After 15-year wait, cutting edge facility serves entire Upstate
By Jay King
HOMETOWN NEWS

As part of the dedication of the S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Department’s new Bryant Center in Lyman Friday, Rep. Rita Allison and Sen. Lee Bright present former SCVRD Commissioner Larry Bryant with a flag flown over the State House and a proclamation honoring him for his service. Bryant, seated at right with his family, was the commissioner under whose leadership the new facility took shape.
After nearly 16 years of waiting, through ups and downs and over budgetary hurdles, the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department’s new Bryant Center in Lyman represents the collaboration of local and state leaders to bring a cutting-edge facility to the Upstate.
Named after former SCVRD Commissioner Larry C, Bryant, under whose leadership the center came to fruition, the center welcomed dozens of state and local dignitaries at a dedication ceremony Friday.
Conceived as a template for future centers throughout the state, the Bryant Center offers a comprehensive array of rehabilitative services for those suffering from physical injuries and disabilities. Bryant, who was on hand with his family to see the center officially dedicated, said the center reflects SCVRD’s core mission of enabling the disabled to pursue competitive employment.
Bryant said that the department’s programs have achieved enormous successes with its clients, especially considering the huge financial returns to the state’s economy through the addition of skilled workers for a minimal upfront investment in services.
“When you’re dealing with a physical disability, it requires a lot of intensive therapy,” Bryant said. “But the returns are worth it.”
The Bryant Center will serve the nine counties of the Upstate and offers extensive services through its pain management, therapeutic exercise, rehabilitation technology, information technology training and brain injury programs.
Bryant said he was particularly excited about the brain injury program, especially considering the number of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with severe brain injuries. Through services like this, clients are given individualized attention to help achieve employability and job placement services to help them find that employment.
Bryant said this is particularly important in a region of the state as heavily industrialized as the Upstate. He added that based on the success envisioned for the new facility, SCVRD aims to use it as a prototype for similar facilities in areas like the Lowcountry.
In her dedication remarks, current SCVRD Commissioner Barbara Hollis said the department has been energized by the vision of men like Bryant and excited by the prospect of providing services that previously clients could only receive via an extended stay in Columbia.
SCVRD Area Administrator Jennie Thomas added that the center’s staff comes to work each day energized by the prospect of making such a difference in the lives of clients.
“Many dreams are coming to life here,” she said. “It is a pleasure to come to work every day.”