Thank you for your interest in joining the National Federation of the Blind Dream Builders Capital Campaign. As you know, we have several important projects on the horizon. We want to share details of this project with you personally.
Program Focus
Working age blind people.
What’s at Stake
Today, blind men and women experience an unacceptable rate of unemployment.
How the Center for Employment Opportunity (CEO) Will Help
- Through the CEO the National Federation of the Blind will provide working age blind people with an opportunity to compete in the workplace on terms of equality.
- The CEO will assist blind people in gaining the skills and confidence necessary to achieve an employment outcome that is commensurate with their talents and abilities.
- The CEO will provide employers with the tools they need to recruit, hire, train, and promote competent blind employees.
Building the Program
Housed in the NFB Jernigan Institute, the CEO will consist of three structural components. The CEO’s director will oversee all programs with assistance from these components.
The structural components will be:
- Online Resources: This will be a portal for content such as educational courses, virtual conferences, podcasts, and training sessions for team members and program participants.
- The NFB Jernigan Institute: The CEO’s staff, housed at the NFB Jernigan Institute, will assist with program development, generate content for the portal, train field representatives, and provide support to affiliates. Remote workers may also be utilized to accomplish some of these duties.
- The Affiliates: The National Federation of the Blind’s affiliates and local chapters will serve as points of contact for the CEO, put on conferences and workshops in local communities, work with Jernigan Institute staff to recruit CEO fellows, and maintain ongoing relationships with fellows both during and after their interaction with the CEO and its programs.
CEO programming will include Each One Teach One, Train the Trainer, and the Virtual Career Club. To encourage employers in their efforts to include blind workers, the CEO will also operate an Employer Leadership Network.
Evaluating the Program
The National Federation of the Blind will administer targeted questionnaires and interviews at periodic points throughout the year.
Resources and Personnel Needed
- Program Manager
- NFB Jernigan Institute Staff
Why the National Federation of the Blind
As America’s membership organization of the blind, the National Federation of the Blind has an extensive community already in place as well as more than seventy-five years’ worth of knowledge in areas directly related to employment.