SEARCHING FOR

PERKINS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Ours is a single commitment, fostered by a

heritage of service, vigorously advanced through

models of innovation — go to any length, any

place so that all children and adults may attain

the power of communication, the gateway to

independence, in all its wondrous dimensions.

FINDING FSIGN LANGUAGE

To open wide the world of expression and oppor-tunity, Perkins uses a spectrum of communica-tion methods, chosen and adapted to address thecapabilities and learning style of each individual.Tactile Symbols—jingle bells on the Music Roomdoor, a furry ball on a preschooler’s cubby,smooth tiles at bathrooms — are building blocksto communication.Technology in Perkins class-rooms offers such powerful features as closedcaption television and “talking” computers whichtranslate content on the screen. Tactile Sign Language, so compellingly demonstrated byHelen Keller and Annie Sullivan, developscommunication skills and illuminates under-standing for deafblind students. Sign Languageis a complex visual and spatial language, guidingthe way for deaf students with low-vision. LargePrint advances self-expression and learning forpeople with low-vision. Mayer Johnson Pictureshelp non-verbal students express feelings andchoose activities by pointing to visual represen-tations of things like a glass of juice, a computer,or the playground. Braille, a series of cells denoting letters, numerals and punctuation used universally, brings literacy to the blind. At Perkins, its introduction, use and level ofsophistication are geared to individual abilities.

RD

TACTILE SYMBOLSLARGE PRINT

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TECHNOLOGYMAYER JOHNSON PICTURES

ME

TACTILE SIGN LANGUAGEBRAILLE

LEADING THE

Introduction In the era of American pioneers boldly opening new

frontiers, Perkins School for the Blind was founded more than

170 years ago. It stood alone at the time—the first school of its kind

in the United States.The Perkins mission was ambitious, even rev-

olutionary: the promise of education for all blind children and

adults so that they, too, may realize their potential and discover

the joy of independence. Employ innovative techniques and

methods, provide the attention and expertise each student deserves,

involve the family from the beginning, let no stone go unturned—

OUR STORY

this was, and remains, the Perkins educational mission. Steadfast

to its visionary mandate, Perkins School today has evolved into

a crossroads of opportunity, an organization exerting its profes-

sional knowledge and humanitarian spirit for the benefit of the

blind, deafblind and multihandicapped blind worldwide. Across

New England, the nation and over 100 countries around the

globe, infants, children and adults — and their families — experi-

ence the immeasurable impact of Perkins on their lives. Each is on

a monumental journey, advancing ever closer to the goal, one day

and one step at a time. Millions more await the opportunity.

4

PERKINS DIRECTOR, KEVIN J. LESSARD

WAY

OUR HISTORY6

My life has been happy because I have had wonderful

friends and plenty of interesting work to do. I seldom

think about my limitations, and they never make me sad.

“

Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times.

But it is vague like a breeze among the flowers. The

wind passes and the flowers are content.”Helen Keller

MOVING

MOVING

MO

VIN

GM

OVING TOWARD

We recognize the tremendous accomplishments ofthose who have gone before us ... We also recognizeour responsibility to the needs of millions of today’s

children and adults. By working closely together, we have the capacity to help change the world.”Kevin Lessard, Director, Perkins School for the Blind

“

THE FUTURE

Noteworthy times. Charles Dickens came for a visit in the 1840s and

was so impressed by what he saw, he wrote about the school in his

American Notes. Soon after, Europe was talking about a school in Mass-

achusetts called Perkins. When the family of Helen Keller sought a

tutor for their daughter, they consulted with Alexander Graham Bell,

an authority on the teaching and schooling of the deaf. Bell

referred the family to Perkins. The rest is history.

