Tag Archives: National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month – an amazing man leading an amazing organization, Part 2

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78% of LC Industry’s employees are blind or visually impaired.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and this is the second part of a two-part blog featuring John Samuel, and the organization he is helping transform, LC Industries. On September 6, I visited John at his office on the LC Industries manufacturing campus, and then was given a quick tour of the facility. Originally, I was only going to write about the organization, but John’s story is so compelling, I needed to make this a two-part blog. So, read part one, which is John’s personal story (link) and here is part two, about LC Industries.


STAN: Let us start with the basics. What is the mission of LC Industries?

JOHN: LC Industries’ sole mission is to provide meaningful employment for people who are blind and/or visually impaired. As one of the nation’s largest employers of the blind, our mission is to offer opportunities, skills and training to the blind and visually impaired (abbreviated BVI) to help them cultivate a job into a rewarding career. This is a critical issue since only 30% of the BVI community is gainfully employed.


One unique offering from LC Industries is their stores on US military bases.

STAN: How long has LC Industries been around?

JOHN: Over 80 years, long before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed! Our non-profit was started by a local civic group here in Durham, and since that time, has grown to two distribution centers, four e-commerce websites, six manufacturing facilities and over 35 retail stores on military bases.


STAN: Wow – what is unique about your relationship with the military bases?

JOHN: Having retail stores on the bases saves our military personnel lots of time. They can find exactly what they need close by, without having to go into town to hunt down and find various supplies. In addition, we are known for our excellent quality, which is crucial to supplying our armed services personnel in combat.


STAN: What kind of products are you manufacturing?

JOHN: A wide range and you will see many of them when I take you through the manufacturing plant. Some of the products are specifically for the military, and others are for the public and can be ordered through our e-commerce site: https://www.lcindustries.com/e-commerce/. You will get to see a wide range of products that we make on the tour, including mattresses, file folders, and locks. Not to mention, you will get to see our team assembling medical kits, which is one of our newest and fastest growing businesses.


Locks are one of the quality products assembled at LC Industries.

STAN: I am interested in what percentage of the people working in this facility are blind or visually impaired.

JOHN: Our goal is that every position in our organization is accessible, and could be filled by a person who is blind or visually impaired. Our target is for our manufacturing workforce to consist of at least 75% of employees who are blind or visually impaired. Right now, we are around 78%, exceeding our target.


STAN: And what do you see for LC Industries’ future?

JOHN: This is what I am excited about. We really want to evolve and create jobs that lead to upward mobility for the BVI community, so we are launching a Workforce Innovation Center (WIC). The high-tech and services industries are the fastest growing areas, and we see the WIC playing a pivotal role in providing training to people to fill positions in digital accessibility and contact center services. For example, we are now working with organizations to update their websites, including their career pages, to ensure they are accessible to everyone. By focusing on digital accessibility services, it enables us to remove one of the major barriers that have hindered this community from entering the workforce, which I think is going to be game changing.


STAN: I love that you are looking to the future, especially as the shortage of technical skills continue to grow. Where can people learn more about LC Industries?

JOHN: On our website, https://www.lcindustries.com. You can read more about our history, access our e-commerce site, and see what jobs we currently have available.

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My previous blogs for National Disability Employment Awareness Month:

2014: Bridge II Sports – a cool organization engaging people with disabilities through various sports.

2013: Support via a wonderful organization, Enable America.

And also: A theater organization supporting performers with disabilities, Theater Breaking Through Barriers.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month – an amazing man leading an amazing organization, Part 1

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John Samuel, Technology Services Manager, LC Industries

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and this two-part blog features John Samuel, and the organization he is helping transform, LC Industries. On September 6, I visited John at his office on the LC Industries manufacturing campus, and then was given a quick tour of the facility. Originally, I was only going to write about the organization, but John’s story is so compelling, I need to make this a two part blog. So, part one – about John.

STAN: I believe you came to LC Industries about a year ago, in September 2017. Could you tell me a little bit, about how you got here?

JOHN: Actually, it started back around the year 2000 when I was pursuing my accounting degree at NC State. I was then first diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, commonly abbreviated R. P., and slowly started losing my vision. This is a much different journey from someone who is born blind. The condition worsened and by the time I graduated, my vision was even too poor to drive.


STAN: So what were your initial jobs like?

JOHN: I started my career in Finance, working in Bangalore (India) and New York City. Both locations were ideal for me, since I did not need to drive. Then in 2009, I went to Cameroon (Africa) to start and lead a telecommunication infrastructure company, and by this time, I was considered legally blind.


STAN: How did you cope with your work? I am sure you have to sift through many reports and numbers.

JOHN: Even in college, I found ways to cope and adapt. For example, I discovered it was far easier to read white print on a black background as my sight worsened, so I simply inverted the color of the computer screen. I figured out many life hacks like this, which helped me get things done.


STAN: And so what did you do after your stint in Cameroon?

JOHN: I decided to go back to school in Washington, DC and get my MBA. When I was at the George Washington University, I worked with the faculty and staff in the Disability Student Services office, to get the accommodations I needed to complete the program. However, when I started to apply for jobs, I realized that many organizations did not have accessible websites, which severely limited by ability to apply online for jobs. At this stage, I still was not completely open about my own blindness, and this was holding me back.


Many of the excellent LC Industries quality products for US Armed Services personnel on display

STAN: And so did things change? What were your next steps?

JOHN: Yes, things did change, but it took me some time. It was only after I read about Ed Summers, Director of Accessibility at SAS Institute, who developed a software that enabled blind users to visualize graphical information using sound. In addition, I wanted to connect with him not only because of the software he developed, but he was living with blindness in my hometown of Cary. Serendipitously, after months of not being able to connect with Ed, my father saw a blind man walking on the road and surprisingly enough it was Ed. (Link to news article about Ed Summers and his work.) Knowing that I wanted to move back home, Ed then introduced me to LC Industries, where they were looking to start a new technology services business, which was a great fit for my background. In this role, I know I have an opportunity to help remove many of the barriers I faced.

STAN: John, thank you for sharing your fascinating journey with me, and I do hope many who read this will get inspiration and valuable insight for their own journeys. Now, let us talk more about LC Industries.

And now here is the link to part 2 – more about LC Industries.

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My previous blogs for National Disability Employment Awareness Month:

2014: Bridge II Sports – a cool organization engaging people with disabilities through various sports.

2013: Support via a wonderful organization, Enable America.

And also: A theater organization supporting performers with disabilities, Theater Breaking Through Barriers.