Growth of our Programs

In 1968 an Activities Building was completed at a cost of $165,000. The unit houses a gymnasium auditorium which provides space for physical education, recreation, music, drama and other large and small group activities.

In 1970 the name South Dakota School for the Visually Handicapped was adopted. This change reflects the fact that students who are visually impaired as well as blind can receive services. This was not a new development; the majority of students since 1900 have had some degree of usable vision.

A federally funded program to serve deaf blind students was begun in 1972 as a part of the nationwide response to the rubella epidemic of the mid-sixties. Because of their reduced ability to learn through visual or auditory modes, different teaching methods were introduced. In 1979 serving the deaf blind was added to the responsibility of the South Dakota School for the Visually Handicapped and the program was funded by the state.