Maryland School for the Blind to Cut Ribbon on Learning Activity Center, Residential Cottages

From Maryland School for the Blind:

The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) will cut the ribbon on the newly constructed Learning Activity Center and Residential Cottages for students in the Autism Blind program and simultaneously break ground on redesigned facilities for the Early Learning and Outreach programs. The event, which will be held on the campus of the school in Northeast Baltimore, will take place on October 20 beginning with a ceremony at 1:00 pm followed by an open house and tours of the new buildings.

The construction of the new facilities is part of a multi-year campus improvement project that began in 2011 with the demolition of outdated buildings on the school’s 100 acre campus. The first phase of the plan included the building of the $24M Multiple Disabilities Blind facilities which opened in November 2014.
Phase II involved the two year construction of the Autism Blind Learning Activity Center and Cottages, which includes two 16,000-square-foot student residence buildings and a two-story, 35,000-square-foot classroom building featuring classroom and office spaces, multiple physical therapy rooms, a greenhouse learning laboratory, and an expansive courtyard area. Considerations were given that address the vision needs of the students, such as contrast, decreased visual clutter, organization of space and specialized and adjustable lighting, and also provide optimal learning environments that support the best practices in teaching students with Autism.

Both projects were designed by the architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross and constructed by Lewis Contractors, Inc.

Founded in 1853, MSB is a private, statewide resource center providing outreach, educational and residential programs to children and youth from infancy to age 21 who are blind or visually impaired including those with multiple disabilities. Annually the school serves 56 percent of the 1,700 students identified throughout the 24 jurisdictions of Maryland who are blind or visually impaired through its on campus and outreach programs.

According to Dr. Michael Bina, MSB President, “We are very grateful to the state of Maryland for providing the necessary funds for this essential campus improvement project. Creating an appropriate learning environment for our students with autism is critical for our students to gain independence.”

For more information, contact Dotty Raynor via 410-319-5722 or dottyr@mdschblind.org.

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