Perkins Strategic Plan 2010-2015
The Perkins mission is to provide education and services that build productive, meaningful lives for children and adults around the world who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities.
Our 2010-2015 Strategic Plan is a blueprint that will guide our decisions regarding classroom programming, budgeting, development and more for the next five years and maintains focus on our mission and four overarching goals: preparing students, reaching new populations, expanding internationally and building partnerships.
You can help turn this vision into a reality by supporting our Touch Our World Comprehensive Campaign. Learn more.
Strategic Plan Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Preparing Students
- Reaching New Populations
- Expanding Internationally
- Building Partnerships
- Contact Us
Since Perkins School for the Blind was founded in 1829, our focus has always been trained on our students’ potential.
For more than 180 years, our mission has driven us to find new, innovative ways to help individuals who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, to discover fulfilling lives as contributing members of their communities. We have called upon the creativity and ingenuity of the best educators in the field, and incorporated the latest teaching tools in braille literacy, technology and more to help our students dig deep within themselves – to never be defined by their disability, but to develop and trust their unique perspective in life to forge their own definition of success.
That determination, coupled with our unwavering belief in possibility, serves us well today as we launch our new Strategic Plan for 2010 to 2015, designed to help us navigate the uncertain financial and economic climate surrounding us.
In the face of shrinking government funding for special education, we appreciate that it has never been more important to balance our resources with our responsibility to continue services that have opened doors for so many. We have recently demonstrated this commitment by making difficult programming decisions, enacting changes that have allowed us to reallocate our resources where they will have the most impact.
Yet, while we recognize these challenges and constraints, we refuse to be controlled by them.
We resolve to act boldly, seeking creative solutions that will allow our work to grow beyond financial constraints. Pulling back at a time when our world and technology are changing so rapidly will amount to a step backward for the individuals we currently serve and those we are seeking to reach. Instead, we will reach new populations of families, educators, professionals and individuals who are blind, deafblind and visually impaired, using in-person and online education and services, publications, trainings and more. We will expand our presence by forging new partnerships with school districts across the country, offering our expertise, our first-hand experience and our help. We will connect individuals globally with online resources including webcasts, trainings and other materials such as electronic versions of our publications. We will commit ourselves to becoming a leading information and networking resource on the Internet for teachers and parents of visually impaired children. We will also encourage the development of technology that is universally designed – tools that are accessible to all, and do not require special equipment or adaptations for those with disabilities. We will advocate for increased braille literacy to help individuals secure a job and live independently. We will address the unemployment rate of individuals who are blind and visually impaired by growing our vocational training and transition programs here and in our partner organizations around the world, helping young adults secure futures as participating, contributing members of their communities.
To ensure the health of our own institution and core mission, Perkins will continue recruiting the best teachers and staff, increasing our competitive position, expanding our mission-related business opportunities through Perkins Products and new, as-yet undiscovered partnerships, while growing and maintaining our campus resources.
Two of our most exciting recent commitments involve major transformations of the campus landscape. We are erecting the Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology, the gold standard for teaching technology and a place where our students will have vocational, educational and social experiences. We also are scheduled to complete the construction of a new Lower School that will feature modern, accessible classrooms and a larger auditorium and dining space, while preserving the architectural beauty and history of our existing Lower School by renovating it for residential and office space. Both of these important projects will ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of our students today and decades into the future.
We will realize this Strategic Plan as we uphold our reputation and responsibility as a leader in the education of individuals who are blind and deafblind, and in partnership with others around the globe who share our passion and our mission. There is no time to waste for the millions of infants, children and adults whose futures we can impact positively today.
1 - Preparing Students
Perkins is only the beginning of the journey for our students – those on campus immersed in academic and life-skills classes, students in public schools who look to us for additional services and independence training and those in classrooms around the world. The goal of all our services and education is to equip every individual with the tools, the first-hand experiences and the confidence to live his or her life as independently as possible. Our challenge is to provide all these individuals with the means to reach those goals.
Nearly 60,000 children ages 0-21 who are legally blind live in the US.
More than 10,000 children of the same age group who are deafblind live in the US.
