About OSB

For nearly two centuries, Overbrook School for the Blind has helped children and young adults who are blind, visually impaired, DeafBlind, or living with additional challenges to learn, grow, and prepare for active, fulfilling lives.

Founded in 1832, OSB is one of the oldest schools in the United States dedicated to educating individuals with visual impairments. Today, we continue to lead with compassion, dedication, expertise, and instructional excellence, bringing together specialized instruction, assistive technology, therapeutic services, and a supportive community that recognizes each student’s abilities and helps them reach their highest potential.

Located on a historic 26-acre campus in the Overbrook Farms section of West Philadelphia, OSB is a caring, can-do environment where students work, play, learn, and in some cases, live. Through educational programs, outreach services, residential opportunities, and international partnerships, OSB expands access and opportunity for students, families, educators, and communities locally, nationally, and internationally.

Our Mission

Our mission is to develop and deliver education that expands opportunities for individuals with visual impairments, including those with additional challenges, so they can experience active and fulfilling lives.

Our Vision

Our vision is a world where people with visual impairments are empowered to pursue their aspirations, recognized for their abilities, and celebrated for their achievements.

OSB at a Glance

181 STUDENTS

served on campus, ages 3 -21

190 FAMILIES

supported through Early Invention Outreach

THOUSANDS

reached through international partnerships in Southeast Asia

A Community Built Around Student Success

At OSB, education extends far beyond the classroom. Highly qualified teachers, therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, residential staff, and support professionals work together to create a comprehensive learning experience tailored to each student’s strengths, needs, and goals.

Specialized Instruction

Individualized teaching designed for students who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, or living with additional challenges.

A young girl and a woman are playing in a sandbox in the foreground, while other children are visible in the background of a classroom.

Therapies and Support

Integrated services that help students access learning, communication, movement, health, and daily routines.

A young boy with curly hair plays a xylophone in the foreground while a woman in a green shirt and jeans guides his hand, with other children visible in the blurred background.

Mobility and Independence

Orientation and mobility instruction that supports safe, confident, and independent travel.

A woman in a green shirt and a man in a gray shirt are blending ingredients in a red blender, with a whiteboard visible in the background.

Community and Belonging

A supportive environment where students build friendships, self-advocacy, confidence, and connection.

A group of graduates in red gowns and white coats toss their caps in the air on a grand staircase in front of an ornate building.

Our History

In the early 19th century, children who were blind or visually impaired had few opportunities to participate in formal education. In Philadelphia, however, a dynamic and creative atmosphere helped make a new vision possible.

John Vaughan and Roberts Vaux, leaders active in the political development of Philadelphia, helped bring Julius Friedlander to the United States. Friedlander had been trained in Germany to work with people who were blind and brought with him specialized methods of instruction. His dream was to start a school for children who were blind, and with the help of influential Philadelphia leaders, that dream became a reality.

In 1832, Friedlander founded the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind, now known as Overbrook School for the Blind. From 1832 until his death in 1838, he developed services for students in his own home, constructed the first school building at 20th and Race Streets, increased enrollment to 33 students, and oversaw important early milestones, including the production of the first embossed book in the country, the Gospel of Mark, and the publication of the first magazine for people who were blind, Lux in Tenebris.

Several remarkable leaders followed Friedlander. William Chapin, who served as principal from 1849 to 1890, expanded OSB’s educational reach by starting a kindergarten, opening a store on Walnut Street to sell goods manufactured by OSB students, publishing the first embossed dictionary for people who were blind, and advocating for employment opportunities and residential support.

Edward Allen succeeded Chapin in 1890 and guided the development of OSB’s current campus on Malvern Avenue. On July 26, 1896, the 26.3-acre Elizabeth Pleasonton property in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia was purchased. The site was selected for its proximity to the Overbrook station of the Pennsylvania Railroad, access to streetcar lines, open air, and space for physical activity.

The new Spanish Renaissance-style campus was completed in 1899. Its unforgettable entrance on Malvern Avenue remains one of OSB’s most recognizable features. The school was officially renamed Overbrook School for the Blind in 1946.

A Historic Campus Designed for Learning

OSB’s campus was designed by Cope and Stewardson, one of the most influential architecture firms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known for their work at Bryn Mawr College, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania, the firm was selected to design OSB’s new home at 64th Street and Malvern Avenue.

Inspired by Spanish Renaissance architecture, the architects developed what they called a monastery plan: a complex of low buildings and quadrangles with interior cloisters and gardens. At the entrance of the school, they created a striking administrative building with a central dome, open towers, white terra cotta details, yellow stucco, and red tile roofs.

The design was considered so innovative that the architects were invited by the United States government to display their plans at the Paris Exposition in 1900. Today, the campus forms the eastern boundary of Overbrook Farms, a National Historic District.

The rotunda building, with its domed ceiling and arched openings, has long served as a gathering place for students and staff. Two cloisters, originally designed as outdoor play and gathering spaces, reflect the campus’s long-standing focus on community, movement, and student experience.

Growing with Purpose

As OSB’s programs expanded, the campus continued to grow. White Hall, originally built in 1899 as the principal’s residence, is now used along with Friedlander Hall for dormitory and transitional apartment programming for older students.

In 1960, a fire broke out at the school. Tragically, two firefighters lost their lives while responding to the blaze, though no students were injured. Bronze plaques in the sidewalk in front of OSB honor the two fallen firefighters. The fire destroyed the exterior of the original auditorium, which was rebuilt in 1964.

The Nevil Field House opened in 1963, providing students with a bowling alley, basketball court, indoor track, and locker rooms. OSB has long valued physical education and recreation as part of student development. The school opened the first indoor swimming pool for students who are blind in 1907, and in 2010, the original pool was replaced by the Kappen Aquatic Center, the first and only LEED Platinum-certified natatorium in the United States. The center includes a six-lane, 25-yard competition pool and an activity pool that provides multisensory experiences for swimmers of all ages.

In 2019, OSB opened the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture and Education Center, a LEED Gold-certified, state-of-the-art greenhouse. Designed with sustainability in mind, the center has received Zero Energy Building Certification. Solar panels installed on the Nevil Field House help offset the greenhouse’s energy use through a 50 kW photovoltaic system that generates more than 85,000 kilowatt-hours of energy each year.

In 2007, OSB opened a museum dedicated to its own history and the history of educating people who are blind in the United States. Located in the rotunda building, the museum helps preserve and share the story of OSB’s role in advancing education, access, and opportunity.

Carrying our Legacy Forward

From its founding in 1832 to its work today, Overbrook School for the Blind has remained committed to expanding what is possible for students who are blind, visually impaired, DeafBlind, or living with additional challenges.

Our historic campus is more than a place of learning. It is a living reflection of OSB’s mission: to create access, build independence, celebrate ability, and prepare students for active and fulfilling lives.

A large, red-roofed building complex with courtyards is nestled among lush green trees and suburban houses.

What Guides Us

Empowering

students to reach their highest potential.

Celebrating

ability, possibility, and achievement.

Sharing

knowledge and resources with students, families, educators and communities.

Leading

with innovation, expertise, and care in specialized education.

Get to Know OSB!

Our story is shaped by the students, families, educators and community members who make OSB what it is today. We invite you to learn more about our work, our campus and the people behind our mission.

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