Blind, education of the,
Prior to 1784 there were no institutions in the world where the blind could be educated.
In that year the first school was founded in
Paris, by
Valentine Hauy, and soon after similar institutions were organized in
England and other
European countries.
The first school for the blind in the
United States was established in
Boston in 1829, by an act of the State legislature.
Since then schools of the same character have been instituted in nearly every State.
The pioneer workers in this field were
Howe,
Chapin,
Williams, Wait, Little,
Lord,
Huntoon,
Morrison, and
Anagnos.
The United States government has extended large aid to promote the education of the blind.
In March, 1876, Congress passed an act appropriating $250,000 for a perpetual fund, the interest of which was to be used to purchase suitable books and apparatus for distribution among the various schools for the
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blind.
The following is an official summary of the statistics of schools for the blind at the close of the school year 1898-99: The total number of schools reported was 36.
The total number of instructors was 393--male, 137; female, 256; in music, 127; and in the industrial departments, 122.
The total number of pupils reported was 3,665--male, 1,898; female, 1,767; in kindergarten departments, 417; in vocal music, 1,738; in instrumental music, 1,797.
In the industrial department the total number of pupils was 1,924.
The total number of volumes in the libraries was 93,262.
The value of scientific apparatus was $100.610; and the value of grounds and buildings was $6,334,307. The total expenditure for support was $1,065.437.
