Sign For Abilityone Base Supply Center — Alabama Industries for the Blind Basic Supply Center sign. Screenshot from YouTube video about the program. (Alabama Industries for the Blind)

Alabama Industries for the Blind (AIB), a division of Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, has been awarded $15 million to provide support to the Warner-Robins Air Logistics Complex via the AIB Base Supply Center at Robins Air Force Base.

AIB Base Supply Center will provide and manage procurement of items on the AbilityOne Procurement List.

This particular list includes commodities and services by a nonprofit agency for the blind or nonprofit agencies employing persons with significant disabilities.

Some of the items AIB will provide are:

Tools
Parts
Materials
Equipment necessary for base operations

“This award reflects the long-standing operational relationship between AIB and the U.S. Air Force. Beyond the significance of this partnership, AIB leverages contracts of this type to provide market-rate wages and benefit packages essential for workforce retention in a demographic that typically faces high unemployment.”
Dennis Gilliam, Ed.D., President, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind

One of the five largest businesses for the blind in the U.S., AIB serves customers throughout the U.S., including the military.

Want to learn more about AIB? Check out this 2-minute video about the group’s history and work.