80-Year Law for Blind Workers Erroneously Damaged, Petition Says

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit must reconsider a panel ruling that undermines a 1938 law to provide blind and disabled workers with employment opportunities, a petition for rehearing says.

By siding with veteran-owned small businesses in a contract set-aside dispute, the Federal Circuit ignored Congress’s intent, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind said.

Beneficiaries of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, face “disastrous consequences” from the court’s decision to eliminate priority consideration for contracting opportunities at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the petition said.

Veteran-owned PDS Consultants Inc. wanted to compete for an eyewear contract, and sued when the VA ...