News & Events
SCCB Services “life changing”
Carmelo Yearwood and his mother came to the South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB) because he had a severe vision impairment in his right eye and rapidly declining vision in his left due to corneal thinning. Carmelo needed specialized care that his family could not afford without insurance. And without treatment, he could...
Building skills, restoring confidence, returning to the classroom
Janet Beaudry has had low vision all of her life. She was born with cataracts, which were eventually removed, leaving a lot of scar tissue, and later diagnosed with glaucoma at age 18. However, she was very independent growing up. “I was able to drive and function,” she says, “but I did need assistance.”...
Tompkins gains skills needed to achieve education and employment goals
Two very different events affected Kameron Tompkins around the same time: he lost his brother, and his vision began to decline significantly. Both resulted in grief that felt overwhelming, and he didn’t know what to do. “I lost myself. I didn’t know who I was,” Tompkins says. “I ended up sitting at home, depressed.”...
Training Center helps consumer regain confidence and prepare for future employment
When Bobby Dixon lost his sight, he was unable to do many of the things he used to do with ease. “I had a mean look on my face,” Dixon says. “When I first came to SCCB, I felt down. I was getting upset and snapping at my wife and kids. If I tripped...
Learning skills helps consumer “feel like myself again”
When her vision began to decline in 2024, Belinda Watson found that wasn’t the only thing changing. Her easygoing, friendly personality was giving way to grief. “Losing my eyesight was an incredibly isolating experience. Nobody knew what I was going through,” Watson says. “It’s a real loss. You go through a grieving process.” Before...
Student blogs about Summer Teen experience
Landon Bryson is a longtime consumer with South Carolina Commission for the Blind. He began receiving services in 5th grade, when SCCB provided JAWS software and a QBraille...
March 25, 2025
SC Assistive Technology Expo
Visit the SC Assistive Technology Expo for a full day of exhibits and workshops showcasing assistive technology for people with a wide range of disabilities. Date: March 25, 2025 Time: 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Place: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201 (Map) Target Audience: People...
‘I’m blessed’: Beloved SCDPS vending operator lost his vision at age 47—but found much more in years since
After losing his vision in 2018 at the age of 47, Willie Patrick could have wallowed in self-pity and waited for someone to come along and help him. But recognizing that he...
October 15, 2024
White Cane Safety Walk Followed by Lunch and Learn
The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina will host a White Cane Safety Walk in recognition of White Cane Awareness Day on October 15. The Walk will begin at 9:30 am at the Federation Center on South Kilbourne Road in Columbia. Following the Walk, at the Federation Center a proclamation will be read...
October 15, 2024
White Cane Awareness Day in Myrtle Beach
White Cane Awareness Day is October 15, a date is set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or low vision and the symbol of blindness and tool of independence that many of them use: the white cane. Join SCCB staff and other attendees to walk the trail around the ponds...
October 14, 2024
White Cane Scavenger Hunt at State House
In recognition of White Cane Awareness Day (October 15), a group of SCCB consumers will participate in a scavenger hunt on the State House grounds in Columbia, SC on Monday,...
Living his best life
Jacob Johnson, or Jake, had planned to enter medical school upon graduation from Emory University and become a psychiatrist. However, after a trip to Europe during his junior...
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