Reformation of Education for the Blind in 1960s England in Relation to Widening Opportunities for Open Employment

Abstract

In this study, the reforms that took place among schools for the blind in 1960s England and the reasons thereof as well as the extended opportunities for open employment are clarified. Barriers such as lack of basic knowledge of machine operation and the sighted community dissuaded blind school graduates from entering open employment. These barriers were associated with two complications. The first was related to the school curriculum and the second to segregation from the community because all the schools for the blind were residential. The first further education college for blind people was established to bridge this gap. Furthermore, the schools for the blind introduced alterations such as expansion of extra-curricular activities and curriculum revisions with a stronger focus on the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE).