Seven out of ten working age Americans who are blind are not employed (reference). Greensboro has the distinction of having established the first work program in North Carolina for people who were blind. In 1933, the Guilford County Association of the Blind hired six employees to make mops for commercial sale. With the Wagner-O'Day Act in 1938, people with severe vision disabilities had a Federal market for the products they manufactured. Responding to this opportunity, in 1938, Greensboro's organization incorporated, becoming Industries of the Blind, Incorporated (IOB). During World War II, Greensboro's IOB employed 35 workers. By 1962, they landed their first million dollar contract. For over seven decades, Greensboro's IOB has been working hard "to enhance the opportunities for people who are blind to achieve greater vocational, personal, and economic independence" (reference).
Today, Greensboro's IOB has 238 employees in two locations and, with their government military contracts, annual revenue has soared to 20 million dollars (News & Record, 2009). Their products for sale include physical fitness pants for soldiers, ballistic nape pads, industrial brooms, household products, pens & refills. Our personal favorites are the 24 lb. mill broom (harkening back to the days of Greensboro's thriving textile mills) and the Sedgefield parlor broom. With the PGA Tours Wyndham Championship 2011 kicking off today at the Sedgefield Country Club, we hope that Sedgefield parlor brooms are put to good use in their namesake community during this great golf event.
The IOB brick building in the photo above is located on West Lee Street near UNCG. We took the photo at night, with glaring lights, fading letters, minimal color, and blurred periphery to provide insight into what the world looks like to many visually impaired. Hats off to IOB for providing their employees with competitive wages and benefits.
For each of the people IOB employs a bucket full of self esteem is brought home. A productive job means the world to their well being.
I know this for a fact because my Dad was almost totally blind. Since this was the result of a baseball injury at age 17 he knew what it was to work,to drive,to go to the movies on a Saturday night. First he groomed race horses and took them for their cool down walks at Santa Anita,later he was a Taxi cab dispatcher which was really perfect work for him since he knew the town well and everybody who lived here,after that he worked at a mobile home factory and the local school district.
His blindness was a gift to me. I learned to read aloud before I ever entered Kindergarten by reading him the sports pages and local news.He would tell me what to look for and sound out words with me.I learned geography and to love travel even though we rarely left California because he would pull out the big Map Book from Rand McNally and we would take armchair trips all over the world,gauging mileage,times, what to see, where to dine every little detail was planned.
I was probably the only second grader who could navigate the way to Ames Iowa but could not find the restrooms for the upper playground at lunch!
Posted by: Janis | Monday, August 15, 2011 at 02:11 PM
What a gift your comments are to GDP, CA Janis!
Just when we start to wonder if our posts are leaving an impression on anybody out there, you come rolling in with some profound insight. Thank you so much. We give of our time for this city daily photo site in the hopes that people will gain something from it. Your words let us know that others feel our posts are worth our effort.
Posted by: GreensboroDailyPhoto | Monday, August 15, 2011 at 02:19 PM
Great info to accompany a great photo
Posted by: Mo | Monday, August 15, 2011 at 03:30 PM
This is very interesting. I had a friend who worked with the blind back in the 70s, but I can't remember if his organization was Lighthouse for the Blind or some other one.
I'll be watching the golf tourney for sure. See you there?
Posted by: Jacob | Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 10:32 AM