Established 1887 Phone +1 412-621-0100 | Website wpsbc.org Founded 1887 | |
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Address 201 N Bellefield Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA Similar The Western Pennsylv, Chatham University Labyrinth, The Ellis School, Downtown KinderCare, Point Park University Profiles | ||
Overview of the western pennsylvania school for blind children
Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children (WPSBC) is a private charter school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for blind students between the ages of 3 to 21. All of its students are legally blind and come from one of the 33 western counties of the state. Most students have multiple disabilities and some may be considered medically fragile. It is one of four approved charter schools—along with the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, the Overbrook School for the Blind, the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf—in Pennsylvania for blind and deaf children.
Contents
- Overview of the western pennsylvania school for blind children
- Information for donors and friends of the western pennsylvania school for blind children
- History
- References
The Kathryn Kuhlman Foundation has donated more than $40,000 to the school.
The school features artwork by Pittsburgh artist Robert Qualters.
Information for donors and friends of the western pennsylvania school for blind children
History
Originally known as the Western Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind (WPIB), the school was chartered in 1887. It moved to its current Oakland location in Pittsburgh in 1894, when Mary Schenley donated the land for its construction. The school offered three main types of curriculum: academic, vocational, and commercial.
The School was designated a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education for the 2000-2001 school year.
In 2003, the school opened an Early Childhood Center to work with young people with visual impairments. In 2011, Western Pennsylvania began a transition program to help adults who are graduating from the school and entering adult facilities, known as LAVI: Learning Adventures for the Visually Impaired. This program is in partnership with the Community College of Allegheny County.
The school built an urban trail in its front lawn in 2012. This trail is used for mobility training, which previously had been done outside school grounds.