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1829 1912

1951

1989

2000

1829 PERKINS RECEIVES ITS CHARTER FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. CLASSES ARE HELD IN THE BOSTON HOME OF THE FIRST DIRECTOR SAMUEL GRIDLEY

HOWE, A VISIONARY EDUCATOR AND HARVARD-TRAINED PHYSICIAN WHO TIRELESSLY ADVOCATES FOR LEGISLATION AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLIND AND DEAF-

BLIND. 1887 ANNIE SULLIVAN, A RECENT PERKINS GRADUATE WHO HAD REGAINED SOME OF HER SIGHT THROUGH SURGERY, JOURNEYS TO ALABAMA TO BEGIN HER TUTELAGE OF

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HELEN KELLER. WITHIN TWO YEARS, THE YOUNG PUPIL WHO LOST HER SIGHT, HEARING AND SPEECH FROM ILLNESS AT 19 MONTHS OF AGE IS READY TO ENROLL

AT PERKINS. 1912 PERKINS MOVES TO ITS PERMANENT 40-ACRE CAMPUS ALONG THE CHARLES RIVER IN WATERTOWN. THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE IMPRESSIVE NEW

FACILITIES REFLECTS THE POPULAR ENGLISH-INSPIRED COLLEGIATE STYLE OF THE PERIOD. THE MAIN BUILDING IS NAMED FOR SAMUEL GRIDLEY HOWE. 1951 THE FIRST PERKINS

BRAILLER, BASED ON A PROTOTYPE DESIGNED BY STAFF MEMBER DAVID ABRAHAM, IS PRODUCED AT THE SCHOOL’S HOWE PRESS. ORDERS SOON FLOOD IN FOR THE STURDY PORTABLE

MECHANICAL BRAILLER, THE DEFINITIVE PEN AND PENCIL FOR THE BLIND. 1989 A MAJOR GRANT FROM THE CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION STRENGTHENS AND EXTENDS PERKINS

INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE BY ESTABLISHING THE HILTON/PERKINS PROGRAM DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF UNDERSERVED DEAFBLIND AND MULTIHANDI-

CAPPED BLIND CHILDREN HERE AND WORLDWIDE. 2000 CHALLENGED BY THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR HOPE THIS VERY DAY, PERKINS CREATES NEW EDUCATIONAL

MODELS, FORGES NEW PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, SEEKS GREATER RESOURCES TO WIDEN THE PATH TO INDEPENDENCE FOR ALL—LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AND ACROSS THE WORLD.

Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan Theirs was a remarkable partnership, a shared life of extraordinary achievement—the brilliant Perkins graduate whose

unconventional methods and devoted attention opened the world of language for the gifted student from Alabama. In 1889, accompanied by her teacher,

Helen Keller began her formal education at Perkins. Sparked by a quick mind, her progress was startling, a testimony to her indomitable courage and to the

school’s educational practices. Her ability to transcend deafness and blindness and earn an honors degree from Radcliffe College was an inspiration for all.

Lecturer and author of a dozen books, Helen Keller devoted her life to championing the cause of the handicapped, demonstrating, by example, the vast

potential within every human being. Annie Sullivan remained Keller’s faithful companion until her death in 1936. Helen Keller lived until her 87th year, 1968.

OUR HISTORY

1887

OUR CAMPUS10

A SPRING DAY AT PERKINS. THE SUN FEELS WARM ON CHEEKS AND HANDS, YOUNG LEAVES RUSTLE IN THE BREEZE OFF THE CHARLES, THE DAFFODILS SO SILKY TO TOUCH ARE FINALLY

UP, AND, TODAY PRESCHOOLERS GET TO CLIMB ABOARD A WATERTOWN FIRE TRUCK. ACROSS THE CAMPUS, THE CHALLENGE AND THRILL OF LEARNING AWAITS THE GIRLS AND BOYS

OF PERKINS. THEY WRITE STORIES AND POEMS IN BRAILLE, PRACTICE SIGN LANGUAGE, BOOT UP COMPUTERS, TEND FEATHERY FERNS AND SWEET-SMELLING HERBS, PLAY HANDBELLS

AND GUITARS, MEET WITH SPEECH TEACHERS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS, PAINT PICTURES FOR THE ANNUAL EXHIBIT, ATTEND MOBILITY CLASSES, TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS, AND PURSUE

SO MUCH MORE. EACH ACTIVITY MARKS A PERSONAL MILESTONE, GUIDING THE WAY TO SELF-RELIANCE, AND, OF COURSE, WITH ABUNDANT PRAISE FROM TEACHERS AND STAFF.

11

GUID-ING

On-campus programs There are 200 students, up to age 22, enrolled

in Perkins residential and day school — and 200 different learning

environments, each designed by an interdisciplinary team of highly

trained and experienced teachers, clinical specialists and housepar-

ents. Their goal is to help the child acquire the skills leading to

independence — a goal pursued through age-appropriate academic

work, music and art, clinical support services, classes fostering self-

reliance, pre-vocational training, and, for residents, life in one of

the school’s 15 home-like cottages. Especially important are the ben-

efits students derive from belonging to a community of peers. Events

such as field trips, holiday celebrations and athletic meets enliven

school days.

Preschool Program The program emphasizes the importance of con-

sidering visually and multihandicapped 3 to 6 year olds as children

with the same needs all children have for love, acceptance, exploration

and a sense of competence. Located in its own newly renovated build-

ing, Perkins Preschool involves a cooperative — and individualized —

effort among families, teachers and clinicians, working together to

help the child develop the skills sighted children learn naturally. Par-

ents are then equipped to make the best decision for the child’s next

school program, be it at Perkins or in their home community.

Lower School Girls and boys, from age 6 to 14, study standard sub-

jects such as reading, arithmetic and science — just as they would at

OUR CAMPUS12

SELF-RELIANCE

13

any elementary school. In ungraded classes, they advance at their

own pace, acquiring the appropriate communication skills and gain-

ing confidence in their abilities. Support from a team of clinical

specialists further enhances the child’s progress. Education is also

stimulated by participation in group activities such as Perkins Scouts,

chorus and plays, and horticultural projects in the school’s green-

house and gardens.

Secondary Program Perkins high-school aged students are inspiring

role models for younger schoolmates.Their individualized sched-

ules foster growth and potential through increasingly challenging

academic courses, pre-vocational training and opportunities to

develop their social and independent living skills on campus and

beyond.Teachers encourage excellence and self-initiative. Enroll-

ment options range from ungraded classes to an accredited tradi-

tional high school program.

Deafblind Program Since the 1830s when Director Howe won acclaim

for teaching the alphabet to Laura Bridgman, a deafblind student,

Perkins has been in the forefront of educational and developmental

services for the deafblind and deaf multihandicapped. Serving ages 3

to 22, the program offers a total communication environment designed

to help students reach for and attain their maximum potential.

OUR REACH14

NAVIGATING

FOR INDEPENDENCEIN FAMILY HOMES, SENIOR CENTERS AND SCHOOL

DISTRICTS. AT WORKPLACES AND EDUCATIONAL FORUMS.

ON CAPE COD AND IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.

WHEREVER THE NEED FOR SERVICES AND INFORMATION

EXISTS, PERKINS REACHES OUT. ACROSS THE STATE AND

BEYOND, THE IMPACT OF PERKINS OFF-CAMPUS PRES-

ENCE BRINGS THE PROMISE OF INDEPENDENCE TO

HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS

ANNUALLY— FROM VISUALLY IMPAIRED INFANTS

LEARNING TO CRAWL, TO ELDERS SUCCESSFULLY

COPING WITH THE LOSS OF SIGHT, TO ADULTS LIVING

ON THEIR OWN AND HOLDING THEIR FIRST JOB.

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15

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Infant /Toddler Program Perkins has raised the world’s awareness of

the crucial need for services during the first years of life. Perkins’

coordinated early-intervention program for visually handicapped

children, from birth to age 3, and their families seeks to prepare

the child for entry into school programs and offers families the

skills to help their children achieve their fullest potential. Regu-

larly scheduled home visits center upon the combined efforts of the

family and teacher to assess the child’s special abilities and needs.

