NIGP 47079: Vision Impaired Mobility Devices and Equipment

NIGP 47079 Vision Impaired Mobility Devices and Equipment is an Item code under which state and local governments procure specialized equipment, supplies, and training services enabling blind and visually impaired individuals to travel independently and participate in vocational rehabilitation and special education programs. Recent solicitations show demand for orientation and mobility training services, rehabilitation supply catalogs (braille watches, navigational aids, cooking aids, training equipment), and immersive vocational-training simulator systems that support the broader mission of workforce development for disabled populations. Issuing bodies include state workforce and vocational rehabilitation agencies (Texas Workforce Commission), state corrections departments (Michigan Department of Corrections), independent school districts (Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District in Texas), and regional purchasing cooperatives serving school districts and public entities (Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative in Texas).

Activity concentrates in Texas and Michigan. The Texas Workforce Commission issued a competitive IFB in June 2026 for rehabilitation supplies across multiple NIGP classes with an estimated annual value of $350,000 and an open-enrollment procurement for Orientation and Mobility services (due November 24, 2026) at flat rates of $75.00 per hour for assessments and individualized training. Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative posted a multi-vendor Catalog Discount Bid on special education and supplies (SPE2628, due October 1, 2026) with estimated two-year expenditures of $2,713,541 serving cooperative members across Texas. The Michigan Department of Corrections, through the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, reposted an RFP twice (RFP 26*2264 and successor RFP 260000002574, due September 22, 2026) for heavy equipment simulator systems supporting vocational training at Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan, with a three-year term and renewal options, fixed pricing, and contracts exceeding $250,000 requiring State Administrative Board approval. Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District solicited special education materials (SEDM1026, due October 19, 2026) through its online bidding portal.