NIGP 47054: Orientation or Navigational Aids for the Disabled

NIGP 47054 Orientation or Navigational Aids for the Disabled, an Item code, covers orientation and mobility equipment—including Braille watches, clocks, navigational devices, and related adaptive aids—that state and local procurement bodies source for disabled populations served through vocational rehabilitation, special education, and assistive-technology programs. The work being solicited reflects both catalog-based discount purchasing for school districts and special-education cooperatives and direct-supply contracting with state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Issuing bodies include regional education service centers and cooperatives, state workforce commissions, and special-education consortiums that aggregate demand across member districts or program participants.

Recent activity centers on Texas, where the Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative (based in Kilgore) posted a catalog-discount bid (SPE2628) due October 1, 2026, for special education and supplies with estimated contract expenditures of $2,713,541 over a two-year term and a prior award history of 99 vendors, and the Texas Workforce Commission issued an IFB (No. 3202600146) for rehabilitation supplies serving vocational rehabilitation customers due June 3, 2026, with historical annual compensation of $350,000 and mandatory compliance with Texas HUB subcontracting requirements at 5.28 percent utilization. Both solicitations require bidders to submit percentage discounts off catalog pricing, accept purchase orders with no fuel or handling surcharges, and comply with statewide delivery terms on an FOB Destination basis. The TWC procurement includes eight product categories spanning orientation or navigational aids alongside Braille materials, vision impaired mobility devices, and specialized housekeeping and training equipment, with bidders required to respond to pre-bid conferences, provide VetHUB Subcontracting Plans as a pass/fail requirement, and maintain workers' compensation and general liability insurance with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence.