Blind Childrens Center
Blind Children’s Center fosters the development and education of children who are visually impaired in an inclusive, family-focused school setting. Many of the children they serve face multiple disabilities in addition to blindness. Kids from infancy through second grade, the majority of whom are from working, low-income families will benefit from a Women Helping Youth grant of $20,374.00. Our grant will provide a therapeutic play structure for a new therapeutic play yard project to address sensory needs, physical fitness, fine and gross motor skills and social skills through engaging, fun activities guided by teachers and therapists. Approximately 100 children, including typically developing peers from the community, will use the structure throughout the school year for the 20+ year lifetime of the equipment. The multidisciplinary team of experts, currently using leading-edge technology and adaptive devices in the classroom, will now have an outdoor therapeutic environment offering students unique opportunities to work on their physical fitness, motor and social skills, and to prepare for the next steps in their education. The typically developing children gain empathy and a sense of community and model behavior and social skills to help normalize the education process for all students as they grow and flourish in the natural environment.