- We will ensure every student on campus and in neighborhood schools has access to and training for cutting-edge adaptive technology and technology that is universally designed, from using global positioning systems for travel to using computers to navigate everyday academic and social life. Our campus will provide appropriate and adequate classrooms, study areas and technology hubs where students, teachers and staff can experience, train and make use of this equipment.
- We will continue and strengthen our efforts to bring braille literacy to every child who may benefit. We will encourage the use of this vital communication tool by growing awareness about its benefits and providing tools for its teaching and use, including Next Generation Perkins Braillers™.
- We will commit ourselves to guaranteeing that every student who receives education at Perkins leaves our program with a plan for the future – a plan that may involve returning to public school, heading to college, finding and holding a job, and, above all, living a productive and fruitful life.
- We will increase our competitive position in recruiting and retaining top quality teachers, staff and school personnel. We will do this by offering competitive salaries, benefits and a support system for employees.
- We will immerse students in quality-of-life experiences to prepare them to transition to an independent adult life. We will do this by coaching them on life skills including mobility, personal hygiene, cooking, money management and social skills, to training them in the language, responsibilities and rewards of the workplace, and involving them in social and leisure pastimes.
- We will erect a new, state-of-the-art Lower School and renovate the existing historic Lower School building, creating a modern, accessible space that can address the changing needs of students today and in the future. We will continue investing in our campus and physical plant to maintain, improve and update our facilities.
- We will continue reviewing and analyzing our curricular offerings from academics to life skills courses, ensuring our students receive top-notch instruction through the latest educational strategies and techniques.
- We will construct the Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology to immerse students and staff in the latest cutting-edge computer and digital equipment, thus giving them the knowledge and competitive edge necessary for success beyond school. The building will also be our first centralized location for student recreation.
- 2007 Annual Report, American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
- National Deaf-Blind Child Count
2 - Reaching New Populations
While we impact the lives of more than 115,000 individuals around the globe annually, we have yet to connect with many more people who could benefit from our services. In this economic climate, where many specialty schools around the country are facing stark economic futures or eliminating services due to budget reductions, the needs of people left without assistance may grow. Students in cash-strapped communities who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, may have less access to adequate services necessary to give them the best start in life. We pledge to increase our efforts to reach individuals in need and provide them with the services that will change their lives for the better.
Approximately 9% of children who are legally blind in the US attend campus-based schools for the blind.
Fifty percent of individuals ages 17-21 who are deafblind had worked for pay after having left high school for at least one year. Sixty-one percent of individuals of the same age group who are visually impaired had worked for pay.
Nearly 70% of babies born in the US who are visually impaired have at least one other significant challenge.
- We will teach parents advocacy skills and equip them with the information, education and confidence they need to ensure that their children’s needs are met in public and private sectors.
- We will emphasize the importance and vitality of braille literacy in public schools where students who are blind or visually impaired may not have as much exposure to this critical communication tool.
- We will expand our training of itinerant and classroom teachers, school districts and developing classrooms and programs around the world on topics such as assistive technology and deafblindness, offering printed and online materials and publications, webcasts, seminars and more.
- We will continue to reach new audiences by expanding our offerings online, developing new webcasts, trainings and other resources.
- We will continue to recruit, hire and retain highly qualified itinerant teachers, which will allow us to increase the number of infants and toddlers who receive home visits through early intervention programs and students up to age 22 who receive classroom assistance by expanding our reach to other states.
- We will connect more individuals unable to read traditional printed text with accessible books, magazines and other publications on audio formats, as well as provide innovative programming to engage and interest new patrons through our Braille & Talking Book Library.
- We will ensure children, young people and adults who are blind or visually impaired receive the support, coaching and life-skills education they need to succeed. Our Outreach Services programs will continue offering social, educational and vocational preparatory trainings during weekends and school vacations to public school students in need of peer exposure and independence skills; primary and consultative eye care for infants, children and adults who have visual, physical and/or cognitive disabilities; and in-home assistance for some community members.
- We will increase awareness and access to adaptive technology through Perkins Products, continuing distribution of the classic and Next Generation Perkins Brailler, as well as numerous other tools and universal technology to put individuals who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired on a level playing field with their peers in the workplace and in their community.
- We will strengthen our institution and our services by increasing the diversity of perspectives and life experiences from which we draw our student body, teachers and school staff.
