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VIDBE - Q Volume 62 Issue 4
The first school opened on March 10, 1875 (on Mr. Bacon's 52
nd
birthday), which
was a small rented house in Nebraska City. The school began with three students, all
s isters, from neighboring Johnson County. On what is now the current campus, the first
building for the Nebraska Institute for the Blind opened on January 13, 1876, and Mr.
Bacon served as the Principal. Students were enrolled up to the age of 65. After the
final building was added, the grounds were planted, and sidewalks and drives were
finished, the school was complete in 1890.
With a rich history of educating individuals who are blind or visually impaired, the
school was named and often renamed and iden tified various programs and services
over the years according to the needs at the time. Over the years, regardless of the
changes, the motto remained the same. "Not just a living, but a life," was branded by
Mr. Bacon all those years ago and still holds tr ue today. The continued focus of the
school is to improve the learning of children who are blind or visually impaired so they
can reach their highest level of independence.
*Historical information provided by various historical documents at the school.
N CECBVI Today
In the late 1990s, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) challenged the
then so - called Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped (NSVH) to broaden the
scope of the school to include outreach programs and services for students, familie s
and educators statewide. The school staff welcomed this idea as they were already
addressing some needs when teachers, administrators and parents called looking for
answers on how best to educator the students.
