[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3194-3195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-961]



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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED


Procurement List; Addition

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled.

ACTION: Addition to the Procurement List.

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SUMMARY: This action adds to the Procurement List a service to be 
furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have 
other severe disabilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 13, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403, 1735 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, Virginia 22202-3461.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Milkman (703) 603-7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 18, 1994, the Committee for 
Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published 
notice (59 FR 59757) of proposed addition to the Procurement List. 
Comments were received from the current contractor for this service. 
The contractor indicated that loss of the contract would have a 
significant impact on its business because it is concentrating on 
improving its better performing contracts rather than developing new 
business. The contractor noted that it does employ some people with 
disabilities, although it questioned how the nonprofit agency 
designated by the Committee will be able to perform the switchboard and 
information operations of this service using people with severe 
disabilities. The contractor noted that the switchboard uses lights and 
sounds, so sight and hearing capabilities are required, and the 
switchboard equipment requires dexterity to process calls efficiently. 
The contractor indicated that the small workroom space does not promote 
the use of wheel chairs or special equipment, and the requirement to 
respond to emergency calls makes the use of people with mental 
disabilities inappropriate. The contractor also expressed concerns that 
addition of the service to the Procurement List would dramatically 
increase the Government's costs to acquire the same level of service 
the contractor is providing, and it indicated that its contacts with 
the nonprofit agency showed the latter did not understand the 
requirements of the service.
    This contract represents a very small percentage of the 
contractor's total sales. Even considering the impact of another 
switchboard service added to the Procurement List in 1992 where the 
commenting contractor also held the contract and allowing for a 
possibly greater impact because of the contractor's business plan, the 
level of impact on the contractor does not amount to a level which the 
Committee considers to be severe adverse impact.
    The Committee appreciates the fact that the contractor has hired 
some people with disabilities to perform this contract. The nonprofit 
agency will consider employing these people. However, addition of the 
service to the Procurement List will guarantee that the service will be 
provided by people with severe disabilities, while a competitive 
contractor would be free to terminate its disabled workers for any 
reason.
    The nonprofit agency plans to use people with physical disabilities 
to perform the switchboard services. It has taken into account the 
dexterity requirement in its staffing plans. The nonprofit agency will 
not hire anyone who is totally blind or totally deaf. The nonprofit 
agency considers the [[Page 3195]] switchboard room to be large enough 
to permit the use of wheelchairs, and the Government has agreed to 
modify the room if that proves necessary.
    Nonprofit agencies are required to provide services to the 
Government under the Committee's program at a fair market price 
determined by the Committee, and the nonprofit agency in question has 
agreed to do so. Consequently, there will not be the dramatic increase 
in price the contractor predicted.
    The nonprofit agency performing the service has long been a 
successful participant in the Committee's program. It has hired a 
project manager with many years of experience in telephone operations 
to manage the project who has established good relations with 
Government people at the job site. The nonprofit agency, with the 
assistance of its central nonprofit agency, has devised a plan of 
operation to meet the needs of the service. Consequently, the Committee 
believes that the concerns expressed by the contractor about the 
nonprofit agency's ability to do the job, which may have been based on 
an early contact with the agency, do not provide a basis for deeming 
the nonprofit agency incapable of performing the service.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the service, fair 
market price, and impact of the addition on the current or most recent 
contractors, the Committee has determined that the services listed 
below are suitable for procurement by the Federal Government under 41 
U.S.C. 46-48d and 41 CFR 51-2.4.
    I certify that the following action will not have a significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The major factors 
considered for this certification were:
    1. The action will not result in any additional reporting, 
recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities other 
than the small organizations that will furnish the service to the 
Government.
    2. The action does not appear to have a severe economic impact on 
current contractors for the service.
    3. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish 
the service to the Government.
    4. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would 
accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46-
48c) in connection with the service proposed for addition to the 
Procurement List.
    Accordingly, the following service is hereby added to the 
Procurement List: Switchboard Operation, Department of Veterans Affairs 
Medical Center, 4300 West 7th Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas.
    This action does not affect current contracts awarded prior to the 
effective date of this addition or options exercised under those 
contracts.
Beverly L. Milkman,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 95-961 Filed 1-12-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-33-P