Soon after the efforts of M. Hairy to estab lish an institution for the blind in France, Edward Rushton began the education of the blind in England. J. Christie, a blind man in Liverpool, and a clergyman by the name of Dannett co-operated with him. Subscriptions were obtained for the enterprise and a school for the indigent blind was organized in Liver pool in 1791. The organization of this school created great interest in the blind people in England, and another school was organized at Bristol in 1793, and at London in 1799. Schools followed in Edinburgh, Scotland and Dublin, Ireland. At the beginning of the 19th century Herr Johann Wilhelm Klein became greatly in terested in the blind children of Austria. He had observed many pitiable cases of the un fortunate blind children of that country. He received much encouragement, as did M. Haiiy of Paris, from Maria Theresia Von Paradis, a blind Austrian singer, who had inspired these men in the belief that through a system of education the blind could be relieved of much of their misery and raised to a high degree of cultural standing. It was through the influ ence of these men and the schools which they established that institutions for the education of the blind were established throughout the countries of Europe between 1790 and 1810.
Maria Theresia Von Paradis had an import ant part in developing interest in this subject. She came from an influential family. She pos sessed musical talent which her parents recog nized and provided the best teachers obtainable for her. An interesting plan was devised in teaching her to read. Pins were placed in a cushion so as to form the several letters of the alphabet. By placing her fingers on the pin heads constituting these forms, she was able to recognize the different letters and learn to read. Later similar letters were formed by making perforations in stout paper with a pin. She was able to determine the letters from the raised rough edges of the paper which these perforations made. Later a special press was made for her and with this she was able to print German characters in relief. As a child she was an efficient organist and became a notable singer in church choirs at an early age. The Empress Maria Theresa became attached to this young blind girl and provided a pension sufficient for her maintenance. As early as 1784 she traveled through Europe and captivated the whole world through the great musical talent which she exhibited.
Another blind person of an earlier period even than this blind girl, who aroused great interest in the need of educating blind children, was Nicholas Sapnderson. He was an English man, born in Yorkshire in 1682. He became totally blind at the age of two. He attended a regular public school with seeing children and acquired a fine classical education. He later met distinguished teachers and through them became much interested in mathematics. He invented the abacus. He used this in determining mathe matical problems. He later became a professor
of mathematics at Cambridge. Other distin guished blind persons who exerted a powerful in fluence in developing interest in the education of the blind were Milton, the Scottish preacher Blacklock, and the engineer John Metcalf.
Schools were well organized throughout Europe before America gave this question much consideration. There were three schools in this country where the pioneer work in the education of the blind took place. The first school in America opened for the education of blind children was the New York Institution for the Blind. This institution was chartered by the State legislature in 1831 and has been in continuous operation since that date. A group of citizens in New York recognized the need of providing educational facilities for blind children. The founders of the school desired to provide facilities for the children whose parents were unable to pay for their education and at the same time to receive students whose parents were able to pay for their instruction. The school was started as a charitable institu tion. Its doors were opened 15 March 1832 with only three blind children. Soon after two other children were admitted. The prime movers in the foundation of this school were Dr. Samuel Akerly and Samuel Wood, a well known philanthropist. Dr. John D. Ross had discovered several blind childrsn in the alms house of the city and he was taking measures to organize a school when he learned of the work which the other two men had already done in this direction. He co-operated with them and was chosen as the'head of this primi tive school for the blind in America.
Dr. John D. Fisher of Boston was pursuing medical studies in Paris and he frequently vis ited L'Institution Nationale which had been or ganized by M. Haiiy. He became interested in the subject and was desirous of establishing a similar school for the benefit of blind children in America. He returned to Boston in 1826 and began to urge the plan upon his friends. A meeting of those interested in the subject was held in 1829. A committee was appointed by this meeting which applied to the legislature of Massachusetts for a charter for an institution to be called the New England Asylum for the Blind. This charter was granted 2 March 1829. It appears, however, that no action was taken toward the organization of the school until 1831. Dr. Samuel G. Howe was then elected superintendent. He was sent abroad to familiar ize himself with methods of instruction. He returned in 1832 and opened a school at South Boston with a class of six children. The school in New York had been opened a few months before the one in Boston was opened by Dr. Howe. In 1833 the Pennsylvania Institu tion for the Instruction of the Blind was estab lished in Philadelphia. These institutions were organized by contributions from private sources but have for years received appropriations from the State.