- 2007 Annual Report, American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
- National Longitudinal Transition Studies 2, 2007
- Babies Count, a national registry of children with visual impairment in the US, published in the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, 2007
3 - Expanding Internationally
Nearly 5 million children who are blind and living in developing countries do not attend school. Developing countries account for 80% of the world’s individuals with disabilities. While we already support operations in more than 60 countries, we will expand our reach to bring possibility to more children who are visually impaired with additional disabilities, including those who are blind and deafblind. We will find new ways to help our partners train more teachers and share educational strategies and knowledge.
The world’s largest minority – individuals who have a disability – make up about 10% of the world’s population, or 650 million people.
Approximately 314 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness.
In developing countries, close to 90% of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed.
- We will continue to build relationships with new global partners, assisting and supporting their efforts to expand their programs, train teachers and advocate to governments and residents about the importance of education for all.
- We will help organize and support the formation and education of parent groups, training them in advocacy skills and teaching them about the rights of their children and the possibilities that can be achieved through education and quality services.
- We will advocate for braille literacy by continuing and expanding our distribution of Perkins Products’ classic and Next Generation Perkins Brailler™ and expanding and supporting brailler repair and maintenance facilities and training in many locations around the world.
- We will encourage and assist in the development of university programs designed to prepare teachers of children who are visually impaired with additional disabilities, including those who are blind and deafblind.
- We will advocate and support further development of programs that help young adults who are blind or deafblind transition from a school environment to a productive, independent life as a well-integrated and social member of the community.
- We will continue to support educators around the world by expanding our commitment to provide educational materials, resources and teaching tools online to improve the access and distribution of this knowledge.
- United Nations Enable Disability Fact Sheet
- World Health Organization
- United Nations Enable Disability Fact Sheet
4 - Building Partnerships
Perkins’ founders fully understood the vital need for education and services for individuals who are blind and deafblind. Today, we are still working to meet this challenge, which continues to demand new ideas and creative solutions. But we cannot meet this challenge alone. To succeed, we must engage more individuals, families, experts, educators, advocates, foundations and corporations around the world and work collaboratively toward our mission.
Together, as partners, we can transform possibility for tens of thousands more people into reality.
To this end, we have initiated the Touch Our World Comprehensive Campaign to ensure we have the financial resources to achieve our goals and implement this ambitious Strategic Plan. This campaign – the first of its kind in Perkins’ history – will have raised nearly $80 million upon completion of the quiet phase. We are launching the public phase in 2011 to raise a total of $130 million for Perkins to grow our endowment, unrestricted and program support and capital projects by its conclusion in 2014.
Thanks to the support of many, Perkins has reached numerous milestones since 2005. Close to 100,000 individuals – from volunteers and donors, to new staff and educators - have joined us to support Perkins and further expand our reach. The number of children served by our international partners supported by Perkins International has multiplied by almost 180 percent. We’ve partnered with nearly 200 school districts to assist children with services and education. We have joined with local businesses and companies to immerse our students in more than 30 different work internships and experiences, from farms and greenhouses to corporations and museums. And nearly 650 individuals volunteered at Perkins for the first time.
With this Strategic Plan, we further commit to the education, success and advancement of individuals who are blind, deafblind and visually impaired here and around the world, as well as the sustainability and growth of our institution in these ways:
- We will establish and build upon relationships with more parents, governmental and international partners to increase awareness of the possibilities for children who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired and expand our ability to reach and assist them with the help of these partners.
- We will work with public school districts as true partners in educating their children, building relationships and dialogue that will ultimately result in helping more students who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, receive the services they need.
- We will collaborate with community partners to create more job and internship opportunities for our students with the goal of exposing these future members of the workforce to new skills and experiences, and providing a seamless transition from Perkins to their school, work or community life.
- We will work to educate more potential volunteers and donors about the progress and possibility unfolding throughout our programs, positioning Perkins as a high-priority, worthwhile investment for their gifts of time and/or financial resources.
- We will explore and expand mission-related business opportunities, channeling our expertise in the education of individuals who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, to help us support and sustain our institution.
