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. Founded in 1849, the school is located in Janesville, Wisconsin.History
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."Former Wisconsin School for the Blind changing its name—again". The Janesville Gazette, June 4, 2012. Accessed February 18, 2013.
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 School District of Janesville and Blackhawk Technical College. Most of the students in the WSBVI program have a disability in addition to visual impairment.Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Facilities Investment Plan: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2009-2015. Madison, Wis.: Author, 2008, p. 5.
The school has a residential life, as in a dormitory program.
Notable alumni John Kostuck, businessman/piano tuner, legislatorDictionary of Wisconsin History, John Kostuck Reino A. Perala, lawyer, hotel owner, legislatorDictionary of Wisconsin History, Reino A. Perala
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 History of the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired