Indiana School for the Blind: New Superintendent, Campus Renovation – Indianapolis News | Weather Indiana | Indiana traffic

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – As part of a monthly “Morning Bell” series, News 8 is spotlighting local schools to highlight unique programs and opportunities.

For November, James Michaels, the new superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired sat down for an interview.

Michaels, a former student of the school, steps into the role of superintendent after more than two decades since the last new appointment to the position.

Reflecting on his journey, Michaels said his bond with the Indiana School for the Blind runs deep. Born with cone-rod dystrophy, a congenital eye condition that results in progressive vision loss, Michaels initially attended public school, but soon realized he felt different from his peers.

“As a student, I had to sit closer to the board and hold my book closer to read,” Michaels said. “I didn’t want to be different, and I think most children with disabilities feel that way. But when I found the Indiana School for the Blind, I realized I wasn’t so different after all. We all have to do things a little differently to achieve our goals and make our dreams come true.”

The school offered a community of students facing similar challenges, smaller class sizes, and resources designed specifically for students with visual impairments. “That experience was powerful and helped me believe in myself,” Michaels said.

Now Michaels has a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of students and amplify the message that they, too, can achieve anything they set their minds to. And this mission will soon have a new setting: the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is getting a major upgrade.

The school, next to the Indiana School for the Deafis about to undergo a major renovation of the historic 23-acre campus on North College Avenue where it has been located for nearly a century. The government-funded project will deliver a state-of-the-art facility for both schools over the next four years.

While construction is underway, the Indiana School for the Blind has temporarily relocated to Devon Avenue, where programs continue to run at full speed. “We are still moving forward with all of our programming and have some wonderful things in store for our students,” Michaels said.