Kentucky School for the Blind


The Kentucky School for the Blind is an educational facility for blind and visually impaired students from Kentucky who are aged up to 21.
Bryce McLellan Patten founded the Kentucky Institution for the Education of the Blind in 1839 in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1842, it was chartered as the Kentucky Institution for the Blind by the state legislature as the third state-supported school for the blind established in the United States. In 1855, it moved to its present location on Frankfort Avenue in the Clifton neighborhood. About this time, it was renamed the Kentucky School for the Blind. Today, it continues its mission of teaching the blind and visually impaired students. The institution has inspired people to build other organizations to benefit those who are visually impaired.
The school is a member of Council of Schools for the Blind.

In the News

An ex-principal of the school has accused the Kentucky Board of Education of gender discrimination.
The facility receives no basic school funding from the state government, and instead must "rely on money from the state’s general fund."
A previous student of the facility was recently nominated for a Grammy. Another previous student became a notable advocate for others with visual impairments.
A book has been published noting the experiences of the students and faculty of the institution.