State leaders marked a significant milestone on Wednesday for the construction of the new co-location of Indiana’s School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The project has been in the works since 2019.
Gov. Mike Braun and leaders from both schools celebrated the placement of the final structural steel beam at the campus’s brand-new 267,000-square-foot education building.
Braun said that by building this joint campus, Indiana is leading the nation in what it can provide for blind and deaf students
“The goal always has been to build a world-class facility, and we're delivering that,” Braun said. “This investment will give students and educators modern academic facilities designed specifically for them.”
Both schools will remain independent but can now share resources and buildings as work continues to move both schools to the blind schools' current campus at 75th Street and College Avenue.
The School for the Deaf has been located at its 42nd Street campus, just north of the Indiana State Fairgrounds, since 1911.
Kim Krause, the superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf, said at Wednesday’s ceremony the collaborative work that has gone into creating the co-located campus resulted in building state-of-the-art facilities that will benefit each student.
“This project has really been tailored to our students' unique needs, both blind and deaf students,” Krause said. “When they arrive, they will feel that they belong. They will be able to learn without barriers, and that is exceptional.”
Demolition and construction began on the campus in late 2024 and is anticipated to be completed and ready for students to use by the fall of 2028.
The new buildings being constructed include an academic building, a new residence hall where students from both schools can live, and a new fieldhouse. The existing natatorium structure will be converted into a new dining hall. In total the project cost is expected to be around $655 million.
The Blind School’s signature administration building with its bell tower will remain and be renovated into the new campus center.
Design for the new buildings intentionally considered the specialized environmental needs for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, who are blind or have low vision. Design elements include acoustics, wayfinding, tactile features, varied floor textures, and color contrasts.
The education building will have separate wings for blind students and deaf students but will also have opportunities to use spaces jointly.
Jay Wilson, the principal for the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired delivered remarks on behalf of the blind school’s superintendent, James Michaels, who couldn’t attend Wednesday’s ceremony. He said this new state-of-the-art campus will help students succeed in life, even after leaving the school.
“Education is far more than classrooms, textbooks, or technology. It is about helping students discover their strengths,” Michaels said. “It is about giving them the tools to communicate, to advocate for themselves, to solve problems, and to become more independent.”
Wilson said the blind school currently enrolls around 100 students, and the deaf school typically has over 300 students enrolled.
Contact Government Reporter Caroline Beck at cbeck@wfyi.org
