U.S. AbilityOne Commission
The AbilityOne Program is one of the largest sources of employment in the United States for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. Through the Program, approximately 40,000 Americans who are blind or have significant disabilities are employed in jobs that furnish nearly $4 billion in products and services to the Federal Government annually.
The Commission is composed of 15 members appointed by the President. The Commission has designated National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and SourceAmerica as central nonprofit agencies (CNAs) that help administer the AbilityOne Program, which includes approximately 450 nonprofit agencies (NPAs) providing employment to individuals who are blind or significantly disabled in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
The Office of Inspector General
On December 18, 2015, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-113) amended the Inspector General Act of 1978 (IG Act) and created the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at AbilityOne as a designated federal entity IG. The OIG is responsible for conducting audits and investigations, recommending policies and procedures that promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of agency resources and programs, and detecting and preventing fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. The IG Act requires the IG to keep the Commission and Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies in the Commission’s operations and the need for any corrective action.