Blinded Army veteran turns trauma into mission, appointed to U.S. AbilityOne Commission

A blinded Army veteran from Indianapolis has been named to the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, the Virginia-based federal panel that oversees the AbilityOne Program, which creates employment opportunities for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. Mittman was appointed in August 2025 by President Donald Trump to serve on the commission.

Jeffrey Mittman served in the Army for more than two decades, including four combat tours across the United States, Germany and Korea. In 2005, while advising an Iraqi unit during his final tour, his convoy was ambushed and hit by an improvised explosive device. He woke up a month later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center unable to see, speak or walk. His wife was by his side when he woke, and he later described the confusion of waking up far from where he remembered being. He spent five years recovering in and out of the hospital, undergoing about 40 operations before he began working again. Mittman believed his military career was over and had to figure out a new path forward.

During his recovery, Mittman sought out other veterans who had lost vision through veterans’ organizations and VA blind rehabilitation programs. In 2019, he became CEO of Bosma Enterprises in Indianapolis, an AbilityOne-affiliated agency that creates employment opportunities for blind or visually impaired individuals. He has described finding purpose in helping others and has credited the Army, the VA, his family and his community with supporting his transition. The work at Bosma tied directly to the mission of the AbilityOne program, which employs thousands of people with disabilities through government procurement.

Mittman has emphasized practical accommodations to help visually impaired workers succeed, including teleworking options and mental health support. Bosma Enterprises maintains a free 24/7 assistance program that enables employees to reach people beyond their direct supervisors, a resource he says can ease the transition for veterans entering the civilian workforce. He believes expanding training and resources will widen opportunities for people who are blind or significantly disabled as the program scales.

There are about 2,500 disabled veterans participating in the AbilityOne program, a figure Mittman notes as a reminder of the program’s reach. He says his own experience informs his commitment to growing the program and ensuring more veterans and others with significant disabilities can secure meaningful employment through AbilityOne. As the program becomes more efficient, Mittman argues, more training and resources will become available to participants, further reducing barriers to employment for people who are blind or severely disabled.

In August 2025, President Trump tapped Mittman to serve on the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, the independent federal agency charged with overseeing the AbilityOne Program. Mittman’s appointment aligns with ongoing efforts to expand opportunities for veterans and others facing disability-related employment barriers, leveraging his firsthand understanding of transition, accommodation needs and career development for the visually impaired.

For health and employment advocates, Mittman’s path from combat veteran to nonprofit leadership underscores the link between disability, rehabilitation services and workforce inclusion. The AbilityOne program remains a key avenue for integrating people with significant disabilities into the civilian economy, while also supporting their mental health, independence and overall well-being. Mittman’s stated goal is to help the program mature by offering more training, more resources and improved accommodations, so that a broader cohort of veterans and others can find sustainable, meaningful work.