Jim Kerlin
What does “blind ambition” mean? Ask.com defines ambition as a person’s desire to achieve a particular outcome. It means you will try until you can’t try anymore. Ambition is a very good trait to have! Blind ambition is when ambition prevents people from seeing what’s happening around them. Sometimes blind ambition is a great trait to have too. Sometimes we need to block out what is happening around us in order to do what seems impossible.
Wiscraft’s mission could be summarized as blind ambition, or perhaps ambition for the blind. Most people who are blind are dependent on their family and government. Indeed our society has an obligation to take care of those that really can’t support themselves. However, at Wiscraft, our blind ambition challenges that very premise…that they can’t take care of themselves. We seek to give people who are blind a chance to prove that they can be just as productive as anyone. We offer them the hope of a job, and with it the pride of being able to support themselves and their family.
Perhaps blind ambition is just what we need at Wiscraft. We keep trying and trying until we can’t try any more to not view blindness as an obstacle. At times we need to block out what’s happening around us. We need to ignore conventional wisdom as it were.
For example, most believe that people who are blind can’t work as efficiently as people who are sighted. There is a 70% unemployment rate of people who are blind. That is a national embarrassment and the result of a false belief; that a person who is blind can’t do certain things on the job. This belief could not be more wrong. Our employees have proven time and time again that they are just as capable, just as efficient, often more so, as their fully sighted counterparts. We only need to provide them with the tools, training, and accommodations to overcome blindness as an obstacle.
Wiscraft participates in the AbilityOne program, that allows us to supply certain products and services to the US government. This program, intended to produce blind and disabled jobs, requires us to maintain a minimum of 75% blind direct labor. At Wiscraft we’re proud that we overachieve this and currently have a 86% blind direct labor ratio. How can we do that? First and foremost we never accept that we can’t develop a better and more “blind friendly” process. Sometimes we apply technology such as voicing computer software, talking measurement gauges, talking CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines, and custom designed fixtures. Often though, it only requires that we apply continuous improvement suggestions from our employees.
Honestly I’d put our employees up against any sighted workforce. Our employees show up every day and do their best. They try harder and care more about their jobs and the work they are doing. Most importantly they don’t listen to the whispers of those who say that it is impossible for them to be as productive as others. I’m so proud to be able to lead this fine group of people. They have spirit and courage. They never say never. Now that’s what I call blind ambition.