SA National Council for the Blind Offers Assistive Technology

Laurence Grigorov leverages nearly two decades of management and property development experience as the director of Laurence Martin Developments in Johannesburg. Outside of his professional activities, Laurence Grigorov contributes to charities that include the Johannesburg Children's Home and the South African National Council for the Blind.

Founded in 1929, the South African National Council for the Blind organizes more than 100 member organizations that work to prevent blindness. The organization also strives to ensure inclusion for individuals who are blind and visually impaired through rehabilitation and community development or training and education. Moreover, the council operates an online store for the blind known as the Enterprise Shop.

The council’s Enterprise Shop offers an array of braille reading materials in addition to assistive technology devices. Products range from liquid level indicators and computer reading devices to toys for children who are blind and talking watches. For those in need of assistance, council staff are on hand to provide assessments and make recommendations. 

The store’s most popular products are featured in a PDF catalog that can be downloaded from the Enterprise Shop page at http://www.sancb.org.za/article/our-enterprise-shop.

The South African National Council for the Blind

Laurence Grigorov has been a supporter and donor of the SA National Council for the Blind for over a decade. He regularly donates to the charity organisation and feels strongly that the support of such organisations is critical for the improvement of South Africa’s society and the upliftment and assistance of the underprivileged.

Laurence Grigorov is director of LaurenceMartin Developments, a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company specialises in modern, luxury apartments, cluster units and bespoke homes. In his spare time, Laurence Grigorov enjoys reading and exercising as well as travelling abroad.

The South African National Council for the Blind, through a network of over 100 member organisations, serves, supports and facilitates the prevention of blindness, rehabilitation, community development, training and education of South Africans with visual impairments.

The Council was established in 1929 with the objectives of co-ordinating South African organisations for the blind, being the national blind representative body, advocacy and the promotion of the rights of persons with visual impairments. There was also emphasis laid on the prevention of blindness, which led to the establishment of the Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness in 1944.  Since then the Council has grown exponentially – adding education and rehabilitation (1985), a centre making assistive devices available in 1986 as well as entrepreneurial development and support (1991) to its list of services.

Council is a national organisation and comprises nine provincial structures and some 100 member organisations. It is also affiliated to international organisations including the Africa Union of the Blind (AFUB) and the World Blind Union (WBU). The Council comprises four core business areas, namely Social Development, the Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness, Education and lastly Fundraising and Public Relations. These divisions run efficiently with the help of Finance, Administration and Logistics and Governance and Project Services.