Envision, one of the largest employers of blind and visually impaired individuals (BVI) nationwide, has joined forces with leading companies in the high-tech sector to help increase job opportunities in that sector.

 

“The goal is to create thousands of jobs for BVI individuals in the next few years by setting up a managed services offering to cater to the needs of large corporations and state and local governments in the areas of help desk services; call center services; and design, testing, and compliance services for usability and accessibility of operating systems, applications, websites, and devices,” explains Michael Monteferrante, president and CEO, Envision.

 

Located in Wichita, KS, Envision is a multi-faceted organization with profit centers that include a robust manufacturing business that produces some 2 million plastic bags across hundreds of SKUs every day; a pet product division that developed and markets a line of reflective leashes, collars, and companion vests; the Envision Broadcast Network, formed when Envision purchased a local Wichita radio station late last year; and a full-service print shop that produces more than 2 million business cards each month as well as hundreds of thousands of other printed collateral materials every year.

 

Revenues from these and other activities enable Envision to carry out its mission of inspiring and improving the quality of life of those who are blind and visually impaired and, as part of that mission, creating jobs for such individuals, says Monteferrante.

 

Envision’s BVI employees hold a variety of administrative positions including HR, IT, accounting, and more.

 

The Envision Child Development Center brings typically sighted and blind and visually impaired children together in an environment that promotes understanding, respect, and peer modeling. “In addition, we have visually impaired personnel serving as mobility trainers to help others learn how to better acclimate themselves to their immediate surroundings,” says Monteferrante.

 

Envision also helps individuals acquire and learn how to use assistive technology that enables them to be competitive on both the academic and career fronts and advocates for and collaborates on programs and services like increased and improved public transportation to make it easier for those who are blind and visually impaired to get to and from work.