Hadley School for the Blind is a distance education school for blind and visually impaired people, their families, and blindness service professionals. The school is located in a suburb of Chicago: Winnetka, Illinois.
Founded in 1920 by William A. Hadley, a Chicago high school teacher who lost his sight at age 55, and Dr. E.V.L. Brown, the Hadley School for the Blind offers classes free-of-charge to its blind and visually impaired students and their families and affordable tuition classes to blindness professionals. Today, the Hadley School is still delivering courses directly to students’ homes in four formats: Braille, large print, audio and online.
Hadley has broad, international reach. The school serves 10,000 students each year from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Hadley offers about 100 courses in topics such as Braille, independent living, high school academics, eye conditions, technology, supporting a blind family member, and recreation and leisure activities.
The mission of The Hadley School for the Blind is to promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for blind people, their families and blindness service providers.
Hadley relies on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations to fund its programs.
Of significant note, one of the executive directors of the school, Richard Kinney, was himself deaf and blind.[1]