• A
Media contacts:
Sharon Goolsby, Public Information
Office: (864) 577-7505
Katie Rice, Public
Information Office: (864) 577-7506
“For
educators, transition means the passage of students from home to school or from
school to work,” said Elizabeth McKown, Vision Summit chairperson and statewide
director of Vision Outreach Services for the SC School for the Deaf and the
Blind. “Transition is a challenging time
for all families, but especially so for those who have children with
disabilities, so this year we will explore strategies to help these families develop a plan for the future.”
The
conference is Friday, March 14, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the SC Archives and
History Center, 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC. For information call (803) 896-9723 or e-mail
nwentworth@scsdb.org.
The
schedule of events includes speakers, a panel of young adults who are blind and
who will tell their personal stories of transition, exhibits and an update on access
technology.
“We
are excited about providing information on the latest and greatest access technology
as well as launching the Braille Challenge, which is a national competition in
Braille reading, writing and comprehension,” said McKown.
Keynote speaker Sandra Lewis
is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Program in Visual Impairment
at
The summit is hosted by the
SC Vision Education Partnership, a collaboration of the University of SC
Upstate; SC Department of Education; SC School for the Deaf and the Blind; SC
Commission for the Blind; National Federation of the Blind of SC; Association
for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, SC Chapter;
SC State University Orientation & Mobility Program and the Medical
University of SC Storm Eye Institute.
The SC Department of
Education named SCSDB a Palmetto Gold School for its academic accomplishments
and a Red Carpet School for its outstanding customer service. SCSDB is accredited by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools, the Conference of Educational
Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and the SC Department of
Education. SCSDB offers programs for
preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, sensory multidisabled, vocational
and postsecondary education students, as well as a variety of outreach services
through regional centers located throughout the state. The main campus is
located in