State's Largest Blind Employer Helping During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Oklahoma’s largest employer for people who are blind and vision impaired is joining manufacturers across the country to provide health and sanitation products during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Right now, the bulk of our products are going to the State of Oklahoma, into state agencies like Health and Human Services, we're also supplying V.A. Centers,” NewView Oklahoma President and CEO Lauren Branch said.

The company produces gloves, first aid kits, soaps and hand sanitizers. They also recently converted shower vinyl curtain production to make temporary medical barriers.

“We work a lot in the disaster recovery type arena and emergency management,” Branch said. “So, we're very excited to be on the front line of the crisis that we're going through right now.”

“In ’81, I went to a school that accommodated people a visual loss and we came here on a field trip,” Elmor Norton said. He now leads first aid kit production.

“It's been kind of trying, but we are ready for it.” Norton said. “We are kind of happy that we have essential work to do because to us that's nothing more than an honor to serve the public.”

He has been working for the company for 22 years.

“We can't think of anything that we would rather do than this,” Norton said.

NewView has also began offering temporary work for workers displaced by the virus.

“I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and was like, ‘you know what, that's enough get up go do something,’” private chef Bailey McMahan said.

She is now working as a customer representative for the company. Monday marks her second week with the company.

“It's the most incredible group of human beings I’ve ever met in my life,” McMahan said. “They face the hardest obstacles every day just to get here, just to get to work, and then they're thrilled to be here.”

“I've never met people or a group of people who is so happy just to contribute to society,” she said.

To support NewView or seek temporary employment, click here.