Michigan’s Bureau of Services for Blind Persons hosts annual Excellence Awards to celebrate customers’ commitment to employment and independence

LANSING, Mich. — Nine individuals who achieved their goals for employment or independent living after vision loss, as well as five organizations, were honored by the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) during its annual Excellence Awards ceremony on Friday.

BSBP, housed within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, recognized customers of vocational rehabilitation and independent living services, students receiving Pre-Employment Transition Services, and business and community partners during the hybrid event at the BSBP Training Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Kalamazoo.

“The achievements of the customers, businesses and community partners honored speak to what is possible when we all work together to help make Michigan a more inclusive state,” said Stephanie Beckhorn, Director of LEO’s Office of Employment and Training. “The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons is dedicated to ensuring all Michiganders have the opportunity to gain the skills needed to be successful and businesses have the talent they need to stay competitive.”

The BSBP Excellence Awards ceremony is held annually during October’s observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is intended to educate the public about disability employment issues and celebrate the contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

“These award recipients serve as admirable examples of what can be accomplished through hard work and perseverance by individuals who are visually impaired and the businesses that share our core value of inclusion,” said BSBP Director Mike Pemble.

Nominations for Excellence Award candidates came from BSBP staff throughout the state. To qualify, a BSBP customer must have demonstrated a strong commitment to their growth and development by taking advantage of BSBP services and incorporating the skills and resources acquired into their daily life.

BSBP Excellence Awards were presented to the following individuals:

• Vocational Rehabilitation Customers
• Marcus Townsend – Lansing
• Joshua Brandt – Grand Blanc
• David Stirneman – Orion Township
• David Cross – Kaleva
• BSBP Training Center Customer
• Eric Bates – East Tawas
• Pre-Employment Transition Services Customer
• Kendra Witham – Muskegon
• Independent Living Customers
• Penni Davidson – Reed City
• Mary Ann Brousseau – Alpena
• Debra Beamish – Sault Ste Marie

Businesses and community partners must have demonstrated excellence and commitment in their efforts to employ BSBP customers, provided work-based learning experiences, or other services in support of the bureau and its customers to be considered for the BSBP Excellence Award.

BSBP honored the following businesses:

• Business Partners
• Utz Quality Foods – Grand Rapids
• Community Partners
• Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes – Kalamazoo
• New Horizons – Ann Arbor
• Michigan Department of Education Resource for Blind/Low Vision – Lansing
• Graham Rehabilitation – Caledonia

BSBP is Michigan’s vocational rehabilitation agency for blind, deafblind and significantly visually impaired individuals. Providing workplace readiness training and other vocational rehabilitation services through seven field offices, BSBP empowers people who have vision loss to achieve their employment goals. The agency works with business customers to provide access to individuals who are blind, deafblind and significantly visually impaired, opening the doors to career pathways.  

BSBP provides valuable independent living and workplace readiness skills through its Training Center in Kalamazoo. The agency also supports blind entrepreneurs offering food services in 194 state and federal buildings in fiscal year 2024. The Braille and Talking Book Library, located in Lansing, ensures print material is available to all Michiganders unable to use standard print materials. In fiscal year 2024, the library served more than 7,300 patrons, disseminating more than 625,000 audio and braille books.  

For more information on the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, visit Michigan.gov/BSBP.

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The programs described in this press release are funded as follows: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) funded 78.7% through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) and 21.3% through State funding; Independent Living Older Blind (ILOB) funded 90% through a grant from the USDOE and 10% through State funding; Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) funded 100 percent through the USDOE VR grant. For the federal fiscal year 2024, federal grant funds were as follows: VR $19,146,385; Pre-ETS reserve included in VR $2,871,958; ILOB $977,729.