John Yarmuth: “150 years ago, the American Printing House of the Blind opened its doors in my home district of Louisville, Kentucky, to…”

“150 years ago, the American Printing House of the Blind opened its doors in my home district of Louisville, Kentucky, to make educational materials accessing to blind students. That day in 1858 stands as a milestone, not just for the education of the vision impaired but for the improved education of our community as a whole and the history of learning in the United States of America. Prior to the early 19th century, it was generally presumed that, with rare exceptions, people who were blind simply didn't have the capacity to learn. Through experimentation and repeated success, it became clear that the blind were failing to learn, not for lack of intellectual capacity, but because information was not presented to them in a manner that they could perceive. Once information was presented in appropriate ways, primarily through touch and sound, blind students began to achieve.”