This article offers a history of special California schools for children with blindness since the mid-1950s, from the perspective of a special educator. It points out that the two delivery systems of regular schools and special schools should not work in competition but in cooperation to develop the best education for meeting students' needs. (JDD)

This article considers the legacy of Samuel Gridley Howe and others such as Francis Campbell and Mary Caroline Greene who were committed to the education of individuals with blindness. The paper examines controversies over mainstreaming versus residential schooling and the need for emphasis on developing independence in individuals with blindness.…