On Thurs., Aug. 17, N.C. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry toured the IFB Solutions manufacturing facility and met with members of IFB’s Employee Safety Committee to learn more about how this non-profit organization maintains its long-standing safety record. IFB received the state’s Gold Safety Award for the 7th consecutive year and also was awarded a special plaque for one million hours without a lost time accident from November 20, 2015 – December 31, 2016.

As the country’s largest employer of people who are blind, IFB Solutions is a state and national leader in workplace safety. A key component to IFB’s safety record are the efforts of its employees who are blind or visually impaired, several of whom are part of the Safety Committee, to identify unique situations and solutions to improve overall workplace safety.

“Our employees, especially those who serve on the Safety Committee, are committed to making sure our facilities and our employees are demonstrating top-notch safety procedures,” said David Hampton, vice president for human resources at IFB Solutions. “During her tour, Commissioner Berry was able to see first-hand the many safety features of our campus and meet the individuals responsible for making safety our top priority.”

During her tour, Commissioner Berry participated in a Sensitivity to Blindness activity using a cane to better understand the orientation and mobility challenges for individuals who are blind. IFB Solutions conducts Sensitivity to Blindness events for companies, community and service organizations as an avenue for building awareness for what it means to be blind in a sighted world. 

Commissioner Berry met with IFB Solutions Safety Committee members Rosie Bethea, Shaun Cabel, Rick Gaefe, Eugene Mickens and Firoz Pathan as well as IFB’s Employee of the Year Clayton Sanders. IFB’s Director of Low Vision and A Brighter Path programs, Chris Flynt, and IFB’s Adult Program Coordinator, Anastasia Powell, led the tour and the Sensitivity to Blindness activity.

IFB Solutions is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB Solutions funds employee training and services as well as community programs through its IFB Solutions Foundation, making possible the Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and in Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse based in Winston-Salem. www.ifbsolutions.org