The Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB or ASBVI), is a state-run public school in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

, United States, serving blind and

vision impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

students of kindergarten through high school grades through residential, day school, and part-time enrollment programs.

History

Opened in 1859, the school was founded as ''The Institute for the Education of the Blind'' by Reverend Haucke, a blind Baptist minister. Originally located in

Arkadelphia, Arkansas Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,714. The city is the county seat of Clark County. It is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson ...

, the school moved in 1868 to Little Rock in the facility now used as the

Arkansas Governor's Mansion The Arkansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the governor of Arkansas and Arkansas' first family. The mansion is located at 1800 Center Street in Little Rock, and is included in the Governor's Mansion Historic District, a distric ...

. By 1877, the school was renamed to its present-day Arkansas School for the Blind. On October 9, 1939, construction of the school's new campus at 2600 West Markham Street was complete and dedicated to Helen Keller, who was in attendance. The

Arkansas Department of Education Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

classifies it as a school district.

Schools

Located within the same campus facilities are the following schools: * Arkansas School for the Blind High School—serves approximately 50 students in grades 7 through 12. * Arkansas School for the Blind Elementary School—serves approximately 50 students in prekindergarten through grade 6.

Extracurricular activities

The Arkansas School for the Blind mascot and athletic emblem is the ''

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

'' with black and gold serving as the school colors.

Athletics

For the 2012–14 school years, the ASBVI Lions compete in the 1A Classification—the state's smallest classification—within the 1A Region 5 Conference, as administered by the

Arkansas Activities Association The Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) is the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in state of Arkansas. AAA is a member association of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA). Every public secondary sch ...

in competition with the state's public and private schools. Also, ASB is a member of the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind. The Lions compete in track and field (boys/girls),

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

goalball Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded inside of it into the opponents' goal. The ball is thrown by hand a ...

, and cheer.

Campus

The school has a dormitory available for students. - See "Section VII Residential Life/Dormitory" pages 136-139

Notable alumni

Al Hibbler Albert George Hibbler (August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001) was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of Hibbler's singing is classified as rhythm and blue ...

- Baritone vocalist *

Ved Mehta Ved Parkash Mehta (21 March 19349 January 2021) was an Indian-born writer who lived and worked mainly in the United States. Blind from an early age, Mehta is best known for an autobiography published in instalments from 1972 to 2004. He wrote fo ...

- Author

References

External links

* 1859 establishments in Arkansas Educational institutions established in 1859 High schools in Little Rock, Arkansas Boarding schools in Arkansas School districts in Arkansas Schools for the blind in the United States Schools in Pulaski County, Arkansas School for the Blind, Arkansas Public boarding schools in the United States