South Carolina Commission for the Blind

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

South Carolina's blind and visually impaired residents previously relied on the state Department of Public Welfare for support. This division focused on craft instruction, managed vending programs, and connected clients with a narrow range of employment opportunities.^[1][2]

Members of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina recognized that existing services fell short of what the community needed, and advocated for an independent state agency focused exclusively on blind services. A bill to establish such an entity was introduced in the state senate by Senator Walter Bristow as early as January 12, 1965.^[3] State legislators responded to these efforts by assembling a study committee in 1965 to assess whether such an agency made sense. The committee's research revealed that South Carolina ranked among the nation's top ten states for newly diagnosed blindness cases and for blindness rates per capita. Based on these findings, the committee recommended moving forward with a dedicated commission.^[4]

In 1966, the South Carolina General Assembly established the South Carolina Commission for the Blind through Act 2325 which was signed into law by Governor Robert E. McNair on May 9, 1966, with the agency officially opening its doors as an independent state agency in January 1967.^[4][5][6]

By the 1970s, the agency employed two of the only mobility specialists certified east of the Mississippi in electronic training device instruction, and SCCB was sole agency in the Southern United States equipped with laser cane technology, along with the Russell Pathsounder and Binaural Sensory Aids. These tools became part of standard mobility training, complemented by a university-level mobility skills course offered at the University of South Carolina. The same decade, the SCCB also launched a Visual Arts for the Blind Program with the University of South Carolina, designed both to introduce blind participants to visual concepts through art and to help them build mental frameworks for navigating a sighted world.^[7][8]

During the 1980s, the SCCB was one of four state agencies to launch an infant outreach program^[9] and workplace nutrition program.^[10]

In the 1990s, the agency began partnering with LC Industries to establish an employment program for blind individuals at Fort Jackson. The primary facility operation includes the manufacturing of mattresses for the military base.^[11] In the 1990s, the agency advocated on behalf of blind business owners impacted by changing Food and Drug Administration regulations.^[12]

In 1994, the State Auditor Edgar Vaughn issued a report scrutinizing the agency concerning personnel management and travel expenses.^[13]

In 2010, the agency discontinued its radio reading service, South Carolina Educational Radio for the Blind, which provided 24-hour programming for 35 years.^[14][15][16] In the 2020s, the SCCB initiated 3D printing programs to improve access to museum exhibits and STEM programming across the state.^[17][18][19]

In 2019, the agency was awarded a multi-year $186 million dollar contract from the United States Department of Defense to facilitate full food services at Fort Jackson, known as the "Victory Fresh" service.^[20][21]

Programs

The SCCB provides various programs related to vocational rehabilitation, as well as specialized programs for employment, home services, youth services, in-school accommodations, parent services, older adults, and prevention.^[22][23][24] SCCB operates a low vision clinic in the state.^[25][26] Additionally, the agency provides voter registration services and accessible voting equipment for all visually impaired citizens in the state.^[27][28]

The agency also provides adjustment-to-blindness training and job-placement services for thousands of South Carolina residents each year.^[29][30][31] The agency is a grantee from the Rehabilitation Services Administration and National Science Foundation.^[32][33][34] The SCCB also maintains a library,^[35] containing more than 40,000 accessible textbooks on discs for the use of students and others.^[36]

The SCCB is led by a 7-member board of directors, with each member representing South Carolina's seven congressional districts and appointed by the Governor of South Carolina (subject to confirmation by the South Carolina Senate.^[37][38][39] The members serve four-year terms. In addition, three of the members are required to be legally blind.^[40][41] The first board chairman in the agency's history was Dr. Samuel Miller Lawton, the first blind recipient of a PhD in the United States and co-founder of North Greenville University.^[42][43]

The agency is led by a Commissioner, appointed by the board.^[44] The agency headquarters is in Columbia.^[45][46]

Commissioners

The following individuals have served as the appointed commissioner of the agency since 1966.^[47]

1. Fred L. Crawford (1966–1984)
2. William K. James (1984–1989)^[48]
3. Donald Gist (1990–1999)
4. Dr. Nell Carney (2000–2004)
5. James Kirby (2004–2019)
6. Darline Graham (2019–2026)