About Us

To ensure that the individuals we serve realize maximum success through high quality educational programs, outreach services, and partnerships

To be the statewide leader in education and accessibility for individuals who are deaf, blind, or sensory multi-disabled

• Education
• Accessibility
• Partnerships
• Leadership
• Accountability
• Diversity
• Teamwork
• Relationships
• Character
• Independence

Strategic goals and progress toward them are an important component of the Annual Accountability Report. 

 2019 - 2020 Accountability Report 

Through our nationally-recognized Whole Child Initiative, we strive to ensure that each child is:

• Challenged academically and prepared for success in college and/or employment
• Engaged by staying connected to the school and broader community
• Supported socially and emotionally by caring, qualified adults
• Healthy by learning and practicing a healthy lifestyle
• Safe and secure by learning in a physically and emotionally safe environment

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind voluntarily participates in evaluation through Cognia, an internationally recognized accrediting organization. The state's Department of Education also evaluates the school on an annual basis. 

Cognia

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, an accrediting division of Cognia. Cognia is the largest community of education professionals in the world. It is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts rigorous, on-site external reviews of Pre-K-12 schools and school systems to ensure that learners reach their full potential.
 

SC Department of Education

To achieve accreditation through the SC Department of Education, the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind undergoes an evaluation process each year. The evaluation includes the following areas: Board of Commissioners, School Operations, Elementary School for the Blind, Elementary School for the Deaf, High School for the Blind, High School for the Deaf, and Cedar Springs Academy.

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is funded through state, federal, and donor dollars. The school also receives fees for many of its outreach services. 

The school’s fund-raising arm is the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation, a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The work of the school is overseen by the school’s president and a board of commissioners appointed by the governor. The 11-member board includes representatives of:

• SC’s Seven Congressional Districts
• SC’s Blind Community
• SC’s Deaf Community
• SC’s Sensory Multi-Disabled Community
• The State of SC at Large
   

Ex-officio board members include:

• SC’s State Superintendent of Education
• SC’s Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control