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==History==
==History==
Founded in 1829, Perkins was the first school for the blind established in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perkins.org/about-us/history/ |title=History |publisher=Perkins |date= |accessdate=2014-04-15}}</ref> The school was originally named the New England Asylum for the Blind and was incorporated on March 2, 1829. The name was eventually changed to Perkins School For the Blind. [[John Dix Fisher]] first considered the idea of a school for blind children based upon his visits to Paris at the [[Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles|National Institute for the Blind]] and was inspired to create such a school in Boston.<ref>French, Kimberly. Perkins School for the Blind. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2004. Print. Page 7.</ref>
Founded in 1829, Perkins was the first school for the blind established in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perkins.org/about-us/history/ |title=History |publisher=Perkins |date= |accessdate=2014-butt04-15}}</ref> The school was originally named the New England Asylum for the Blind and was incorporated on March 2, 1829. The name was eventually changed to Perkins School For the Blind. [[John Dix Fisher]] first considered the idea of a school for blind children based upon his visits to Paris at the [[Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles|National Institute for the Blind]] and was inspired to create such a school in Boston.<ref>French, Kimberly. Perkins School for the Blind. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2004. Print. Page 7.</ref>


The school is named in honor of [[Thomas Handasyd Perkins]], one of the organization's incorporators and a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] shipping merchant who began losing his sight at the time of establishment. In 1833, the school outgrew the Pleasant Street house of the father of its founder [[Samuel Gridley Howe]], and Perkins donated his Pearl Street mansion as the school's second home. In 1839, Perkins sold the mansion and donated the proceeds. This gift allowed the purchase of a more spacious building in [[South Boston, Boston, Massachusetts|South Boston]]. In 1885, {{convert|6|acre|m2}} were purchased in the Hyde Square section of [[Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts|Jamaica Plain]], a residential district of Boston, to build a kindergarten. This property was home to both [[Laura Bridgman]] and [[Helen Keller]]. The school moved to its present campus, in [[Watertown, Massachusetts]], in the autumn of 1912.
The school is named in honor of [[Thomas Handasyd Perkins]], one of the organization's incorporators and a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] shipping merchant who began losing his sight at the time of establishment. In 1833, the school outgrew the Pleasant Street house of the father of its founder [[Samuel Gridley Howe]], and Perkins donated his Pearl Street mansion as the school's second home. In 1839, Perkins sold the mansion and donated the proceeds. This gift allowed the purchase of a more spacious building in [[South Boston, Boston, Massachusetts|South Boston]]. In 1885, {{convert|6|acre|m2}} were purchased in the Hyde Square section of [[Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts|Jamaica Plain]], a residential district of Boston, to build a kindergarten. This property was home to both [[Laura Bridgman]] and [[Helen Keller]]. The school moved to its present campus, in [[Watertown, Massachusetts]], in the autumn of 1912.

Revision as of 16:44, 29 April 2014

Perkins
Type Non-profit NGO, School, Manufacturer
Founded 1829
Mission To provide education and services for children and adults around the world who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired and may have additional disabilities.
Leadership Steven M. Rothstein, President
Field Disability Education, Advocation, Resources
Scope Working in 67 countries, helping a half million people worldwide (2011)
Website perkins.org

Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, Massachusetts, is the oldest school for the blind in the United States. It has also been known as the Perkins Institution for the Blind. On Oct. 15, 2012, the global NGO (non-governmental organization) shortened its name to simply Perkins, to reflect a mission that extends beyond the school in Watertown, into 67 countries. [1] The name change also reflects the international organization's growing advocacy for worldwide literacy through braille.[2]

Perkins manufactures its own Perkins brailler and braille teaching tool, the Perkins SMART Brailler®, at the Perkins Products[3] division housed within the Watertown campus's former Howe Press, which is used to print embossed, tactile books for the blind.[4]

The Howe Building Tower from afar on Perkins School for the Blind's campus, in Watertown, Mass.

History

Founded in 1829, Perkins was the first school for the blind established in the United States.[5] The school was originally named the New England Asylum for the Blind and was incorporated on March 2, 1829. The name was eventually changed to Perkins School For the Blind. John Dix Fisher first considered the idea of a school for blind children based upon his visits to Paris at the National Institute for the Blind and was inspired to create such a school in Boston.[6]

The school is named in honor of Thomas Handasyd Perkins, one of the organization's incorporators and a Boston shipping merchant who began losing his sight at the time of establishment. In 1833, the school outgrew the Pleasant Street house of the father of its founder Samuel Gridley Howe, and Perkins donated his Pearl Street mansion as the school's second home. In 1839, Perkins sold the mansion and donated the proceeds. This gift allowed the purchase of a more spacious building in South Boston. In 1885, 6 acres (24,000 m2) were purchased in the Hyde Square section of Jamaica Plain, a residential district of Boston, to build a kindergarten. This property was home to both Laura Bridgman and Helen Keller. The school moved to its present campus, in Watertown, Massachusetts, in the autumn of 1912.

Charles Dickens visited Perkins in 1842 during a lecture tour of America and was amazed at the work Howe was doing with Laura Bridgman, a deaf-blind girl who had come to the school in 1837 from New Hampshire. He wrote about his visit in his book, American Notes.

In 1887, Perkins director Michael Anagnos sent graduate Anne Sullivan to teach Helen Keller in Alabama. After working with her pupil at the Keller home, Ms. Sullivan returned to Perkins with Helen Keller in 1888 and resided there intermittently until 1893.

