Posted on December 23, 2025, Last Updated on January 8, 2026
For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Thornhill
Phone: (202) 559-2040
Email: sthornhill@acb.org
American Council of the Blind Responds to Federal Action Weakening Randolph-Sheppard Act Priority
Alexandria, VA. -The American Council of the Blind (ACB) strongly opposes recent federal action that limits how the Randolph-Sheppard Act’s long-standing priority for blind vendors is applied to Army dining facility contracts. This change threatens a proven pathway to economic opportunity for people who are blind or have low vision.
Under a new notice published in the Federal Register, Department of the Army dining facilities will no longer apply the Randolph-Sheppard blind vendor priority when awarding new contracts. This shift could significantly affect blind entrepreneurs who operate food service and vending facilities on Army installations across the country.
“ACB strongly supports our affiliate Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America and the Randolph-Sheppard program as vital engines of economic opportunity and independence for people who are blind,” said Scott Thornhill, Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind. “Diminishing these opportunities undermines decades of bipartisan commitment to self-employment and independence for people who are blind or have low vision. ACB will continue working with our partners and policymakers to defend and strengthen the Randolph-Sheppard program.”
Since the Randolph-Sheppard Act was enacted, thousands of blind individuals have successfully launched and operated businesses in federal facilities, including on military bases. ACB firmly rejects any suggestion that qualified blind vendors operating dining facilities on Army installations negatively affect American service members.
For more information on the Department of Education’s action, access the Federal Register notice here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/23/2025-23761/34-cfr-part-395-limitation-of-the-randolph-sheppard-vending-facility-program-priority-for-the