Established in 1938, the program is administered by the U.S. AbilityOneCommission®, an independent Federal agency, which designates National Industries for the Blind, SourceAmerica®and the American Foundation for the Blind as the central nonprofit agencies facilitating the program. The Commission consists of 15Presidential appointees: 11 who represent Federal agencies and four who are private citizens knowledgeable about employment challenges faced by people who are blind or have significant disabilities. The Commission is supported by anArlington, Virginia-based full-time staff, led by a career member of the SeniorExecutive Service.
Quick Facts about Ability One:
Veterans & Disabled Persons
AbilityOne employs approximately 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities, including approximately 3,000 veterans. An estimated 30,000 AbilityOne employees work on Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.
Department of Defense
AbilityOne's largest customer is the Department of Defense, which annually procures more than $1.7 billion of AbilityOne products and services
Major Commerce
More than $3.3 billion of AbilityOne products and services were procured by the federal government in fiscal year 2018
