Written by Emmett Ball (Wofford ’23)
Celebrate 175 Years with the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind!
During 2024, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind will be celebrating its 175th year supporting deaf, blind, and sensory multi-disabled students. Located in the small hub city, Spartanburg, South Carolina, the school currently serves 1,200 students ages 3-21 from all over the state of South Carolina. Their mission is to ensure that all students maximize success through high quality educational programs, outreach services, and partnerships. With four schools on site, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind helps ensure that all students reach their maximum potential.
Each of four schools offers small individualized classes, assistive technology coaches as well as career and independent living preparation to facilitate students growth and learning. Additionally, the School for the Blind and Cedar Springs Academy offer braille, large print materials, and audiobooks for the blind and visually impaired students while the School for the Deaf and Cedar Springs Academy teach their courses using American Sign Language. Furthermore, each school provides nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other health related services to manage student’s physical growth and development. Finally, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind caters to their students’ wide variety of interests as they offer a myriad of different clubs, activities, and leadership opportunities.
Women’s Basketball Team at the Mason-Dixon Tournament
Students are able to explore their athletic interests through the SC School for the Deaf and Blind’s different adapted sports and recreational opportunities, such as track and field, cheerleading, goalball, basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball! These athletic opportunities foster students’ values in teamwork, sportsmanship, commitment, fitness, and achievement. This past February the girls’ basketball team placed fourth at the Mason-Dixon Tournament at the North Carolina School for the Deaf.
Additionally, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind provides a vast number of art, music, and other enrichment classes for their students such as visual arts, music, dance, and drama. This hands-on learning through the arts fosters students’ creativity and experiential learning.
SCSDB winning team and coaches
Finally, students at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind are able to participate in different field trips and regional skills competitions. In February, the Ninja Hornets, the school’s middle school robotics team, competed at the VEX IQ Competition in Alabama where they won 1st place against 32 other teams nationwide for their uniquely designed robots. Shortly after, the students competed again in April against 750 teams worldwide and placed 62nd!
Video by Riley DeLavan (Wofford ’23)