Jan 23, 2017
Rochester, NY – The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), an affiliate of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, was honored by National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, with the 2016 Employment Growth Award. The award recognizes ABVI’s efforts to increase employment retention, growth, and upward mobility for people who are blind.
“We are proud to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind in the Greater Rochester Metro area,” said Gidget Hopf, ABVI president and CEO. “Our employees are talented and dedicated professionals, and we are delighted that they are being recognized as an example of the capabilities of people who are blind.”
Employees at ABVI who are blind or visually impaired work in all areas of the organization. In the paper conversion and fulfillment department, since partnering with 3m 25 years ago, the employees have produced over 212million self-stick notepads for federal employees. They have also completed more than 500,000 hours of work and earned over $6.9 million in wages. Employees who are blind or visually impaired at ABVI also answer calls on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Toxic Substance Hotline. Calls to this hotline come in from all over North America and are answered in a professional and competent manner by ABVI’s employees who are blind or visually impaired through the use of adaptive technology.
“It is an honor for me to recognize ABVI with an Employment Growth Award for 2016,” said Kevin Lynch, president and CEO of NIB. “ABVI continues to lead the way in creating employment and high-growth career opportunities for people who are blind.”