Scott Thornhill is the Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people.
Founded in 1961, ACB’s organizational roots reach back nearly 150 years, and it now leads the efforts of more than 70 state &special-interest affiliates, and many more corporate sponsors, as well as more than 8,000 individual members nationwide.
Scott was diagnosed at age eight with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) [reh-tin-EYE-tis pig-men-TOE-zah], a hereditary disease that slowly destroys the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyes. By the time Scott was fifteen, doctors told him that he would be blind by age 40.
Despite this childhood diagnosis and the life changes it demanded, Scott excelled in academics and athletics through high school and even went on to play football at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, with a limited amount of his vision remaining.
Throughout his professional life, Scott’s optimism and can-do attitude have helped him to find innovative ways to level the playing field for people who are visually impaired and to support them as they tackle the challenges they face in their home, work, community, and recreational pursuits.
Prior to ACB, Scott served as the Director of Public Policy for Alphapointe, a nonprofit organization that helps visually impaired individuals find better employment and navigate the workplace more easily. Scott helped to lead Alphapointe’s government relations, employment partnerships, operational innovation, and fundraising efforts.
While at Alphapointe, Scott successfully shepherded legislation that saved almost 1,000 jobs for people with disabilities. He also secured more than $6 million in funding through lobbying and private placement to support Alphapointe’s programming goals.
During his almost six years at Alphapointe, Scott navigated over 30 airports, took more than 275 flights, rode in countless rideshare vehicles, and stayed in hotels in dozens of cities while advocating for visually impaired employees across the country. With all those miles under his belt, Scott has become a leading consultant on improving access and accommodations for travelers with various needs.
In 2022, Alphapointe honored Scott as their Employee of the Year, and he was named a finalist for the Career Achievement Award from the National Industries of the Blind.
Prior to working in the nonprofit sector, Scott built successful businesses with his wife, Jane, including their Keller Williams real estate brokerage that served central North Carolina for almost 20 years. In 2018, Scott was named a Cultural Icon by Keller Williams Realty International, an annual recognition reserved for only a few out of their 150,000 agents internationally.
Scott has also served many non-profit organizations, including the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) and VisionServe Alliance, both of which benefitted from his work on their public policy committees.
Scott’s ability to help others see blindness in a brighter light has made him a sought-after speaker and consultant around the country, especially with elected officials, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and educational and youth groups.
His easy sense of humor, compassion for anyone facing challenges in life, desire to increase equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities, and leadership excellence inspire audiences wherever he speaks.
More than anything, Scott hopes that his work will help eliminate barriers so that everyone can reach their full potential, whatever they want to do, and regardless of whether the “vision challenges” they experience are physical, mental, or emotional.
Scott received his undergraduate degree in sport management from Guilford College and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Scott, Jane, and their son, Will, split their time between Greensboro, NC, and Washington, DC.