AbilityOne® Furniture NSNs

The AbilityOne® Program is a Federal initiative to help people who are blind or have other significant disabilities find employment. The U.S. Ability One Commission is the Federal agency authorized to administer the AbilityOne Program and their mission is to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or have significant disabilities in the manufacture and delivery of products and services to the Federal Government. They do this through two central nonprofit agencies (CNAs) – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and SourceAmerica – that match government contracts with nonprofit agencies (NPAs) across the country that train and employ people with disabilities.

The Commission maintains a Procurement List of products and services that have been placed in the AbilityOne® Program, as referenced in FAR Subparts 8.0 and 8.7. Once a product or service is on the Procurement List, the Government must buy it from the organization designated by the Commission until the government no longer has requirements for that item, or until a nonprofit agency employing people who are blind or have significant disabilities can no longer furnish that item.

Purchase of the furniture and office accessories that are listed in the product brochures fulfills the required source provision of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act and FAR 8.7. Many of the furniture and furnishings NSNs that have been placed AbilityOne® Program are available for easy ordering through GSA Global Supply.

Through the AbilityOne Program, people with disabilities enjoy full participation in their community and can market their AbilityOne-learned skills into other public and private sector jobs. The AbilityOne Program strives to reduce the unacceptably high percentage (70%) of Americans with disabilities who do not have jobs.