Founded in 1829, Perkins was the first school for the blind established in the United States. The school was originally named the
New England Asylum for the Blind and was incorporated on March 2, 1829. The name was eventually changed to Perkins School for the Blind.
John Dix Fisher first considered the idea of a school for blind children based upon his visits to Paris at the
National Institute for the Blind and was inspired to create such a school in Boston, but it was founded by
Samuel Gridley Howe, who had also studied education for the blind in Europe. The school is named in honor of
Thomas Handasyd Perkins, one of the organization's incorporators. He was a
Boston shipping merchant and slave trader who began losing his sight about the time the school was established. In 1833, the school outgrew its first location, the Pleasant Street house of the father of founder Howe. That year Perkins donated his Pearl Street mansion as the school's second home. In 1839, Perkins sold the mansion and donated the proceeds. This gift allowed the purchase of a more spacious building in
South Boston. In 1885, were purchased in the Hyde Square section of
Jamaica Plain, a residential district of Boston, to build a kindergarten, with
Isabel Greeley as its first matron. This property was home to both
Laura Bridgman and
Helen Keller. The school moved to its present campus, in
Watertown, Massachusetts, in the autumn of 1912.
Charles Dickens visited Perkins in 1842 during a lecture tour of America and was amazed at the work Howe was doing with Laura Bridgman, a deaf-blind girl who had come to the school in 1837 from New Hampshire. He wrote about his visit in his book,
American Notes. In 1887, Perkins director
Michael Anagnos sent graduate
Anne Sullivan to teach
Helen Keller at her family's home in Alabama. After working with her pupil at the Keller home, Sullivan returned to Perkins with Keller in 1888, and resided there intermittently until 1893. In 1917, Perkins assisted in the recovery efforts after the devastating
Halifax explosion that damaged the vision of many residents who had been watching the harbor tragedy unfold. In 1931, Perkins created the
Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL). In 1951, David Abraham successfully manufactured the first Perkins Brailler. By 1977, about 100,000 Perkins Braillers had been produced and distributed worldwide.
Perkins today In the 21st century, Perkins has expanded its mission online to include resources for families with blind and visually impaired children, and teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs). Perkins has also worked with local partners in Asian countries to host an online community for educators, caregivers and families. In 2011, Perkins completed construction of the Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology on its 38-acre campus in Watertown. This facility houses accessible technology for people who are blind or visually impaired. In February 2016, Perkins launched Perkins Access, a team of expert accessibility consultants who partner with organizations across all industries to improve customer experience, employee experience, and brand engagement for all humans, regardless of age, ability, or means of access. In July 2016, Perkins' "
Braille Trail" was completed. It is located along the
Charles River across the street from the rest of campus, and is part of the larger Watertown Riverfront Park. In 2022, Perkins launched the Howe Innovation Center, dedicated to catalyzing and convening the "DisabilityTech" industry, including bringing together
startups,
investors, people with disabilities, and
market experts. ==Perkins International==