National Industries for the Blind (NIB) sees value in configuring its warehouse operation to accommodate visually impaired workers. The company, established in 1938, has installed voice technology and made other changes in its distribution center to enable two legally blind employees to work there.

Located in Milwaukee, Wis., NIB markets its goods under the "Skilcraft" brand name. It produces such items as pens, pencils, brooms, brushes, and promotional materials for the government and for large retailers such as Wal-Mart. The company is projected to earn between $35 and $40 million in revenue this year.

NIB's main plant in Milwaukee is connected to its warehouse, which was expanded last year from 10,000 to 30,000 square feet. Equipped with eight-foot-high racks and 14 storage aisles, the warehouse holds 500 stock-keeping units (SKUs) of finished goods as well as 2,000 SKUs of raw materials. On average, the company ships some ten tons of product a day to its customers. About 40 percent of that freight moves via less-than-truckload carriers. Another 10 percent ships out with truckload haulers, and the remainder travels with parcel carriers.

NIB is committed to maintaining a workforce that is 75 percent visually impaired, says Richard Weingold, director of manufacturing. Two of the nine workers in its one-shift warehouse operation fall into that category. Those employees lack full vision, but they are able to see a product and verify its existence, he says.

Because they have limited vision, it was difficult for those employees to read picking instructions on paper. To aid them in their daily tasks, NIB installed a voice technology system three years ago. That system takes information from an order-processing program, which oversees warehouse activities, and converts it to spoken picking instructions that are conveyed to workers through headsets. "Voice has enabled us to train blind people to be productive in the warehouse," says Weingold, who also manages distribution.

Although voice technology was originally installed to enable the visually impaired to work efficiently in the warehouse, the system has raised productivity for the entire operation. For one thing, it saved time by eliminating the need to print out orders and record bin locations on paper pick lists. It also boosted picking accuracy. Prior to installing the voice system, the warehouse had a 94-percent accuracy rate. "Now we're between 98 and 99 percent accurate in our picking," Weingold says. That ability to pick orders faster and more accurately, moreover, has improved customer service. "The biggest thing for the company is that we can turn customer orders now in 48 hours as a result," he explains.

In addition to implementing voice technology, NIB has taken other steps to enable visually impaired individuals to work in its warehouse. Video monitors for its shipping system have 17- or 19-inch screens that display extra-large characters. The company also has located the forward-pick zone, where the visually impaired employees work, in an area of the warehouse with no forklift traffic.

The company believes that these changes have allowed it to meet its dual commitments. "One of our objectives it to provide employment of the blind," says Weingold. "Our other is service to our customers."