A weekly school day focuses on sensory, language, play and move-

ment activities and provides families with a supportive venue for

meeting other families.While serving 400 children, the program

seeks the resources to serve the hundreds of others whose needs are

currently going unmet.

Outreach Services Mainstreamed high school, junior high and

elementary students look forward to weekend, school vacation and

summer visits on the Perkins campus — opportunities to interact

with peers from all over New England and participate in social,

recreational, vocational and independent living activities.The pro-

gram also provides consultation and training for the students’

parents and teachers.

Helping hand for the elderly A Perkins outreach program for the eld-

erly addresses a national concern — seniors constitute the fastest

growing population of the blind and visually handicapped. In

Massachusetts alone, more than 70% of all legally blind people are

65 or older. Dedicated to helping elders retain and regain their

independence, Perkins rehabilitation teachers visit seniors in their

homes to answer questions, provide information and offer helpful

techniques so residents can develop the skills to navigate everyday

routines confidently such as cooking and dressing.Yet, Perkins needs

greater resources to serve this rapidly growing population.

OUR REACH16

➣

17

Community Living Services The path to independence begins with an

umbrella of residential support services which encourages handi-

capped adults to go out into the community and function as valued

and contributing members of society.The adults live in apartments,

staffed according to their needs, and are expected to hold a job, attend

a day program or volunteer in the community. Perkins staff work

closely with rehabilitation counselors and state agency personnel to

ensure each client’s successful progress.

Specialized diagnostic evaluations An interdisciplinary team of spe-

cialists provides comprehensive evaluations for students, ages 3 to

22, to determine their special education and clinical needs and to

make recommendations for their present and future programs.

Evaluations, which are conducted for children from across New

England, the U.S. and abroad, provide parents, Perkins on-campus

school, local school districts and community agencies with the most

comprehensive profile of the child’s strengths and needs.

Low vision services To help people of all ages make optimal use of

their remaining vision, an optometrist with expertise in low vision

and other professionals provide comprehensive evaluations and

training. Evaluations take place at school, work, home, or at Perkins.

Summer Institute Every year, Perkins sponsors a one-week program

of lectures, panel discussions and training for vision professionals

and classroom teachers.The Institute carries graduate credit in con-

junction with local colleges.

Educational exchange As part of its educational tradition, Perkins

stages a variety of conferences, workshops and in-service training,

both on and off campus, for vision professionals, early intervention

and school teachers, elder care providers, medical professionals,

community groups, parents and family members.

u

17,000 PEOPLE PERKINS BRAILLE AND TALKING BOOK LIBRARY, WHICH HAS BEEN CIRCULATING BOOKS SINCE

THE 1880S, SERVES PATRONS THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND—AND WOULD LOVE TO SERVE MORE. CURRENT

PATRONS REPRESENT ONLY 11% OF THE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO USE THE LIBRARY. 170 COUNTRIES THE PERKINS

BRAILLER HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF BRAILLE LITERACY WORLDWIDE—AN INITIATIVE DRIVEN BY

THESE SOBERING STATISTICS: 85% OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW BRAILLE ARE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED; OVER 70% WITH-

OUT BRAILLE SKILLS ARE NOT VOLUMINOUS VOLUMES PEOPLE THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND, THE NATION AND

WORLD ARE NOW REALIZING A NEW-FOUND LIFE OF INDEPENDENCE THANKS, IN PART, TO PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED

BY PERKINS IN ITS CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO BROADEN THE KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESSIONALS AND FAMILIES.

