The Kentucky School for the Blind is an educational facility for blind and visually impaired students from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

who are aged up to 21. Bryce McLellan Patten founded the Kentucky Institution for the Education of the Blind in 1839 in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

. In 1842, it was chartered as the Kentucky Institution for the Blind by the state legislature as the third state-supported school for the blind established in the United States. In 1855, it moved to its present location on Frankfort Avenue in the Clifton neighborhood. About this time, it was renamed the Kentucky School for the Blind. Today, it continues its mission of teaching the blind and visually impaired students. The institution has inspired people to build other organizations to benefit those who are visually impaired. The school separated African-American students under

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...

educational segregation in the United States Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

until it desegregated circa 1954. The school is a member of Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB). The school has residential (dormitory) facilities.

Press

An ex-principal of the school has accused the Kentucky Board of Education of gender discrimination. The facility receives no basic school funding from the state government, and instead must "rely on money from the state’s general fund." Grammy winning bluegrass fiddler

Michael Cleveland Michael Cleveland (born September 18, 1980) is an American bluegrass fiddle player. Early life Cleveland was born in Henryville, Indiana. He was born completely blind and a childhood ear infection caused him to lose 80% of his hearing in one ea ...

is a previous student of the facility. Another previous student became a notable advocate for others with visual impairments. A book has been published noting the experiences of the students and faculty of the institution.

References

External links

Kentucky School for the Blind

American Printing House for the Blind
Schools in Louisville, Kentucky Schools for the blind in the United States Educational institutions established in 1839 Neoclassical architecture in Kentucky Public elementary schools in Kentucky Public middle schools in Kentucky Public high schools in Kentucky Public K-12 schools in the United States Public boarding schools in the United States Boarding schools in Kentucky {{Louisville-struct-stub