From darkness to independence: Coast man rebuilds his life through MDRS’ EMERGE Center
Special to Long Beach Breeze
Cortez Tyler
Just a few years ago, Cortez Tyler was working as an electrician when something small didn’t seem quite right.
“I thought it was just my contacts,” he said.
Instead, it was something far more serious.
After noticing his vision darkening, Tyler went in for an eye exam. What followed was a series of appointments and tests that led to an unexpected diagnosis—a brain tumor behind his eye.
“It was a shock,” he said. “You never think it could happen to you.”
The tumor was successfully removed and later determined to be benign. But in the months that followed, his vision continued to decline until he could “almost not really see anything.”
What came next wasn’t just recovery—it was learning how to live life in a completely new way.
Losing independence—and determined to get it back
Before his diagnosis, Tyler lived independently and worked full-time. After losing his vision, even everyday routines became difficult.
The hardest part wasn’t just physical—it was mental.
“Blindness… it messes with you mentally really bad,” he said.
But one challenge stood out above the rest: losing control of his own time.
“Having to be on someone else’s time… that bothered me the most,” he said.
Relying on others to get places or leave when they were ready was a difficult adjustment for someone used to doing things on his own.
“I didn’t want that part of me to disappear,” he said.
A different approach to independence
That determination led Tyler to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) and the EMERGE Center in Long Beach.
Unlike traditional training models, EMERGE focuses on immersive, real-world experiences designed to rebuild independence through hands-on learning—everything from cane travel and Braille to technology and daily living skills.
For Tyler, that approach was exactly what he needed.
“I wanted to get back to that level of independence I had before I lost my sight,” he said.
He describes the program simply: “A rewarding challenge.”
The training pushed him outside of his comfort zone—especially when it came to navigating the world independently again.
“Cane travel… it made me want to get back out and start interacting with people,” he said.
The EMERGE Center is located at 310 North Cleveland Avenue in Long Beach.
Learning from those who understand
One of the most impactful parts of the program was the people. At EMERGE, many instructors are blind themselves—something Tyler says made a difference.
“You’ve got the blind teaching the blind,” he said.
That perspective gave him confidence.
“It made me feel more motivated… knowing I could get back out and do something as a blind person,” he said.
The moment everything changed
For Tyler, a turning point came during a national convention in New Orleans, where he was surrounded by other individuals who are blind and living independently.
“I didn’t feel alone,” he said. “It felt like I was back to normal again.”
That moment shifted his mindset—and his confidence. Now, just days away from graduating (at press time), he says he feels like himself again.
A future focused on giving back
Today, Tyler defines independence in a new way.
“Being your own person… not letting anyone stop you from doing what you want to do,” he said.
After graduation, he plans to continue advanced training through a certified program and pursue an apprenticeship, with the long-term goal of becoming an orientation and mobility instructor. His hope is to one day return to Mississippi and help others who are blind regain their independence—just as he has.
A message for others
For those facing vision loss or unsure of what comes next, Tyler has a clear message:
“If you want to take your life back… come do it.”
The EMERGE Center in Long Beach is located at 310 North Cleveland Avenue. For more information or to learn more about the services provided in Long Beach for Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind, visit www.mdrs.ms.gov or call Macauley Beasley at 228-241-2240.
