VIDBE-Q Volume 65 Issue 1
Sean McCormick, Director of On-Campus Education,
Washington State School for the Blind,
Sean.Mccormick@wssb.wa.gov
In 1901, Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) began to
trailblaze a path of high expectations and honor with its first graduate,
Robert Irwin. Irwin was the first blind person to graduate from the University
of Washington. He eventually became the executive director of the
American Foundation for the Blind, developed the Talking Book, and
authored War of the Dots. With his inspiring path and leadership for
Washingtonians, Robert Irwin set forth a precedent for WSSB to be
relentless with its expectations for students and innovative programs.
Over a century later, WSSB's On-Campus program houses most of
its educational classes in the Irwin School building. Visitors may find the
walls decorated with student artwork, students working on laptops
independently, and teachers leaning over to assist a student reading
braille. In some classes, students from Virginia or Alaska participate in
class through video. In other spaces, you may find a group of students
Growing and Learning with Irwin in Mind
