BROOKLYN – More than half of the employees at a manufacturer in Borough Park are legally blind.
Many with vision loss say they were turned away from other jobs because of their disability. Alphapointe wants to remove the stigma that visually impaired people have difficulty finding employment. Workers at Alphapointe create brooms, mops and military apparel.
Alphapointe employee Mamanur Rashid says he found it difficult to get hired to well-paying jobs in the United States after leaving his family in Bangladesh. He is currently in his 18th year with Alphapointe.
“I’m being trained to be who I am and with full respect,” he says. “I respect it, I like it, I love it.”
Alphapointe says they are always looking for new hires but admit that many employees don’t want to leave.