Washington State School for the Blind

2214 E. 13th Street

Vancouver, WA 98661

(360) 696-6321, Fax (360) 737-2120

E-mail: admin@wssb.wa.gov Web site: www.wssb.wa.gov

"We will provide world-class educational services to the blind and visually impaired"

Vision: Independence for blind and visually impaired children.

Mission: The mission of the Washington State School for the Blind is to provide specialized quality educational services to visually impaired/blind youth ages birth-21 within the state of Washington.

Purpose: To serve as a statewide demonstration and resource center and provide direct/indirect services to students both on campus and in the children’s local communities.

Statewide LEAs/ESDs:

¨ Approximately 1,430 qualified visually impaired/blind students, birth to twenty-one (2008).

¨ Approximately 78 FTE trained teachers of the blind serving LEAs and ESDs (2008).

¨ Approximately 70 birth through 3 years old VI/blind children identified (2008).

¨ National incidence of visual impairment/blindness of .1%.

Washington State School for the Blind: (diversified statewide service delivery system)

¨ 540 students served monthly during the 2007-2008 school year.

· 63 on campus residential students.

· 354 students served monthly through off-campus itinerant services and monthly materials (WSSB currently provides direct/consultant services to over 1/5 of all districts in the state). (2007-2008)

¨ 5 students enrolled in the LIFTT (Learning Independence for Today and Tomorrow) program. (2007-2008)

¨ 15 students attended a two week YES (Youth Employment Solutions) program. (July 2008)

¨ 14 students attended a Summer School program. (July 2008)

¨ 118 students from Washington, Oregon and Idaho attended a track meet at WSSB. (May 2008)

¨ 35 students attended a two-day Career Fair. (January 2008)

¨ 47 students (36 from Washington, 2 from Oregon) attended the NW Environmental Science Camp. (April 2008)

¨ 88 low vision evaluations provided each year. (2007-2008)

¨ Statewide Technology Center for the Blind (2007-2008):

· 222+ comprehensive technology evaluations provided per year.

· 91+ online technology services provided each month.

· Average 6-8 training sessions each month for teachers in local public schools on specialized technology.

¨ Braille Access Center. Braille production of over 12 million pages of Braille since fall of 1993 (self-supporting fee for service program). (Partnerships with Dept. of Printing and Corrections)

¨ Statewide Instructional Resource Center. Provides large print, Braille, aids and appliances to approximately 1,400 blind, deaf/blind, and blind multi-disabled children each year.

¨ 480+ vision-related services provided each month to the general public.

¨ 50,000+ people used WSSB’s facilities during the 2007-2008 school year.

¨ Quarterly newsletter mailed to approximately 2,000 individuals.

Over-all on Campus Student Profile:

¨ 46% multi-disabled/visually impaired/blind (more than one disability); 14% health impaired; 4% are deaf/blind; 46% are visually impaired/blind (2007-2008).

¨ Ethnic minority: 3% African/American, 5% Multiracial; 2% Hispanic, 7% Asian; 83% Caucasian (2007-2008).

¨ 11% yearly student turnover. (Transition to adult services or back into local school programs.) (2007-2008)

¨ 82% of students stay an average of 2.9 years or less at WSSB. (Range: 1 week to 9 years; data from 2007-2008)

¨ 57% of graduates (7-year study) employed or in vocational/technical/academic college program.

¨ 70% employed, post secondary and/or homemakers. (2000-2007)

Statewide/Regional Staff Training:

¨ Partnerships for university level training established with states that have university level vision (no university level vision training programs exist in the state of Washington).

¨ 53 participants attended WSSB’s Summer Institute--Statewide training workshops for regular classroom teachers and teacher aides (July 2008).