OUR TOOLS18

AIMING FOR

uAUTONOMY

OUR TOOLS20

Braille and Talking Book Library Perkins brings hours of pleasure

annually to adults and children who cannot read conventional print—

but do not want to miss the latest copy of Newsweek, their favorite

mystery writer’s new work, or a good bedtime story. Housing 13,000

braille volumes and 400,000 talking book cassettes, the library

offers a popular “mail-order” service, shipping a monthly supply of

books to patrons, based on their specified reading interests such as

historical fiction, romance or biographies. For people borrowing

talking books, the library provides a special machine for use in their

homes. About 50% of the library’s users are legally blind, 38% are

visually handicapped and 12% have physical or learning disabilities.

Howe Press When Perkins was founded, blind people were not con-

sidered worthy of the education afforded to their sighted peers.

Director Samuel Gridley Howe felt otherwise. Committed to devel-

oping his students’ ability to read and write, he founded the Perkins

Printing Department — later renamed Howe Press in his honor —

to make books more widely available. In fact, he designed his own

embossed typeface which the Press used until the 1920s, when braille

became the school’s and the world’s communication standard.

Today, the Press focuses on raising literacy levels through the man-

ufacture of the Perkins Brailler, the premier writing instrument.

21

The Press sends staff members abroad to conduct training sessions

for local people on Brailler maintenance, an ongoing concern in

humid climates and dusty environments. And in Brazil, India and

South Africa, Perkins-trained workers are now assembling Braillers.

In addition to the standard portable Brailler, the Press manufac-

tures a unimanual — for people with limited motor skills — as well as

electric and large cell models.

Research Library Considered the largest repository of its kind in the

world, the Samuel P. Hayes Research Library at Perkins contains the

most recent and complete source of information on the non-medical

aspects of blindness and deafblindness.The collections, which include

a vast number of books by and about Helen Keller, are open to all,

from educators and graduate students to parents and the public.

Located in the Howe Building, the library is also the storehouse of fas-

cinating exhibitions tracing the history of the education of the blind.

Perkins in print Educational materials, handbooks and resource

guides for teachers, professionals and parents cover a broad range

of topics, from working in cross-cultural environments to modify-

ing the home for children with dual sensory impairments. A list of

publications currently available can be viewed at the school’s web site:

www.perkins.pvt.k12.ma.us.

OUR PROMISE22

Our commitment to the independence of every student, client

BEYREACHING

23

and consumer shines through all of our programs and services.

ONDEXPECTATION

TOU C H I N G

FOR PEOPLE IN A VILLAGE IN AFRICA, A SCHOOL IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, A CHILDREN’S HOME IN RUSSIA, THE LIBERATING

JOURNEY TOWARD INDEPENDENCE BEGINS THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY ON THE PERKINS CAMPUS. THEIRS WILL BE A COURSE

DRIVEN BY A HUMANITARIAN PURPOSE—TO CARRY THE PERKINS MISSION TO ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD, TO MARSHAL

THE POWER OF THE SCHOOL’S RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE IN ORDER TO TEACH OTHERS TO BUILD MODELS OF EDUCATIONAL

EXCELLENCE IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. CALL IT A GRASS-ROOTS ENTERPRISE ON A GLOBAL SCALE, A CONFLUENCE

OF SUPPORT AND TRAINING WHICH VALUES AND FOSTERS LOCAL AUTONOMY, AND ULTIMATELY TRANSFORMS LIVES.

OUR UNIVERSE24

THE WORLD

Hilton/Perkins Program Conrad N. Hilton, the hotel founder, once

wrote that Helen Keller was a lifelong inspiration. And so it was fit-

ting, that the Conrad N.Hilton Foundation awarded Perkins a gen-

erous grant to implement a major initiative for the multihandicapped

blind and deafblind. Both national and international in scope, the

Hilton/Perkins Program seeks to raise awareness and support the

expansion of programs through a constellation of teacher training

programs, services and forums.The program is strongly committed

to improving the level of literacy in developing countries where the

situation is acute — 80% of the world’s blind live in these countries,

with incidence on the rise due to poverty, poor nutrition, inadequate

healthcare and harsh environmental conditions.

