National Federation of the Blind Responds to Attack on Randolph-Sheppard Priority for Army Dining Facility Contracts
by Chris Danielsen
The National Federation of the Blind issued a statement on December 23, 2025, in response to a notice published in the Federal Register the same day that effectively eliminates the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority for blind vendors competing for Department of the Army dining facility contracts (DFACs). In the notice, the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, stated that she had determined that, based solely on representations from the Department of the Army, the application of the Randolph-Sheppard priority “adversely affects the interests of the United States.” The purported justifications for this action cited in the notice included higher costs, prolonged arbitration delays, and performance issues related to Army DFAC operations. This “determination” came on the heels of concerning media statements from the Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, inaccurately characterizing the operation and requirements of the Randolph-Sheppard program. Here is the Federation’s statement:
December 23, 2025 - Baltimore, MD: The National Federation of the Blind condemns the Department of Education’s decision to “limit” (effectively eliminating) the Randolph-Sheppard priority in dining facility contracts (DFACs) on Department of the Army installations. Published today, December 23, 2025, in the Federal Register, the notice marks a devastating setback for blind entrepreneurs and undermines Congress’s commitment to expanding employment opportunities.
The Randolph-Sheppard Act, passed in 1936, was established with a fundamental purpose: to create meaningful employment opportunities for trained, licensed blind people in competitive integrated settings. Right now, approximately 1,400 blind entrepreneurs across the country participate in this program.
For the Department of the Army alone, twenty-four DFAC contracts across twenty-two installations represent real livelihoods and real businesses operated by blind vendors.
“This notice is a blatant betrayal of nearly ninety years of congressional commitment and discards the expertise and livelihoods of blind entrepreneurs who have proudly supported our armed forces for decades. The Department of the Army’s decision to eliminate the priority for blind vendors competing for DFAC contracts based on false information and their refusal to reconcile what is true about the Randolph-Sheppard Program abandons hundreds of trained, licensed blind workers who have proven their capability and dedication,” said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.
“To the blind vendors affected by this decision: the National Federation of the Blind stands with you, and we will fight relentlessly for our rights, even if it means standing up to those who are typically tasked with defending those rights. This is exactly the kind of challenge that requires our collective action—thousands of blind people speaking with one voice about what we know we can accomplish.”
The Randolph-Sheppard program is a congressional recognition that blind people often face discrimination that prevents us from competing fairly for government contracts. It leverages the expertise and professionalism of blind entrepreneurs—not as a charitable gesture or DEI checkbox.
The National Federation of the Blind urgently calls on Secretary of Education McMahon and the Department of the Army to immediately reconsider this decision, work directly with blind merchants to truly understand the program, and honor the promise that blind Americans deserve the opportunity to work, build businesses, and contribute meaningfully to our country.
President Riccobono followed up our statement on January 14, 2026, with a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and others. Here is the text of the letter:
Dear Chairmen Wicker and Rogers, and Ranking Members Reed and Smith:
The National Federation of the Blind is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans. As the President of the National Federation of the Blind, I serve our tens of thousands of members from all fifty states, including numerous blind entrepreneurs and Randolph-Sheppard business owners. Today, I am writing to bring to the attention of the Armed Service Committees an important matter that will devastate business opportunities for blind entrepreneurs who participate in the Randolph-Sheppard Program. The Randolph-Sheppard Act, originally signed into law nearly one hundred years ago, affords a priority for blind business owners to operate food services on federal properties, including military bases. Lately, this priority has come under significant attack. If nothing is done, thirty-seven blind business owners will soon lose their statutory priority to operate on Army bases and will likely lose their contracts, finding themselves unemployed, and twice that number of other blind entrepreneurs could potentially be in jeopardy. In addition to the blind business owners directly affected, the loss of income from these contracts will severely affect state licensing agencies, which operate the blind vending program at the state level and thus will indirectly harm hundreds of other blind entrepreneurs across the country.
By way of background, the Randolph-Sheppard program is administered by the Department of Education. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently granted a blanket waiver to the Department of the Army at the request of Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, which exempts all Army dining facilities from the Randolph-Sheppard Act. The official notification of the waiver was published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2025. The impetus for this waiver request comes from Secretary Driscoll’s misunderstanding of the program. This misunderstanding is evident based on numerous inaccurate comments and false claims regarding the Randolph-Sheppard Program in the media, including the Ruthless Podcast. Additionally, a blanket waiver such as this violates the law and will likely be overturned by the courts if challenged, given that the waiver is based on misinformation and misunderstandings that can easily be rebutted.
When we learned of Secretary Driscoll’s efforts and inaccurate statements about the program, I and Nicky Gacos, President of our National Association of Blind Merchants Division, reached out to the secretary in an effort to establish dialogue. To date, Secretary Driscoll has not acknowledged our request. To that end we are urging you, as the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, to demand that the Department of the Army adhere to the requirements of the Randolph-Sheppard Act and that the Department of the Army withdraw this request for a waiver immediately. The Randolph-Sheppard vendors who operate on military bases all across the country have earned numerous awards for quality and are fully committed to our military. We welcome the opportunity to address any concerns that Secretary Driscoll has.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we are available to answer any questions that you may have.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
cc: The Honorable Bill Cassidy, Chairman, US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The Honorable Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member, US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The Honorable Tim Walberg, Chairman, US House Committee on Education and the Workforce
The Honorable Robert Scott, Ranking Member, US House Committee on Education and the Workforce