The Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WSBVI) is a state school that specializes in teaching the visually impaired. It is operated by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCBVI), a unit of the

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, headquartered in Madison, is the state education and public library management agency in the state of Wisconsin.

. Founded in 1849, the school is located in

Janesville, Wisconsin Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat and largest city in the county. It is a principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Madison–Jane ...

. Originally known as the Wisconsin Institute for the Education of the Blind, the school changed its name in 1885 to the Wisconsin School for the Blind. In 1945 it became the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, and in 2012 it was renamed the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Wisconsin youth who are blind or visually impaired are eligible to attend the regular school year program of the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which operates as part of the free public school system of the state. WSBVI is a residential school whose curriculum is both academic and applied. The school maintains a core academic curriculum, along with teaching functional life skills, including specialized skills related to blindness, vocational skills, physical education and recreation, and personal management. WSBVI cooperates with the Janesville Public School System and Blackhawk Technical College. Most of the students in the WSBVI program have a disability in addition to visual impairment. The school has a residential life, as in a dormitory program.

Notable alumni

John Kostuck John T. Kostuck (October 7, 1892 – August 2, 1960) was an American salesman, piano tuner, and legislator. Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Kostuck was blinded at age fourteen in a blasting accident while working on a farm. Kostuck went t ...

, businessman/piano tuner, legislator *

Reino A. Perala Reino A. Perala (August 28, 1915 – February 25, 2002) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He was born in Maple, Wisconsin. Perala was blind and graduated from the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired before attending ...

, lawyer, hotel owner, legislatorDictionary of Wisconsin History
Reino A. Perala
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References

External links

Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired official website

Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Historic photos
at the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of N ...

History of the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Public high schools in Wisconsin Public middle schools in Wisconsin Public elementary schools in Wisconsin Buildings and structures in Janesville, Wisconsin Education in Rock County, Wisconsin Schools for the blind in the United States Public K-12 schools in the United States Public boarding schools in the United States Boarding schools in Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-school-stub