HISTORY

We are "Proud of Our Past... Excited About Our Future!”

The Association has a long and proud history of service in south-central New York and Northern Pennsylvania. The seed was sown in 1926 when a small group of blind men and women organized themselves as “The Broome County Association of the Blind.”

In February of 1929, their plans became a reality when the newly incorporated “Blind Craft Association, Inc.” opened its first “shop” for the training and employment of the blind. Located at 27 Henry Street, the Association had one blind employee. Soon others came to work, learning to re-cane chairs and to weave rugs, among other crafts. At the same time, several people were being trained to do crafts, such as hand-sewing, hemming towels, and weaving right in their own homes. Mrs. Mary K. DeWitt was hired as the Managing Director and Mr. Earle M. Suttle was the shop foreman and teacher-guide.

By 1930 larger quarters were needed, with eight employees on board, and the Association moved to an upper floor of 91 State St. In 1932, the group moved down to the first floor and a salesroom was opened for the purpose of selling blind-made products.

Because another agency in California was already using the trade name of “Blindcraft”, it was necessary to change the name once again and the agency was reincorporated in 1933 as The Blind Work Association of Binghamton, Inc.

As the employees and home-workers became better trained and more efficient, more articles were available to sell, and the need to bring the merchandise before the public became evident. Forming our first community partnerships, merchants on Court Street generously gave space in their stores for the Association to conduct monthly sales.

In 1939, Mrs. Lewis M. Weed, a local woman who was very interested in the work for the blind, donated a 3-story building located at 18 Court Street. Through the legacy of Mrs. Carrie Perry of Whitney Point, the building was remodeled to house the “shop”, sales room and offices.

In 1938, Congress passed an act called the Wagner-O’Day Act, named for New York Senator Robert Wagner and New York Congresswoman Caroline O’Day, who co-authored the bill. This act created more job opportunities for blind people by allowing qualified agencies that employed people who are blind to sell high quality products to the federal government. In 1971, New York State Senator Jacob Javits amended the law to include agencies serving people with disabilities other than blindness. The act is now called the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, or JWOD, and it really is New York’s gift to the nation!

The threat and advent of war brought new industry. In 1941, the Association entered into its first JWOD contract with the Defense Department, to sew pillowcases for the army. Ms. Leona Smith, who worked for the Association for over 50 years, sewed a pillowcase that was presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The first order was for 1,000 pillowcases, but as the war progressed, production increased to 15,000 pillowcases per month.

Another community partnership was formed in the early war years, when Mr. Charles F. Johnson of Endicott-Johnson Shoes requested help from the Association in assembling buckles and straps for the soldiers’ combat boots E. J. was producing. Association employees assembled over 2 million buckles and straps for E.J. during the war. What great ways for those who could not go to fight, to help the war effort and their country!

About that same time, Michael Supa, a blind employee of an upcoming young company called IBM, approached Mrs. Mary K. DeWitt about her desire to place more visually impaired people in industry. As a result, another long-standing community partnership was formed when 10 people went to work directly for IBM. In addition, the Association began doing subcontract work at its facility for IBM, assembling plug boards and disassembling electrical parts.

When World War II ended, there were many soldiers coming home who had lost their vision and the Association was there to help. It became obvious that a much larger facility was needed to house the rapidly expanding “workshop”, and in 1948 a brand new, state-of-the-art building was completed at Water and Susquehanna Streets. With a full basement under the main floor, there was ample room for the business at that time. A registered nurse was added to the staff. The Court Street building was remodeled and continued to house the Association’s Sales Room for many more years.

In 1950, we changed our name again, dropping “Of Binghamton” to reflect the full area we served in New York and Pennsylvania.

Changes continued to take place, the agency continued to grow, and by its 25th Anniversary in 1954, a second floor and a 2-story annex had been added to the building. There were 55 visually impaired employees working on-premises; there was one social caseworker and one registered nurse; and there were 617 visually impaired people on the case registry.

By 1957, the on-site workforce had grown to about 70 blind, visually impaired and multi-disabled employees, plus a number of people who did craft work in their homes.

In 1968, a large, new addition was completed to house the staff offices and a large social/meeting room. At that time, the Sales Room on Court Street was closed, and the Gift Shop was opened in the new addition.

With the new space, the Community Services program really began to grow. An Orientation and Mobility Program was begun in 1972, to provide training in cane-travel and maneuvering skills.

In 1975 the Volunteer Services program was formalized through the hiring of a staff assistant who coordinated the program.

In 1980, the Rehabilitation Teaching program was begun to focus on independent living skills training.

In 1981, the legacy of Mrs. Josephine Vastbinder Fisher of Waverly, enabled the beginning of the Children’s Services program, and the first Child and Youth Caseworker/Specialist was hired.

The Industries Manufacturing Program grew and in 1986, for the first time, the goal of $1 million in sales was reached. New products were added to be sold under the JWOD program. Major equipment/machine purchases were made to begin the production of manila file folders in 1991, continuous-form computer paper and FmHA heavy duty file folders, in 1992; and in 1996, manufacture of cut-sheet copier/printer paper was begun.

In 1999, the Association initiated the first Service Employment agreement with a local company for computer-related jobs. We also formalized an agreement with the State of Pennsylvania to provide our services to its citizens.

In 2000, The Blind Work Association Foundation, Inc. was created.

In 2001, employment services programs were enhanced by the addition of an Employment Specialist to the staff, made possible by a NY State grant. Employment options were expanded with a Veterans Administration switchboard contract in the Hudson Valley and a New York City data entry contract.

In 2002, more machinery was purchased and the Industries Program became the sole producer of a specialized paper for the Social Security Administration. The Association qualified as an Early Intervention provider with New York State, to enhance the Children and Youth Services program.

In 2003, after over 50 years of being known as the Blind Work Association, Inc., the agency name was changed to the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc., or A.V.R.E.   The foundation became the Foundation for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc.

In 2004, the new A.V.R.E. corporate logo was unveiled:

In 2006, after a seven-year search, A.V.R.E. located and purchased a new building.  Located at 174 Court Street in Binghamton, the building offers enough room for the expansion of the Industries Manufacturing Program as well as for the creation of a "Center of Excellence in Vision Rehabilitation and Employment."

In January of 2007, A.V.R.E. said good-bye to its home of 58 years at 55 Washington Street and moved into the old Sears Department Store building on Court Street in downtown Binghamton.

In July, a long-time dream came true when the doors of our very first on-site low vision clinic opened.  Another valuable service was added to our roster, enabling consumers to come directly to the facility to have comprehensive low vision eye exams and to try out, learn about, and receive prescribed vision aids.

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