Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors

05/12/2026

ICBV Lobby Day, May 6, 2026 in Springfield was a great success. We met with several of our Legislative friends in a very hectic climate as the Springfield Capital complex was the most active we have ever seen it. We persevered and delivered 177 snack bags to all legislators. Our logo bags included ICBV info fliers, ICBV merch and fantastic snacks from Vistar and our broker partners. Many thanks to those who made it possible including the ICBV board members and volunteers, Dan Brander at Vistar, our sighted guides, Fred King and Ethel Dwyer, and our partners at Elevation Consulting, especially Eric Lane. Below the first photo (left to right) Rep. Amy Elik (Alton), Christopher Ellington, Kevin Dwyer, Erin Dwyer, K.J. Dwyer, Nora King, Giovanni Francese, Amanda McKenna, Donnie Anderson, Daphne Flemming, Rep. Jackie Haas (Kankakee) and House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (savanna.) Other photos are from inside the capital and a group photo of us outside the capital. The last photo is of the top notch snacks we loaded our branded ICBV snack bags! It was a lot of work, glad we did it promoting our ICBV family and BEPB program!

04/25/2026

Please help our dear friend and colleague, Kathy Stepp, a friend to all Illinois Blind Vendors and part of our family! Get well soon Kathy!

Kathy Stepp Needs A Hand (and shoulder) With Medical Exp… Kathy Stepp needs your support for Kathy Stepp Needs A Hand (and shoulder) With Medical Expense

02/23/2026

The PDF of the complaint vs. DOE:

02/23/2026

https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-and-blind-entrepreneurs-file-federal-lawsuit?fbclid=IwY2xjawQJelNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFUY0xkRFpHODN1OVpqVjNNc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmfcf_eEc3E-2SovFGwsdwqvfSM5OVbJUnqYOadw0BsJJj__W7Xwrz-Pnweq_aem_3dYJT0g7FS8kQuiHHawatQ

Washington, DC (January 30, 2026): The National Federation of the Blind, the National Association of Blind Merchants, and several blind entrepreneurs today filed a federal lawsuit challenging a decision by the United States Department of Education that purports to eliminate the Randolph-Sheppard Act...

02/23/2026

Thank you to the NFB for its reliable leadership.

Today, we, along with the National Association of Blind Merchants and several blind entrepreneurs, filed a federal lawsuit challenging a decision by the United States Department of Education that purports to eliminate the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority for blind vendors to operate dining facilities on United States Army installations nationwide.

The Randolph-Sheppard Act, passed in 1936 and strengthened by Congress in 1974, requires federal agencies to give priority to blind vendors in the operation of vending facilities, including cafeterias, on federal property. For more than thirty years, blind vendors have successfully operated Army dining facilities across the country, often winning awards from the military itself.

“The Randolph-Sheppard Act does not authorize the Secretary of Education to waive the law for an entire federal agency,” said President Riccobono. “Congress created and later enhanced this program to expand economic opportunity for blind entrepreneurs. The Department of Education cannot erase the work of America’s lawmakers through a sweeping administrative finding based on anecdote, speculation, or policy disagreement, and should not exclude blind people from shaping the future direction of the program. The National Federation of the Blind stands with the blind business owners who are providing outstanding and award-winning service to members of our nation’s armed forces every day, and we are determined to reverse this unlawful, unwarranted, and unjust action.”

Read the full press release at: https://buff.ly/55n7NP5

02/11/2026

Thanks to Jason Quaglia for helping to promote Ken Blum at the Cook County Recorder of Deeds office! Way to go Ken!

01/03/2026

Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors
53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 803
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Phone: 312-663-3007

To All Blind Vendors, Recent Graduates, Trainees and BEPB Staff,

This is an urgent call to action needed by all of us to reach out to our US Senators and Legislators.

On December 23, 2025, a notice from the Department of Education was posted on the Federal Register. This notice eliminates our priority on the Department of Defense, US Army facilities effective immediately. This means any current contracts could be canceled today and all new contracts for the US Army will be open to competitive bid and Randolph Sheppard Programs will lose most, if not all of these DOA facilities. All DOD facilities are obviously next.

We are not crying wolf!
This is not something that might happen, this is something that HAS happened.

Now that this horse has been let out of the barn, USPS and GSA facilities will obviously try to follow the lead of DOD. This means regional or national contracts will be published and open to competitive bids. If that happens, state and local contracts will be next. Unless we amass our advocacy consistently and overturn this injustice, we are likely to lose all priority on all DOD, GSA, federal prisons and USPS locations. Perhaps we won’t win but let’s at least go down swinging!

I am also asking for the staff to help because this will affect you as well. This is a federal issue that has a very real chance to shut all of Randolph-Sheppard down.

You should recall that we were personally warned at our conference in October. Few of us met with our US Reps and Senators and now here it is. We can see how quickly things can change. Nicky Gacos and Terry Smith told us how this could all be lost. This has the real potential to destroy our almost 90-year program and legacy. Who is there to stop them? It is not hyperbole to say that the death of Randolph-Sheppard could be on the near horizon. Half of us won't have jobs if we don’t have this Federal priority and maybe even local priority such as Cook County will soon follow due to changes in federal funding and oversight.

Outrage and even fear are very appropriate emotions. Hopefully, individually and collectively, we WILL act to try and disrupt this administration's destruction of our way of life.

Please see the attached Federal Register notice along with the NFB’s response.

PLEASE contact your Federal Legislators.

Thank you,
Kevin Dwyer, Donnie Anderson,
ICBV Chair Legislative Committee Chair

From the Federal Register:
"Based on the Department of the Army's representations, it is clear that the Randolph-Sheppard priority hinders the Department of the Army's ability to act swiftly, efficiently, and cost-effectively in procuring and managing DFAC contracts, which negatively impacts the availability and quality of food options for the nation's warfighters.
https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/statement-federal-notice-limiting-randolph-sheppard-priority-department-army

01/03/2026

https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/statement-federal-notice-limiting-randolph-sheppard-priority-department-army

As always, as Blind Vendors and proud NFB members we are grateful for the steadfast national advocacy as we pursue justice. Please read and share.

December 23, 2025 - Baltimore, MD: The National Federation of the Blind condemns the Department of Education’s decision to “limit” (effectively eliminating) the Randolph-Sheppard priority in dining facility contracts (DFACs) on Department of the Army installations.

12/09/2025

ICBV Upstate Christmas Party Pics! Thank you to our community of vendors, family, staff and supporters for attending! Special thanks the the Francese family for their hospitality and the staff at Mattone for the fabulous food and service! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!