Founder and CEO, Albert J. Rizzi, announced today (Dec. 19, 2018) that My Blind Spot (MBS) has been approved as a “preferred source vendor” through the New York Preferred Source Program for the Blind (NYSPSP) by the New York State Procurement Council. Through its affiliation with the NYSPSP, the MBS AccessAbility team will provide digital accessibility and usability testing and remediation services to state agencies, municipalities, public schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals throughout the state.
“I’m very pleased that New York has endorsed the services of My Blind Spot in this way,” said Rizzi. “This distinction reinforces MBS as an accessibility consultancy qualified to provide solutions which advances digital equity and authentic inclusion for all New Yorkers in the 21st century.”
In addition to maximizing the usability and functionality of the digital offerings, platforms and portals across New York, MBS and the NYSPSP will advance Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 136. The stated objective of the governor’s “Employment First” initiative is to ensure that ability, not disability, is a diversity group that “should be encouraged and supported in contributing to the state’s economy” because, “New Yorkers with disabilities represent a significant percentage of the state’s overall population and experience disproportionately low levels of employment.”
“MBS and the NYSPSP will unlock those virtual doors barring people who are blind, or print disabled from enjoying gainful employment,” Rizzi said. “We will work to allow people who are aging, blind, or print disabled to move away from being taxing dependents, reliant on public assistance and entitlement programs, and instead become independent taxpayers who are capable of executing in our schools, our workplaces and in life.”
MBS intends to hire and train six additional individuals who are blind or visually impaired to join the MBS AccessAbility team. By training and hiring additional members from the disability community, MBS not only promotes Executive Order 136 but also will build a professional team capable of meeting the demands for delivering these types of services across the state and in New York City.
The New York State Procurement Council is responsible for the study, analysis and development of recommendations to improve state procurement policy and practices and for development and issuance of guidelines governing state agency procurement. This includes promoting the goods and services from “preferred source” providers to ensure state agencies and other purchasing agents buy commodities and services from the providers to fulfill their missions and provide information to Purchasing Agents so they understand and comply with the statutory requirements and council policy to buy from preferred sources whenever possible. Learn more about the New York State Procurement Council
Since 1946, the New York State Preferred Source Program for People who are Blind (NYSPSP) has been working to advance social and economic goals in New York to create and sustain employment opportunities for state residents who are blind, visually impaired or print disabled. In partnership with sister organizations such as MBS, NYSPSP works dedicatedly to advance Executive Order 136 ensuring equitable access to employment and education for the millions of New York residents who are blind, aging, visually impaired or print disabled. Learn more about NYSPSP
My Blind Spot is a NYC based nonprofit dedicated to inspiring digital equity for people of all abilities in the 21st century. Advocating for authentic inclusion and digital equity, MBS provides a range of holistic services that ensure digital offerings, websites, mobile applications, and work environments are accessible and usable to people of all abilities. MBS works with governmental agencies, corporations and community based organizations across all industries to champion the inclusion of Ability alongside Gender, Race, Orientation and Religion in both our social and corporate cultures. This is achieved by relying on the MBS AccessAbility team, a contingent of internationally certified subject matter experts, many of whom happen to have a disability themselves.
Contact MBS
90 Broad St., Suite 1801, New York, NY 10004
175 West Main St., Suite 3, Babylon, NY 11702
By Email: info@myblindspot.org
By Phone: 212-363-0330