Lighting the Fire

The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) is delighted to announce the successful inauguration of its groundbreaking adaptive chemistry lab, a significant step forward in providing its students who are blind or visually impaired with the tools they need to earn essential chemistry credits.

Thanks to the support of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation, as well as eight generous funders, SCSDB has been able to turn this ambitious vision into a reality this year. Funds supporting the adaptive chemistry lab were given in part by, AFL, BASF, Bosch Community Fund, Downtown Spartanburg Sertoma Club, Fluor Golf for Greenville, ScanSource Charitable Foundation and the Timken Foundation of Canton.

The success of the “Lighting the Fire" project paves the way for even greater achievements in the future and is a testament to the dedication and passion of staff, students and supporters.

A number of tools and techniques have been developed to assist students with blindness and visual impairment who are studying in science laboratories. The chemistry lab at SCSDB includes adaptive materials and technology including, braille identification labels, large print and braille reading materials, compound light microscopes, talking beakers, talking color detectors, talking scales, equipment with high contrast markings and more.

“This innovative lab will provide our students with the tools and resources they need to excel in chemistry courses and ultimately gain admission to colleges and universities that require those credits,” said Sam Hook, executive director of the SCSDB Foundation. “Thank you for supporting our students and helping us create an even more inclusive educational environment.”