Press Release

Federal Agency That Creates Jobs for People Who are Blind or Have Other Severe Disabilities Honored by White House for "Greening the Government" Environmental Initiatives

June 18, 2001
For immediate release
Contact: Joan Smith
Phone: (703) 603-7740
Fax: (703) 603-0655
E-mail: jsmith@jwod.gov

Washington, D.C.--The White House has recognized the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program for its commitment to Federal environmental and other "Greening the Government" initiatives during the 2001 Closing the Circle Awards Ceremony.

The prestigious "Closing the Circle" awards program was established by under Executive Order 13101: Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling and Federal Acquisition. The Presidential directive is designed to further expand and strengthen the Federal government's recycling and green purchasing efforts. This year 39 awards were chosen from a field of 148 "highly competitive" nominations from 15 Federal agencies in nine categories. The JWOD Program was selected as a winner in the "Sowing the Seeds for Change" category.

The JWOD Program is both a public-private partnership and a unique Federal socioeconomic procurement initiative. Under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, the program's mission is to stimulate employment for individuals who are blind or have other severe disabilities that have traditionally made finding and keeping a job in the competitive market exceedingly difficult. Jobs are created when certain products and services furnished by nonprofit agencies that employ individuals with disabilities are placed on the Federal Procurement List by the Federal agency that administers the JWOD Program, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. Once added to the Procurement List, the products and services are considered "mandatory" items that must be purchased by Federal employees.

As a mandatory source to Federal agencies, the JWOD Program leadership recognized early on that Federal contracting and acquisition professionals, as well as government purchase card holders, would need to adhere to the mandatory purchase requirements of the JWOD Act and the legal mandate to purchase recycled content products under RCRA, section 6002.

Viewing environmental initiatives as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to being a "solution provider" for Federal customers, the JWOD Program embarked on a number of initiatives designed to ensure that, to the highest degree possible, JWOD products and services meet or exceed Executive Order 13101 requirements. JWOD products and services, in addition to employing people with disabilities are Federal customers' preferred choice when it comes to meeting the environmentally desirable criteria, qualities and attributes that they now demand.

The Closing the Circle award nomination recognizes all the JWOD Program partners, which includes the Committee, National Industries for the Blind (NIB), NISH (serving people with a range of severe disabilities), the more than 600 NIB and NISH-associated nonprofit agencies, (e.g., Lighthouses for the Blind, chapters of the Easter Seal Society, Goodwill Industries, and ARCs) and especially the 36,000 Americans who are employed on JWOD Federal contracts at JWOD associated nonprofit agencies nationwide.

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, an independent Federal agency, administers the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program, which creates jobs and training opportunities for persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. NIB and NISH are nonprofit organizations designated by the Committee to help Federal agencies and nonprofit organizations that employ individuals with severe disabilities participate in the JWOD Program. The Committee=s primary means of achieving its employment goal is through facilitating Government purchases of supplies and services from nonprofit agencies employing such individuals. To learn more about the JWOD Program and JWOD program environmental initiatives, visit www.jwod.gov.