Teacher training The Hilton/Perkins Program gives high priority to

remedying the worldwide shortage of trained teachers for multi-

handicapped blind and deafblind children. Experts from Perkins

work with more than 25 American and foreign universities—Boston

College, Michigan State and Turkey’s Gazi University, among

them— to develop curricula and training practica for student teach-

ers. Perkins staff members also travel nationally and internation-

ally for on-site consultations and training sessions with teachers

and staff members at schools and universities. Additionally, the

program provides funds for the translation of textbooks and arti-

cles — into 14 languages, to date — to give university students and

teachers access to educational materials. Educational forums —

a recent conference in Africa was attended by representatives from

21 African countries — build upon the long tradition of national

conferences sponsored by Perkins.

OUR UNIVERSE26

27

Crossroads of leadership The Educational Leadership Program, which

invites international professionals working with the multihandi-

capped blind and deafblind to campus for a year of study and prac-

tical experience, epitomizes the program’s goal of inspiring a new

generation of visionary educators.The home countries of a recent

leadership class — Croatia, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Russia, Mon-

golia and South Africa—speak to the program’s global impact. Lead-

ership students pursue individualized courses of study designed

to meet the home country’s specific needs, attend lectures, take a

course at Boston College, and observe and teach in Perkins programs.

Empowering parents Two national organizations assisted and sup-

ported by the Hilton/Perkins Program — the National Association

for Parents of the Visually Impaired and the National Family Asso-

ciation for Deaf-Blind — offer parents and families a comforting

source of support as well as a forum for advocacy and the exchange

of information and resources. The important role these parent

organizations play is underscored by their growing international

influence, from Uganda to Argentina to Poland.

Close to home In the U.S., the program conducts training activities,

courses and seminars in a variety of venues, from urban schools serv-

ing minorities to rural Appalachia to neo-natal intensive care units

in hospitals. With the assistance of the program’s experts, local groups

have been able to establish and broaden programs for thousands of

infants, preschoolers, school-aged children and young adults who

are transitioning out of school programs. Annually, the program

provides in-service training and support services for more than

15,000 parents and families.

Q U V M D FJ P I D H B NM C G N O AS G Y F I D ER T J G Z X OE I R S J D WB H Q U L M

W S J I D V BH Q U V M QU I V M D F GZ X Z E P D HI B N M C GN O A S G PD B N M C GI N O A S G Y

YOUR IMPRINT28

DISCOVERING

FEL

I

29

Legacy of support One need look no further than the school’s name

to appreciate the role philanthropy has played in propelling Perkins

into the forefront of education for the blind, deafblind and multi-

handicapped.The school is named for Colonel Thomas Handasyd

Perkins, who donated his family home about 170 years ago and

remained a life-long benefactor.Whether supporters are honoring

a family member or a friend through a gift to the school, remem-

bering Perkins in their wills, or hosting students at a local summer

carnival or an ice skating rink, each gift, no matter the size, has thou-

sands of appreciative recipients — the children and adults reaching

for independence.

The gift of time They help out in cottages and school offices, assist

teachers, take adult clients shopping, repair talking book machines,

knit wool caps for children overseas, perform whatever task requires

an extra hand.They are the more than 300 volunteers who contribute

their time and talents to the school. Although they seek no recogni-

tion, Perkins holds an annual day of tribute to honor their services.

Ensuring the future Gifts and bequests from generations of friends,

old and new, have contributed to the school’s financial stability,

which has allowed Perkins to sustain the quality of services associated

with the school since its founding.These gifts, coupled with major

awards and challenge grants from such supporters as the Conrad N.

Hilton Foundation, have provided the financial impetus — and

inspiration — for the school to advance and expand its educational

and humanitarian goals. Still, as the statistics presented throughout

this book so forcefully reveal, Perkins knows it must do more.

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Perkins School for the Blind 175 North Beacon Street Watertown, Massachusetts 02472 617 924.3434