- We will continue to invest in technology and seek to create corporate and institutional partnerships that will help strengthen our technology infrastructure.
- We will expand participation and diversity of membership in the Board of Trustees and the Trust Board, the International Advisory Board, our Corporation and other volunteer opportunities.
Contact Us
To access the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan in braille or large print formats, please call Perkins Publications Department at 617-972-7335.
Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street
Watertown, MA 02472
617-924-3434 phone
www.Perkins.org
All we see is possibility.
Board of Trustees
C. Richard Carlson
Andrew W. Chapman, M.D.+
Katherine Chapman
Frederic M. Clifford+
Elizabeth Cabral Curtis
Linda DiBenedetto+
Edward G. Fey, Ph.D
Brenda J. Furlong
William D. Gamelli
Paul S. Goodof
Corinne Grousbeck
Thomas Hehir
Janet B. James
Philip L. Ladd
William A. Lowell
Greg J. Pappas
Andrea Lamp Peabody
Charles C.J. Platt
W. David Power
Paul A. Raia+
Richard F. Reilly
Honorary Trustees
William J. Edwards
Loretta Holway
John Lowell
H. Gilman Nichols, Jr.
Nicholas U. Sommerfeld
Dudley H. Willis
Officers of the Corporation
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Frederic M. Clifford
Chair of the Corporation
C. Richard Carlson
Vice-Chairs of the Board of Trustees
William A. Lowell
Andrea Lamp Peabody
Secretary
Charles A. Cheever
Treasurer
Charles C.J. Platt
Assistant Treasurer
Randy E. Kinard
Trust Board
Chair of the Trust
Corinne Grousbeck
Katherine Chapman
Frederic M. Clifford
Stephen C. Demirjian
John J. Doran
Janet B. James
Philip L. Ladd
Jon L. Luther
David B. Mazza
Joseph J. O’Donnell
William Schawbel
Members of the Corporation
John S. Airasian
Carol F. Anderson
Maxwell & Elizabeth Bardeen
Nathalie H. Bonsal
Robert Brustlin
C. Richard & Deborah Carlson
Samuel B. Carr, Jr.
A. Paul Cellucci
Andrew W. Chapman, M.D.
Katherine Chapman
Charles A. Cheever
Frederic M. & Barbara Clifford
Suzanne Cuccurullo
Elizabeth Cabral Curtis
Betsy Z. Demirjian
Linda & Thomas DiBenedetto
Stephen Doneski
John J. Doran
Abbie D. Dutterer
Jennifer L. Eckert
William J. & Patricia Edwards
Edward G. Fey, Ph.D.
Brenda J. Furlong
William D. Gamelli
Paul S. Goodof
Dana M. Gordon
Corinne Grousbeck
Eric Hamilton
Charles T. Haydock
C. Michael Hazard
Thomas F. Hehir
William Henderson
Janet & William James
Estrellita Karsh
Christopher P. Kauders
Randy E. Kinard
Ernest V. Klein
Philip L. Ladd
Cynthia Lessard
William A. & Angela Lowell
Jon L. Luther
Olive R. Macdougall
Ayaz & Lori Mahmud
Elaine Frazer Mann
David B. Mazza
Bryant S. McBride
William R. & Margot Moomaw
Dyanne Hayes Nash
Joseph J. O’Donnell
Greg J. Pappas
Andrea Lamp & Endicott Peabody, Jr.
Roland F. Pease
Jerome Perl
Charles C. J. & Renia Platt
Christian Polman
W. David Power
Paul A. Raia
Richard F. Reilly
Vicki A. Rellas
J. Elisabeth Rice
Kenneth Rosenthal
Olgo A. Russo, Jr.
William Schawbel
Fred Schernecker
Marcy A. Scott
William N. Thorndike, Jr.
Friedrich von Gottberg
David Willis
Dudley H. & Sally Willis
Joanne Wilson
Brinton W. & Kathy Woodward, Jr.
International Advisory Board
Honorary
Former U.S. President
George H.W. Bush
Chair
Paul Polman
Members
C. Richard Carlson
Paul Cellucci
Victor Chu
Frederic M. Clifford
Steven Hilton
Lulu Quintana
Avraham Rabby
+ Governor appointees
* As of June 30, 2010
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