NIB New York replaces NYSPSP as the public face of New York’s blind employment program

The New York State Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers Who Are Blind has rebranded as NIB New York, or NIBNY, in Albany. The name change is meant to make the state-mandated procurement program easier to recognize while keeping its mission, jobs and purchasing role unchanged.

Why it matters: - The rebrand gives New York’s long-running preferred source program a clearer public identity. - State and local purchasing through NIB New York helps create jobs for New Yorkers who are blind and supports independence, training and community participation. - The program says procurement through NIB New York generates more than $100 million in annual economic output through wages, supplier activity and community spending.

What happened: - The New York State Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers Who Are Blind is now NIB New York, or NIBNY. - The change was announced in Albany, New York, on July 13, 2026. - The organization’s mission and impact remain the same, even as the public-facing name changes. - NIBNY administers the state-mandated preferred source program under Section 162 of the New York State Finance Law.

The details: - For more than four decades, the program has connected state and local agencies with a statewide network of nonprofit organizations employing people who are blind. - That network now employs more than 450 New Yorkers who are blind across the state. - State agencies, public authorities, school districts and other entities must first consider NIB New York when purchasing approved goods and services. - The program provides access to office supplies, manufacturing, call center operations, digital accessibility, document imaging, transcription and braille production. - Employment through NIBNY offers income, stability, training and a pathway to long-term success. - The program’s tagline is Purchase With A Purpose. - The previous name was often difficult for procurement professionals to navigate, especially in compliance and vendor management workflows. - The NIB New York name aligns the program more closely with National Industries for the Blind, the national network it operates within. - More information is available at nibny.org.

Between the lines: - The name change appears designed to reduce friction in procurement, not to change how the program operates. - A simpler name may help agencies recognize the program earlier in purchasing decisions, which can improve compliance with the preferred source requirement. - The rebrand also puts the program’s job-creation mission closer to the surface for buyers who may mainly see it as a procurement obligation.

What's next: - NIB New York will continue to operate as a required part of the procurement process for eligible government buyers. - The program will keep directing purchases toward nonprofit providers that employ people who are blind. - The organization will likely focus on making the new name stick in contracts, purchasing systems and agency workflows.

The bottom line: - NIB New York is a new name for an old state procurement program, but the purpose is unchanged: turn routine government buying into jobs and independence for New Yorkers who are blind.