Angular distributions for the elastic scattering of 8 B, 7 Be and 6 Li on 12 C target have been measured at E lab = 25.8 MeV, 18.8 MeV and 12.3 MeV, respectively. The analyses of these angular distributions have been performed in terms of the optical model using Woods-Saxon and double-folding type potentials. The effect of breakup in the elastic scattering of 8 B + 12 C is investigated by performing coupled-channels calculations with the Continuum Discretized Coupled Channel (CDCC) method and cluster-model folding potentials. Total reaction cross sections were deduced from the elastic scattering analysis and compared with published data on elastic scattering of other weakly-and tightly-bound projectiles on 12 C, as a function of energy. With the exception of 4 He and 16 O, the data can be described using a universal function for the reduced cross sections.