In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB). It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. The school opened its doors in 1837, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. In 1839 the first school building was constructed & initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education—kindergarten through high school—at the school. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offers vocational training for its students.
Contact Information
| Title | Name | Phone | |
| Superintendent | Dr. Lou Maynus | 614-728-4036 | maynus@osdb.oh.gov |
| Director of Teaching & Learning | Mrs. Michelle Wagner | 614-468-8870 | mwagner@ossb.oh.gov |
| Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning | Alison Brewer | 614-468-8899 | abrewer@ossb.oh.gov |
| Athletic Director | |||
| Boys Track Coach | Ron Heath | 614-468-8864 | rheath@ossb.oh.gov |
| Girls Track Coach | Ashley Traucht | atraucht@ossb.oh.gov | |
| Head Wrestling Coach
Assistant Wrestling Coach |
Ron Heath
Lee Mascarello |
614-468-8864 | rheath@osdb.oh.gov |
| Head Cheer Coach
Assistant Cheer Coach |
Natasha Knight
Laquisha Robinson |
nknight@ossb.oh.gov | |
| Head Boys Swim Coach | Steve Grim | 614-468-8880 | sgrim@osdb.oh.gov |
| Head Girls Swim Coach | Olivia O’Hara | 614-752-1359 | OO’Hara@osdb.oh.gov |
| Head Forensics Coach
Assistant Forensics Coach |
Ashley Traucht
Yolanda Johnson |
atraucht@osdb.oh.gov | |
| Boys Goalball Coach | Alessandra Kester | akester@osdb.oh.gov | |
| Girls Goalball Coach | Debbie Grim | dgrim@ossb.oh.gov | |
| Abbreviation | OSSB | ||
| Mascot | Panther | ||
| School Colors | Red & Blue |
5220 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43214
Phone:614-752-1359
Fax:614-752-1713
Website: http://www.ossb.oh.gov