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Commission for the Blind requests recurring funds as caseloads and services expand
Summary
The South Carolina Commission for the Blind told the subcommittee the number of older blind consumers and prevention‑of‑blindness cases rose sharply and requested recurring and nonrecurring funds and additional spending authority tied to a large Fort Jackson dining contract.
The South Carolina Commission for the Blind asked the subcommittee for recurring and nonrecurring appropriations to respond to rapidly growing demand for older‑blind and prevention‑of‑blindness services.
Commissioner Grama outlined agency programs — vocational rehabilitation, residential training, the business enterprise program (BEP) and assistive‑technology clinics — and said the state manages a nearly $70 million dining contract at Fort Jackson that supports licensed blind vendors.
To meet rising demand the commission requested $553,301 in recurring funds to support consumers, $113,008 to cover a 32% increase in shared IT services, $7,053,880 in additional spending authority to align federal grant awards with expenditures, and an extra $26,000,000 in spending authority tied to expanding Fort Jackson contract receipts. She also requested $361,450 in nonrecurring funds to contract with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to fill service gaps.
Representative questions focused on whether increases reflected population growth or better outreach; Grama said older‑blind growth is driven in part by retirees moving to the state and the prevention program’s increase reflects stronger outreach and referrals from ophthalmologists and optometrists.
The commission also noted a substantial increase in low‑vision clinics and spending on assistive technologies, and invited committee members to visit agency facilities.
