[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S14566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to commend the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the 
Blind for 125 years of service to students with disabilities in my 
State.
  On this very day, September 28 in 1870 the doors of the West 
Virginia. Schools for the Deaf and the Blind were first opened in the 
small community of Romney, WV. At that time, 25 deaf and 5 blind 
children were enrolled that first year in classes in a modest facility. 
Since that time, literally thousands of men and women of all ages with 
hearing and/or visual disabilities have passed through the hallowed 
halls of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
  Today, hundreds of individuals receive a variety of services through 
programs offered by these schools--programs like Be a Star, which 
earned national recognition in the 1993-94 school year as a model for 
hearing and visually impaired youth as volunteers. People assume that 
students with disabilities are the recipients of community service 
initiatives but through Romney's program, the handicapped students were 
able to get involved in community service projects and make their own 
personal contributions to the local community which has supported the 
institution for more than a century. Currently during the 1994-95 
school year, the institution is implementing the Stars for Others 
Program. The goal, once again, is to let students be the leaders they 
can be in their respective communities. The school expects this year to 
log over 5,000 hours of staff and student volunteer hours of public 
service, and I am quite proud of this initiative.
  In addition to the regular educational programs offered on campus, 
over 100 preschoolers and their families receive services through 
special outreach programs. More than 450 students with visual 
disabilities throughout our State receive Braille and large print 
materials through the Instructional Resource Center. Over 250 
individuals receive talking books through a loan program coordinated by 
the Library of Congress. Captioned films are made available through the 
Captioned Film Depository. Each year, many children with hearing and/or 
visual disabilities participate in the Preschool Diagnostic and 
Evaluation Program and in the summer enrichment programs.
  This is a tremendous institution striving to improve its services and 
enhance the quality of life for students with disabilities so that they 
can live as independently as possible. The efforts made daily by every 
administrator, every teacher, every individual associated with the West 
Virginia Schools for the Blind and the Deaf have opened many doors to 
people with disabilities, and given them opportunities for jobs and 
freedom that they may not have otherwise. The schools have stressed 
that a physical impediment should not be a wall that blocks students 
from the life, but that they too can overcome challenges and play a 
vital role in our society. I share this view and am proud of the 
tremendous progress made by our society over time in recognizing the 
potential of individuals with disabilities. This institution has 
contributed a great deal to helping ensure that every American, 
regardless of disability, should have the chance to be happy, 
productive members of our society.
  The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind make a very real 
difference in the lives of students and their families. With great 
pride, and on behalf of all of West Virginia, I send my warmest 
congratulations on such a special anniversary, as well as best wishes 
for more years of service.

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