TYLER, Texas (ETX View) – In the heart of Tyler, the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind is more than just a resource for those who are blind or visually impaired – it’s a symbol of hope, faith, and community. The nonprofit organization offers crucial support and services to help people gain the independence they need to live fulfilling lives.
“We are the largest employer of people who are blind in East Texas, we are not just a training facility,” said Alicia Lansford, Vice President/Chief Mission Officer for East Texas Lighthouse. “We have an HR department, we have OSHA standards, we have federal contractor standards, and we have the experience of people who are blind doing these jobs. We are doing it safely, we are doing it legally, we are doing it productively. We are a successful company.”
The Lighthouse operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, empowering individuals who are blind or visually impaired through two divisions: Horizon Industries, a manufacturing operation, and Client Services, a community rehabilitation facility. In 2012, they opened their current facility at 411 W Front Street in Tyler, where they now train employees.
“We needed to do more for people than just give them a job,” Lansford said. “We needed to provide training. And what if they wanted to leave our organization and work somewhere else? That’s a big goal of ours — not everyone who’s blind wants to work for us. But we’re a great stepping stone for people who might not be ready. Maybe they’ve lost their vision later in life and aren’t quite ready to go out and work yet. They need training in a safer environment. We have people who work for us and then go on to work in the public sector as well.”
The Lighthouse serves as a vocational rehabilitation facility, providing services across 40 counties. In addition to job training, it offers orientation and mobility training, including lessons on using a white cane, and provides support for students in local school districts.
“We’ve gone from just being really vocational-focused with Horizon Industries to really being a full life cycle for someone who is blind,” Lansford said.
Beyond employment services, the Lighthouse provides medical tools and devices in its store, such as talking glucometers, talking scales, talking watches, and talking blood pressure monitors.
“We’re knowledgeable about these devices and can help people use them,” Lansford said. “There’s a pharmacy in town that can take someone’s prescriptions and organize them into a blister pack. They just punch a square for each day and have their pills ready. This helps with medication management. We can also teach people how to use apps that read their prescription bottles for easier access.”
One of the key areas Lansford highlights is the importance of addressing the broader impacts of health conditions, such as diabetes.
“The leading causes of blindness in our area are diabetes and glaucoma,” she said. “If they are managed, blindness can be prevented, so regular eye exams are very important. Catching issues early is key.”
According to Lansford, diabetes education plays a critical role in managing the condition, yet many healthcare professionals focus primarily on blood sugar levels and overall health, often overlooking the significant risk of blindness.
“Doctors tend to focus on blood sugar and health of this and that… and I’m not being negative against doctors, but they don’t warn people about the blindness factor of diabetes enough,” she said. “They talk about mobility, they talk about not losing your toes and feet. But they don’t talk about blindness, and it can happen like that.”
Lansford shared how she’s heard of people who were driving when their retinas detached or who went to bed with sight and woke up blind.
“Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in our area,” she reiterated, “but the good news is it’s preventable with proper management.”
This warning hits close to home for Kody Woodruff, 34, who was born with juvenile diabetes and now lives with complete blindness.
“At first I was taking care of myself at a young age and my parents were constantly watching over me,” he said. “But as I gradually got older, I was just telling them I was taking my medication… and I didn’t.”
Juvenile diabetes – also known as Type 1 diabetes – is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone the body uses to allow sugar to enter cells and produce energy.
“When I finally decided to start taking care of my health, my body wasn’t accustomed to it,” Woodruff said. “Within a few months of making those changes, my vision began to decrease rapidly and gradually.”
Before his blindness, Woodruff had to undergo the amputation of his right leg below the knee due to complications from diabetes. He also has kidney failure.
“I am completely blind in both eyes. All I see is black,” he said. “I was stuck in a wheelchair, losing my sight while my leg was healing from an amputation.”
Feeling depressed and lost at 28 years old, Woodruff didn’t know how to cope with his struggles, but his main concern was how much independence he thought he would have to give up.
