Since 1936, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) has served individuals with low vision or blindness in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Vision Institute School-Based Services at ABVI is a program committed to exemplary services for school-aged students who are blind or have low vision. The program’s namesake comes from its courageously innovative history. The Vision Institute (TVI), a nonprofit founded in 2010, served to break down barriers to education for children who are blind or have low vision.

In 2022, with a shared passion for expanding vision services, a unique partnership developed between ABVI and TVI. The partnership soon developed into an opportunity for a merger in 2023 to revolutionize services for people of all ages. Today, ABVI continues to address the gap between the needs of students and the services our state can offer to children living with low vision or blindness through The Vision Institute School-Based Services program at ABVI. Our highly qualified Teachers for the Visually Impaired and Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists serve students in the Carolinas in public, charter and private schools by teaching braille, assistive technology, access to the curriculum and safe, independent travel. Beyond the impact on adult services, the merger has enabled us to attract and hire the best TVI and COMS.