Cleveland Sight Center history

1907: Robert Irwin, a blind Harvard graduate, proved visually impaired children could succeed in Cleveland public schools.

1909: Pioneering partnership with Cleveland Public Schools to keep blind children in their communities

1918: Industrial giant Caesar Grasselli donated his home to create the first permanent location for the Cleveland Society for the Blind.

1922: First food service businesses operated by blind persons in the United States

1928: First camp dedicated to people who are blind or have low vision

1953: First community-wide glaucoma screening in a major city

1975: First national convention of deaf-blind persons held at Highbrook Lodge

1984: The STORER Center, one of the first assistive technology centers in the country, opens at CSC

1994: Share the Vision program created, the first peer mentoring program for seniors

Starting in June 2011, they hired Precision Environmental as the subcontractor to perform asbestos abatement and selective demolition of the entire building.

2012: CSC renovated its headquarters, becoming a model of accessible buildings in the United States, using color, textures and other cues in the building’s design.

2015: CSC continues to improve the services offered to those who are blind or have low vision in Northeast Ohio under the leadership of Larry Benders, who began his tenure as CSC's 10th President and Chief Executive Officer on April 27, 2015.