April 10, 2026
KETK
From creating independence to professional development, the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind has been empowering the visually impaired for decades, led by its dedicated vice president and chief mission officer, Alicia Lansford.
“Empower the blind with specifically rehabilitation, training, education and then ultimately employment,” Lansford said. “That word empower speaks a lot to me.”
She joined the team 11 years ago and fell in love with guiding people through their free services as a director of client services. Now, she’s leading the charge, guiding the East Texas Lighthouse team to make a difference in the lives of thousands who face vision loss and changes.
“What I do allows my team to make major changes in people’s lives,” Lansford said. “That same kind of theme for my beginning of a trajectory; changing someone’s trajectory of ‘I don’t think I can do anything’ to ‘I can do all the things, I just have to do them a little differently,’ is really rewarding.”
Part of that job is also celebrating their 50 years of service in the community and the advancements made since the beginning.
“Fifty years ago, we didn’t have the technology that we have now, and the work opportunities were even more limited than they are now,” Lansford said. “We started with the manufacturing facility. In 2010, we opened this community rehab facility.”
The East Texas Lighthouse continues to focus on the future, lighting a way for generations to come with the creation of Camp Lighthouse, a weekend-long blind summer camp for high school-aged students. The experience creates independence skills and helps create confidence and self-advocacy skills.
