Bundes-Blindenerziehungsinstitut

AUSTRIA

BBi logo

About us:

The Bundes Blindenerziehungsinstitut (Bbi) is the world second oldest school for people with blindness or visual impairment and the oldest school in the German speaking area. It was founded in 1804 by Johann Wilhelm Klein.

We have about 126 students from kindergarten to vocational training, 50 teachers, 30 social workers and around 60 other staffs.

Our schools respond to:

  • Basic education
  • Pre-school: Kindergarten
  • Elementary School: primary school, special needs education, polytechnical school
  • Support of inclusive classes outside
  • Vocational and Job Training:
    • Office work
      • one year course of digital dialogue communication
      • three years of Business School
    • Craftsmanship
      • Experiences with different materials like wood, basket making, glass, weaving…

Additional offers:

  • Music: lessons in guitar, piano, drums, flute, trumpet, percussion, choir
  • Courses: chess, braille music notation
  • Specific training for the blind: orientation and mobility, daily living skills, low vision training, clicksonar
  • Sports: physical education, winter sports week, skating, swimming, fun court, climbing, snowboarding, dancing

Boarding school and day care

  • Family-like living groups
  • Day care groups for the afternoon
  • Training in independent living skills
  • Support of learning

Centre for resources, that offers

  • Supervision for blind or visually impaired students who attend inclusive schooling and their parents and teachers
  • Ordering of school books
  • Translation of contemporary texts and additional books
  • Distributing tactile graphics
  • Support of assistive devices
  • National conferences for teachers who work with blind or visually impaired students

Medical services/infirmary

  • 24h care through medical staffs
  • Psychologist available 20h a week
  • Neuropsychiatry for children available 5h a week
  • Ophthalmologist available 5h a week

Braille Printing Centre

  • Public braille library
  • Student library in braille and black printing
  • Teacher’s library focusing on pedagogy for people with blindness or visual impairment
  • Print of books and journals in braille
  • Sale of assistive aids
  • Centre for the development of learning software with focus on blindness and visual impairment eg. Universal Trainer

Museum

  • Founded in 1807 by Johann Wilhelm Klein
  • Museum with objects concerning blindness and education for blind people

Some images of different 3D material developed by our school

We are experts in 3D-print:

  • Tactile graphics
  • Tactile maps
  • 3D-printing
  • Laser cuter
  • Thonet mesh
  • We are experienced in how to use tactile objects in the field of pedagogy for the blind and visually impaired.

Contacts

Website:
bbi.at

Postal Address

Bundes-Bildungsinstitut
Wittelsbachstraße 5
1020 Wien,
Austria

Member Location