The Association was chartered and incorporated by a small group led by Mrs. Fred G. Sahlmann (Annetta). Mrs. Sahlmann not only founded the Association, but she became one of the first Vice Presidents of the organization, working closely with Mrs. Augstine T. Symthe (Harriott), the Association’s first Board President.

As a youth, Mildred Yon Kirkland attended the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg and later came to Charleston to learn “foot travel” (now called Orientation and Mobility) from the Association. Of her experiences training with the Association, Mildred remarked “now a whole new world has opened to me, a world which I have not fully conquered yet, for it is hard to get a clear mental picture and an understanding of city streets when I have never seen them. But I have made a start, and I intend to go much farther.” Mildred was eventually hired as a secretary at the Association, where she was employed for decades and was beloved by both clients and staff.

Margie McCaffrey Cogswell (Marge) was a dedicated Board Member for many years and served as a Board Member Emerita until the day of her passing. Notably, Marge was passionate about working opportunities for clients and spearheaded efforts to keep ABVI’s chair caning program alive until the Association developed more relevant resources. According to her daughter, Anne Burris, “my mother loved being a part of the Association and talked about the staff and clients as if they were family. The Association held a very special place in her heart.”

Harriott Ravenel Buist Smythe was our first Board President, serving through the period of our chartering. Harriott is also a matriarch of the Smythe family, and 3 generations of Smythe family members have honored her leadership and commitment to our Association by serving on our Board of Directors.

In July of 2005, Katie Lee Beard bequeathed nearly $250,000 to endow the Association’s Guide Dog program. Through her generous donations, ABVI’s Guide Dog program is fully funded, and we can offer Guide Dog Scholarships helping to cover the cost of veterinarian care, grooming and monthly dog food to qualifying clients. Katie Lee Beard saw a need for something she cared deeply about and solved a problem for our organization through her transformational gift.

Karl is the only living person we have named a Lifetime Giving Society after, and that is because he truly embodies what it means to be a lifetime donor to ABVI. Karl has given generously in ways that have served our immediate needs and helped secure our future. Karl has been involved with our organization for decades, and aside from his incredibly generous financial gifts, has served our organization as a member of our Board, Board Member Emeritus and an avid advocate for us. He continues to open doors for ABVI through his generosity.

When asked how they got involved with the Association, many Charleston natives will say, “I was referred to have a chair re-caned by the Association and have been giving to support the blind ever since.” Led for many years by our client, Caesar James, the caning program offered employment opportunities for our clients, while serving as excellent exposure to the community. The program has since been phased out as we have developed more relevant resources to serve our clients. We named this level after the caning program to honor an important piece of our history.

In its earliest years, the Association operated in many locations, starting on Wentworth Street, moving to the west wing of the old Citadel building before it was condemned and eventually renting space on Mary Street. In 1957, through the support of the Community Chest and unsolicited donations, we were able to purchase our first building, a beautiful former church on Pitt Street. While we’ve moved several times since, the Pitt Street building continues to feel like home for ABVI.

Under the leadership of Mrs. Fred G. Sahlmann, the Association for the Blind was formed in 1936. We consider ourselves extremely privileged to be a local nonprofit of our size having actively served clients close to 90 years, and we have many donors and community members to thank for our longevity.