By SCOTT BAUGHMANLedger Staff Writer

Although legally blind, with the help of his seeing eye dog Abby, Billy Irwin is still able to go about a normal life. And, as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for Cherokee County he spends his days helping others to get back to their normal lives. Ledger photo by Scott Baughman

If you ask Billy Irwin where he sees himself in 20 years, you might get a chuckle, and you’ll get a definite answer. He has a clear vision of what his future can be even though the Cherokee County 9-1-1 dispatcher is blind.

“My vision is about 20/200,” Irwin said from his Gaffney apartment. “So I’m classified as legally blind. People always ask me what the difference is between being totally blind and legally blind. Well, I’ve never had 20/20 vision, I was born this way, so it is hard for me to explain it. But if I had to describe it, I would say I see everything you do, it’s just all very, very — sometimes almost totally — dark.”

Irwin’s work with 9-1-1 can be stressful, but while his sight might be dimmed, his dedication is irrepressible.

“I’ve been working with 9-1-1 since Sept. 11, 2002,” Irwin said. “I volunteered there for a year before that. I was originally hired at 9-1-1 as a computer technician. In January I got moved to my current position.”

The change in duties haven’t deterred Irwin, despite his disability causing a few new headaches.

“People sometimes think I’ll have trouble reading or whatever because of my vision,” he said. “I can see television and computer screens very easily. I can also see well outside on a sunny day. But if it is dark or just overcast, I can hardly see. I also have trouble when I go from outside into a dark room.”

For those occasions, Irwin has recently acquired a new companion - his seeing eye dog Abby. “She’s been with me since Dec. 16 of last year,” he said.

Abby has allowed Irwin more freedom and is something of a conversation topic for him around town.

“A lot of people in Cherokee County have never seen a real seeing eye dog before,” he laughed. “So sometimes I catch people staring. I don’t think they’re trying to be rude or anything, it’s just something new, something different.”

The new position is full of things new and different for Irwin.

“As a dispatcher, basically if there’s a 9-1-1 call that comes in, I’m one of those who answer the phone and works over the radio with the field units depending on what radio channel I’m on. I can spend the night talking to fire departments, Emergency Medical Services or police departments. It all depends on what’s happening. One thing’s for sure about the job, it requires a lot more eye work than my PC technician job,” he explained.

So what about that future?

“Well, I’ve always liked radio and communications stuff,” Irwin said. “And I love railroads and trains. I hope that some day in the future maybe I can work for a railroad company as a radio man or dispatcher there. But right now, I know the importance of my job at 9-1-1.”

And he knows that in an emergency, that caller doesn’t care that it’s a blind man leading them through it. They’re just glad that Irwin and his colleagues are there.