Outlook Nebraska Receives International Recognition for Innovative Use of Technology

Outlook Nebraska (outlooknebraska.org) was recently honored with the Technology and Passion Club Award. This award was presented at the annual event of Club Technologia e Passione, titled “Le Vie dell’Innovazione” (The Roads of Innovation). This international award is presented to organizations that have distinguished their activity by using innovative approaches to stimulate further cutting-edge research and development. Candidates were selected from around the world.

Outlook was recognized for its innovative use of technology to enable its business to address a social need – 70 percent of blind Americans are unemployed. Adapting a machine with auditory and tactile cues makes it possible for a blind person to be an operator after completing training. Eric Stueckrath, the nonprofit’s CEO, presented at the annual event in Lucca, Italy, on how nonprofits can use entrepreneurial ideals to address social needs.

Headquartered in Italy, Club Technologia e Passione is an international nonprofit association made up of paper industry manufacturers. The club’s mission is to search, reward and promote excellence and innovation in the industrial technology fields.

More than 75 percent of the associates working in Outlook’s production facility are legally blind. Currently, eight machines on the organization’s production floor are equipped with voice output software. Additionally, camera systems, magnification devices and tactile indicators allow these associates to operate machines independently.

According to Stueckrath, learning about other nonprofits and collaborating with them can help Outlook and other nonprofits meet their technology needs and work together to further the various missions of charities.

“It is an honor to be recognized by industry leaders from around the world who have the passion to help us achieve our mission to positively impact everyone who is blind and visually impaired,” Stueckrath said.