planes clean and keep people like Julie happily employed.
Their manufacturing is ISO 9000 certified and their products are very high quality, making them a reliable choice when performance is a must.
Another staple from the SKILCRAFT® brand that keeps machines at Industries for the Blind chugging merrily along is the iconic SKILCRAFT U.S. Government pen.
Julie loves the big, loud machines and appreciates the supportive atmosphere at Industries for the Blind. “People don't understand the things you go through just to go to the grocery store," says Julie. "Who's staring at me as I'm trying to read this label? But now that I've been here for a while, I don't care who’s staring!”
Julie loves the big, loud machines and appreciates the supportive atmosphere at Industries for the Blind. “People don't understand the things you go through just to go to the grocery store," says Julie. "Who's staring at me as I'm trying to read this label? But now that I've been here for a while, I don't care who’s staring!” Julie has a real gift for cooking, and eating is a universal human need. Many at Industries for the Blind don’t have anyone to cook for them, so Julie prepares them one-pan meals to help break the ice and make them feel wanted and welcome at their new workplace.
“I learned from my mother," she says. "I was eight or nine and I was in the kitchen with my mother. It went from there. When I had kids, I’d make these crazy sandwiches and I sold sandwiches to buy my kid's school clothes.”
Julie’s typical workday starts at 3 o’clock in the morning. She gets up, makes lunch, showers, watches the news, and then takes the bus. Her bus route starts at 5:45 am, and three transfers and over an hour and a half later, she arrives at Industries for the Blind. Julie greets everyone at work with a cheerful “Good morning, my beautiful IB people!”. This early bird is a ray of sunshine to all.
When Julie’s workday is done, she goes home, fixes dinner, watches a "crazy cop show" (NCIS New Orleans is a current fave) and heads to bed.
Someday, Julie would like to open her own sandwich shop.
Jeana Angelini
Jeana Angelini has been involved with the AbilityOne Program for over 30 years. She joined Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI because she wanted more challenge to her workdays. In her previous position, she got her work wrapped up very early in the day. That was the sign that she needed a change.
Jeana’s typical workday at Industries for the Blind involves paperwork and scheduling employees to different machines. “I schedule the people to the machines, and I check the quality," Jeana says. "I check and make sure they're happy.”
Jeana makes it her mission to understand both the people and the processes. She is as interested in the way people like to approach the work as the process by which the work gets done. Jeana has a bachelor’s degree in IT and a business administration degree. She is currently pursuing her doctorate.
Industries for the Blind has a tuition reimbursement program that gives employees the chance to further their education and broaden their horizons academically. “The more you know, the more indispensable you are. It's job security. If they have a weakness, help turn that into a strength. When Industries for the Blind says they're going to do something, they're going to do it. They walk it and talk it, and there is upward mobility.”
Jeana has been involved with innovation at Industries for the Blind for about 3 months now. They recently had a device come in that has serious potential for those with limited vision to complete blindness. Industries for the Blind employees were able to take the gadget for a test run, and it was very positively received. Jeana was shocked when the CEO committed to buying several units because the device isn’t cheap.
“Assistive technology is expensive for the average person. If someone is on disability or a fixed income, if it wasn't for Industries for the Blind, they might not have access to that equipment," says Jeana. "Industries for the Blind is always trying to look for ways to make the job more doable. It can be as simple as giving more light over a machine for a machine operator. We will do what it takes to make people feel more confident.”
In her off time, Jeana keeps busy as the 2nd Vice President of her local chapter of the Lions Club. Her passion for the Lions stems from being on the receiving end of the organization’s efforts. “They’ve done a lot for me. They had a clinic and the Lions Club would buy me glasses.”
In addition, Jeana is involved with an organization called BOLD - Blind Outdoor Leisure Development. BOLD facilitates a variety of exciting outdoor activities for those who are blind or visually impaired. Skiing, biking, kayaking, horseback riding… BOLD shows what’s possible for those with limited or no vision. Members of BOLD also attend sporting events such as hockey games.
Jeana is one of the coordinators for a giant swap meet as well. Two buildings worth of automotive goods are involved in the swap meet, and Jeana spends months prepping for the event.
Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI Provides Connection, Support and Economic Stability
Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI encourages their employees to be flexible - to stretch themselves professionally and to learn a variety of skills. Instead of mastering one machine, learn how to operate three, four or more. Learn the entire floor if you want to. Try your hand at everything! In today’s job climate, flexibility and adaptability equal greater job security.
Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI also encourages personal flexibility, adaptability and growth. Take a class and learn how to use an iPhone or Android to its fullest potential. Have a yoga session and relax while giving your body a good stretch. Join BOLD and go horseback riding or skiing.
There is always a large pile of books on tape at the front desk, with titles going out and coming in like the ebb and flow of the ocean tide. Listening to a good book makes the workday go by faster, and it’s yet another opportunity to expand the mind and experience something new.
Experience, expand and grow. That’s the culture of Industries for the Blind.
Blindness is an equalizer. It doesn’t care about color, race, religion, age or social status. As a result, the community at IB is diverse. “Everyone here is from different walks of life. Blindness doesn't care who you are, we're a big old melting pot here,” says Julie. “Race is not an issue. Young, old, it doesn't matter. It's just a big family, a big community. Everyone looks out for each other. Some people have issues and if I can do anything to help, I will. We help each other reach each other's goals.”
“They have this thing of lifting your spirit and telling you that you can!” says Camelia.
"All throughout my life at the beginning I went through different jobs and everywhere I went, I'd get the physical and it was always that they couldn't hire me,” says Ike. “One person told me it was insurance. It took me through a downward spiral. I worked here, and it got better. It was almost in spite of people that I could buy a house and send a daughter through college. Industries for the Blind is a big part of my life."
“I love the work that I do,” says Jeana. “It helps an individual to be more independent. It helps build their confidence. Professionally, they can learn and build new skills. Economically, it helps them buy a house or continue their education.”
Every American should be given an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. Federal purchasers, each SKILCRAFT purchase you make directly supports non-profits like Industries for the Blind based in Milwaukee, WI. Whenever you purchase SKILCRAFT pens, pencils, mops, brushes and thousands of other products, you are creating employment opportunities for people like Ike, Camelia, Julie and Jeana in communities across the nation.
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