W. Ross Macdonald School

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The W. Ross Macdonald School was founded in 1872 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and provides instruction from kindergarten to secondary school graduation for blind and deafblind students.

The school is one of two special residential facilities in Ontario for blind and deafblind students. It draws students from across the province and northeastern United States, and has residences to accommodate those that do not live in the local area. Students are recommended for the school by their school board when their needs cannot be met locally. In addition to their own students, the school provides services to other school board programs for students who are blind or deaf.

Attendance at the school remains at slightly more than 200 students.

The school was originally named the Ontario Institution for the Education of the Blind when it opened in 1872, and later called the Ontario School for the Blind. It was given its current name in 1974 in honour of Brantford citizen William Ross Macdonald, who served as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1968 to 1974.

1 Special features
2 Superintendents
3 Famous Alumni
4 External links

[edit] Special features

The school has unique design features that make it accessible to the blind.

For instance, different materials and textures are used in the building floors and walls to allow students to quickly orient themselves. The classroom windows are above eye-level of the students in order to provide indirect light because blind and low-vision students can find direct lighting difficult. Artificial lighting uses special lights with dimmer switch. As well, student lockers are larger than conventional school lockers and include seating.