New leader at Indiana School for the Blind shares journey, plans for upgrades

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As part of a monthly “Morning Bell” series, News 8 spotlights local schools to showcase 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, is stepping into the role as superintendent after more than two decades since the last new appointment to the position.

Reflecting on his journey, Michaels shared that his connection to the Indiana School for the Blind runs deep. Born with cone-rod dystrophy, a congenital eye condition that results in progressive vision loss, Michaels attended public school initially, but he quickly 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 kids with disabilities feel that way. But then, when I found the Indiana School for the Blind, I realized I wasn’t so different after all. We all just have to do things in a slightly different way to reach our goals and live our dreams.”

The school provided a community of students facing similar challenges, smaller class sizes, and resources specifically designed 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 reinforce 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 set for a major upgrade.

The school, alongside the Indiana School for the Deaf, is about to undergo a significant renovation of its historic 63-acre campus on North College Avenue, where it has been located for nearly a century. The state-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 full speed. “We’re still moving forward with all of our programming and have some wonderful things in store for our students,” Michaels said.