Lewis Scott

Lewis Scott. A Quote from Lewis - "I See With Memory". At the age of 20, Lewis lost his sight in 1957 from Glaucoma. He learned the language of braille, other independent living and vocational skills during his attendance at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Alabama. , Lewis opened the small convenience store in 1962 under the direction of Alabama Department of Rehabilitation. The store was located in the George Washington Carver Homes, or "GWC Homes" or "the Projects". , It was also during this time of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Movement and set only yards away from two of the movement historical mass meeting sites, First Baptist Church sat to the right and Brown Chapel AME to its left. , Lewis operated the business for 47 years, through four generation of families who lived in the G.W.C. Homes. He became meshed in the community as one of and part of the projects to ensure that their grocery or other personal items would be available. Lewis opened the store, 7 days a week, 11 hour days on Monday-Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday - after Church. He only closed for Christmas and July 4th. He would work half day on Thanksgiving in case someone needed something for their Thanksgiving dinner. He never allowed anyone to come in and not leave without getting what they wanted. He would extend credit or in some cases take what amount they had regardless of the cost of the item. , He was named the "Blind Person of the Year" by the VIP group in the Year 2000. When asked how he managed to operate a business, being blind he stated, "I don't have a lot of stuff in my store, but I know what I have and I know how much it costs", "I see with Memory". , Lewis closed the store in 2009 when his health failed. Lewis always exemplified love for the community, courage, strength and determination in spite of a disability.