“At first, I really didn’t cope with it well because I didn’t know what I was gonna do,” Woodruff said. “I’ve been working since before I was 16, so… I’ve always been working and supporting myself.”
After taking some time to recuperate from losing his sight and his leg, Woodruff realized he had to get himself together – especially for his son.
“After I went through my slight depression, I realized I can’t be depressed anymore; I have a son to take care of,” he said. “Even if I may not be able to find a job, I can still find out how to do things around the house, keep the house clean, to cook, to do my own laundry. I don’t need to be totally dependent on somebody.”
Much of Woodruff’s adjustment came from self-adapting for almost two years. With help from his family, he regained his independence. Still, Woodruff wishes he had taken better care of himself.
“But my one regret is the loss of my sight because my son was 4 years old when I lost my sight, and now I don’t actually get to see him grow up. I still get him, I still take care of him but… I won’t see him grow up,” he said.
Around 2020, he learned about the Lighthouse from a friend who worked in the production plant and inquired about their services.
According to Woodruff, his real challenge was getting around – something the Lighthouse helped him with.
“I didn’t have a cane at that time, so they showed me how to be able to go places by myself, to do things by myself, to go shopping,” he said. “They actually showed me everything I know how to do today. They actually showed me how to cook because, unfortunately, my mom was afraid to let me start to try to cook.”
From homemade shepherd’s pie and stew, cooking is something Woodruff enjoys being able to do.
“There’s just so many things that I learned growing up from my grandparents that I love to cook,” he said. “So I’m glad I’m still able to cook.”
Woodruff now works at Horizon.
“It’s so exciting to know that I’m not the only one here in Tyler that is blind and that we are proving to people that just because we’re blind or visually impaired,” he said. “We can still work. We can still do things. It’s just been a miracle.”
Chance Agorastos, born with retinoblastoma – a cancer that damaged his optic nerves – also found a new sense of independence through the Lighthouse.
“I get light in my eye and it’s just that most of the information doesn’t get to the brain, so I can see a little bit,” he said. “My left eye is basically totally blind but I can see a little bit with my right eye.”
Agorastos, 23, grew up in League City, graduated high school in 2020, and initially struggled to find his direction. He became reclusive and worked from home, learning to program and even writing music.
“I was very stubborn, and throughout elementary, middle, and high school, my teachers, including my braille teacher and my OM (orientation and mobility) instructor, kept telling me to use the cane,” Agorastos said. “They were teaching me important skills, but I said, ‘No, it’s dumb and I don’t need it.’”
Wanting to avoid the world, he found a way to work from home and ordered groceries online.
“But I still felt directionless, unsure of where to go next, until my braille teacher stepped in… and said, ‘Hey, there’s a thing up in Tyler, Texas… called the Lighthouse and they’re doing a summer program for college. You should try it out,’” Agorastos said. “I thought, ‘Oh, this will be stupid, but I tried it and it was sort of a very, very transformative thing for me.”
At the Lighthouse, Agorastos learned how to navigate independently, improve his mobility skills, and adapt to daily tasks. Eventually, he received his guide dog, Kayden – a 3-year-old Labrador-Golden Retriever mix.
With the support of Kayden, Agorastos has embraced his independence and is a testament to the transformative impact of the Lighthouse. He hopes people will have a better understanding of how to interact with blind people.
“A lot of times there’s a misnomer that blind people are helpless… that we just have a cane, read braille… maybe not that intelligent or competent as someone who can see,” Agorastos said. “But we’re just like everyone else… we just can’t see.”
When it comes to interacting with blind individuals, it’s important to approach them with respect and understanding.
“It’s definitely not a good idea to touch someone who is blind,” Lansford said. “Ask them if they need any help. Sometimes they might, but sometimes they might not. But let them know you are there.”
From summer camps to White Cane Day to on-the-job training, the Lighthouse serves as a beacon for blind and visually impaired individuals, breaking stigmas along the way. For more information, visit www.easttexaslighthouse.org.
