AbilityOne Program: Employment with Purpose for Disabled Veterans and Wounded Warriors

Americans who are blind or have significant disabilities, including wounded warriors and veterans, can benefit from the AbilityOne Program. Under the U.S. AbilityOne Commission and in partnership with the VA and Military Wounded Warrior programs, veterans and wounded warriors regain meaningful and essential employment opportunities.

The Commission works with two agencies, SourceAmerica and the National Industries for the Blind, to administer programs spanning more than 400 nonprofit organizations. Americans with disabilities have a 70 percent unemployment rate overall. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for Veterans with service-connected disabilities changed little over year over year, at around 4 percent. The report findings stated that 31 percent of all veterans (more than 5.5 million) had service-connected disabilities. 

Table A. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, and sex, 2023-2024 annual averages. 

AbilityOne Program Impact

On January 26, 2026, the Department of War awarded a $386,676,777 contract to Skookum Educational Programs for the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Civil Engineering Base maintenance support in Colorado. The work is expected to be completed by February 28, 2034. 

AbilityOne, an independent federal agency, supports the defense industries and military readiness through products and services made in America by Americans with disabilities. Some examples include providing Personal Protective Equipment, military uniforms, facility sanitation services, dining facilities operations, and switchboard and call center operations at VA hospitals and military bases. 

Based on the information provided at AbilityOne.gov site, the products and services have benefits such as workforce stability, fair pricing, timely delivery, quality, and customer satisfaction. The most important aspect of it all is that AbilityOne is contributing to the employment of approximately 2,500 of the nation’s disabled veterans and wounded warriors. 

Beneath the numbers and employment opportunities are real people who have made deep sacrifices for the nation. AbilityOne has even uplifted those who have felt they would have otherwise experienced homelessness on the streets.

Then and Now

The Javits-Wagner O’Day Act, originating from Roosevelt’s New Deal policies, is the legislation that birthed the AbilityOne Program and mandates federal agencies to purchase services and supplies from organizations that employ severely disabled and blind individuals, which in turn promotes their employment. 

Historically, this program has roots reaching back to World War II, Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. AbilityOne has also provided support for disaster relief. 

Today, veterans in the AbilityOne Program can receive the following resources and support:

• Vocational Assessments
• Job Training
• Job Fairs/Events
• Job Placement
• Career Development Services
• Individual and Family Counseling Services
• Therapeutic recreation
• Contract Management Support
• Business Management Training
• Leadership Training
• Fellowship Programs
• Art and Music Therapy
• Temporary Housing

See the Federal Register Notice of the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, to find the U.S. AbilityOne Commission Quarterly Public Meeting from January 28, 2026 covering a variety of topics, and addressing the question of “How can the AbilityOne Program identify and prepare for the service jobs of the future?”, in which one of the areas identified included geospatial AI data labeling services. 

Jeff Mittman, an Army veteran and Commission appointee (starting at the 27:15 recording time segment), shared his personal story and how everything came full circle for him as he realized where many of the items used to save his life came from the AbilityOne Program.

See Hiring Veterans | Military.com for additional hiring support and information.