In 1931, Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) was created.

In 1951, David Abraham successfully produced the first Perkins Brailler. By 1977, about 100,000 Perkins Braillers were produced and distributed worldwide.

Perkins Today

In the 21st century, Perkins has expanded its mission online to include resources for families with blind and visually impaired children,[7] and teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs).[8] Perkins has also worked with its local partners in Asian countries to host an online community where educators, caregivers and families can network strategies on how to transition their students through life.[9]

In 2011, Perkins completed construction of the Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology on its 38-acre campus in Watertown, Massachusetts. This state-of-the-art facility houses the latest in accessible technology for people who are blind or visually impaired.[10]

Perkins International

Perkins partners with local groups in 67 countries—schools, universities, NGOs, nonprofits, government agencies, and parent networks—to educate and empower people who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired, who may have additional disabilities.[11] The organization does this through disseminating resources, such as Perkins Braillers, funding and expertise on the ground in these countries. One such example of this work in the African countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya is Perkins' role in the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust, Inc. (KBT).[12]

Special educators from other countries are also invited to the Watertown campus every year, for an intensive study of blindness and multiple-disability education, which they then bring back to their respective regions.[13]

Perkins Products

Perkins Products concentrates on a broad spectrum of high- and low-tech devices as well as technology trainings and evaluations. This subdivision of Perkins also partners with associations for the blind and partially sighted, education ministers and resellers around the globe in an effort to provide accessible equipment—including Perkins Braillers, brailler repair and assistive technology—to all who need it.[14]

Communications and Video Accessibility Act

On October 8, 2010, President Obama signed the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, which ensures that people with disabilities are not left behind as technology changes and the United States migrates to the next generation of Internet-based and digital communication technologies.[15] Representative Ed Markey authored the legislation and cited Perkins School for the Blind's efforts in working to get his bill passed. [16]Perkins President Steven Rothstein and BTBL Director Kim Charlson attended the signing. [17]

National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program

On June 8, 2012, in conjunction with the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC)and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Perkins School for the Blind was elected to conduct nationwide outreach for the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP). [18]

Mandated by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) and established by the FCC, the NDBEDP will aid individuals with combined vision and hearing loss connect with family, friends and their community by distributing accessible communications technology. Perkins and partners' outreach campaign to educate people on this program is called iCanConnect,[19] which will aim to inform the nearly one million people in the United States with some sort of combined hearing and vision loss on the types of equipment—e.g. screen-enlargement software, video phones and electronic refreshable braille displays[20]—available to them free of charge.

Affiliations

Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library works in conjunction with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) at its Watertown chapter.[21]

Perkins has collaborated with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired on a Web resource called PathsToLiteracy.org, an online hub for information related to literacy for students who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities or deafblindness.[22]

The international nonprofit has also worked in conjunction with the American Foundation for the Blind to ensure that Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) be taught in mainstream schools. [23]

Perkins is a member Council of Schools for the Blind.

References

  1. ^ "Perkins School Shortens Name to Reflect Its Global Mission". www.massnonprofit.org. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  2. ^ "for students who are blind or visually impaired". Paths to Literacy. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  3. ^ "Assistive Technology for the Blind". Perkins Products. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  4. ^ "Perkins School for the Blind History Museum". Perkinsmuseum.org. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  5. ^ "History". Perkins. Retrieved 2014-butt04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ French, Kimberly. Perkins School for the Blind. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2004. Print. Page 7.
  7. ^ "Resources for Parents of Blind & Disabled Babies & Children". WonderBaby.org. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  8. ^ "Welcome to". Perkins eLearning. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  9. ^ "About". Transition Planning Asia. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  10. ^ Robert Campbell (2012-03-18). "A Perkins School building to navigate with multiple senses - Arts". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  11. ^ "Partners & Donors". Perkins International. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  12. ^ [1][dead link]
  13. ^ "Educational Leadership Program". Perkins International. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  14. ^ "Assistive Technology for the Blind". Perkins Products. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  15. ^ "Remarks by the President at the Signing of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 | The White House". Whitehouse.gov. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  16. ^ "Markey bill aims to make latest technology accessible to deaf, blind - News - MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA - Framingham, MA". Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Perkins School for the Blind officials at White House signing ceremony - News - Wicked Local - Boston, MA". Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  18. ^ "National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program". FCC.gov. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  19. ^ "The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program". iCanConnect.org. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  20. ^ "iCanConnect Campaign". Assistivetechnology.about.com. 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  21. ^ "NLS Announces Awards - News Releases (Library of Congress)". Loc.gov. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  22. ^ "History". Paths to Literacy. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  23. ^ "About Us". http://eccadvocacy.org. Retrieved 15 April 2014. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)

Sources

  • French, Kimberly. Perkins School for the Blind: The Campus History Series. Perkins School for the Blind, 2004.

Further reading

  • Perkins School for the Blind: The Campus History Series
  • The Education of Laura Bridgman: First Deaf and Blind Person to Learn Language
  • The Imprisoned Guest: Samuel Howe and Laura Bridgman, The Original Deaf-Blind Girl
  • Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. The Diary of Bess Brennan
  • Trent, James W., Jr. The Manliest Man: Samuel G. Howe and the Contours of Nineteenth-Century American Reform. University of Massachusetts Press, 2012
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Perkins School for the Blind.

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