(Editor’s note: Christy Mullins, a mass communication major from York, S.C., and the news editor of The Johnsonian, wrote this story about a fellow student.)

Nancy VanderBrink works with her dog Cole for at least 10 hours every day, even in the rain.

When the weather is too wet, the sophomore college student wraps him up in a vinyl doggie raincoat. In the winter, Nancy calls around to make sure the sidewalks have been salted. In the summer, she makes sure to pack an extra bottle of water and a shallow bowl.

Cole remembers his purpose. He turns only in 90 degree angles, finds stairs and takes detours when necessary. Sometimes, it appears that Cole, a yellow lab, is walking Nancy.

In a way, he is. Nancy is visually impaired.

Nancy, who hails from Spartanburg, S.C., has no vision in her right eye. It’s made of glass, and the cataract in her left eye has gotten worse since she started college last year.

She was born early and lost most of her vision due to retinopathy of prematurity, a disorder that affects 14,000 to 16,000 premature infants every year. Nancy’s cataract creates a cloudiness in her lens that makes it nearly impossible to get around without her dog.

“It’s like looking through a dirty windshield when the light hits it,” she said.

Nancy’s roommate, Mackenzie Chappell, can understand her troubles as a student with disabilities. She has spina bifida, a physical condition that has paralyzed her from mid-calf down, requiring her to use a wheelchair.

“We have a mutual understanding of what it is to be disabled, and even though we are not stricken with the same disability, we understand how to be helpful without taking pity,” Chappell said.

Every day, Nancy carries about 30 pounds of the supplies she and Cole need to get around: a notebook-size CD player for listening to textbooks, a pair of headphones, a couple of cords and cables, a spiral-bound notebook for handouts, Cole’s raincoat, doggie treats and a water dish.

But Nancy says the most important thing in her backpack is her laptop.

It’s equipped with JAWS, a software package that can read Word documents, Internet sites and even her buddy list.

The college student spends about $100 every month on dog food and vet bills, and hundreds more on special equipment. JAWS alone is a $1,500 package. To help pay the bills, Nancy has been able to hold a part-time job in the mass communication department’s computer lab since she was a freshman. She was hired on the spot because of her willingness to try.

By labeling the video camera stations with a Braille labeler, Nancy is able to help students check out equipment for assignments. She is also able to manage tasks by using large print.

After college, Nancy says finding a job might be rough, but it’s not out of her limits. She’s considering sound engineering, a career that would allow her to record and edit for theater and television production. Some professions, like teaching visually impaired children and performing visual therapy for the blind, are unique to people who can’t see.

In December, Nancy will undergo surgery to replace her lens and to remove the cataract. “I’m hopeful that my eyesight will get better and not worse,” she said.