Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

What Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired does

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) is a Texas state public school and agency, established in 1856 and headquartered in Austin on a 40+ acre campus. It serves students across Texas who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind through a hybrid model: on-campus residential and day programming at the Austin site, paired with statewide Outreach Services that extend specialized instruction, technical assistance, and consultation to all Texas school districts. The institution directly supports roughly 11,000 students statewide, with 8,300+ receiving special education services and 900+ identified as deafblind.

TSBVI's core products include direct instructional programs (short-term and full-time on-campus enrollment), statewide technical assistance and professional development for district staff, and a publishing operation producing proprietary curriculum materials and assessment tools — notably the VISSIT assessment — distributed through an e-commerce store. Programming covers orientation and mobility, braille literacy, the Van Dijk approach for deafblind learners, and transition services. The institution also convenes community and professional events such as the Texas Symposium on Deafblind Education and runs the Coffee Hour webinar series for parents and educators.

The business model is primarily public-sector appropriation-based: TSBVI is funded through Texas legislative appropriations supplemented by federal Title I and IDEA funds. Commercial revenue from curriculum publications and the e-commerce store is a secondary, non-material stream. Under Emily Coleman, who in 2019 became the first female superintendent in TSBVI's history, the institution completed a major campus remodel and continues to maintain its statutory role as the state's designated resource for students with visual impairments, with no disclosed M&A, capital raises, or AI/technology platform investments.

Name

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Legal name

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Website

https://tsbvi.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1856

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Texas state public school and agency, established 1856 and headquartered in Austin, serving approximately 11,000 students statewide who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind through on-campus instruction and statewide Outreach Services, with a secondary publishing operation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services for the Visually Impaired

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF), Vision Assistive Technology (Screen Readers, Braille, Magnification) (EDAKAIAF), Inclusive Infant & Toddler Care (Special Needs / IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAGAI)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Visual impairment education
• Assistive technology lending
• Curriculum publications
• Statewide outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: TSBVI operates as a Texas state agency and public school district, funded through Texas state appropriations and federal education funding including Title I and IDEA funds.
2. Curriculum Publications Sales: The school operates an online store selling educational curriculum materials, books, and resources for visual impairment education. Publications include titles like 'The Sciences of Literacy', 'Essential Tools of the Trade', 'Texas 2 STEPS', and 'Elementary Concepts'. Prices range from free to $185.00 for printed materials, with electronic versions typically priced slightly lower.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TSBVI is a Texas state agency and public school district that provides comprehensive educational programs for students ages birth through 22 who are blind, low vision, or deafblind, including on-campus K-12 instruction, short-term programs, summer programs, and transition to adult life services. The school also operates a statewide resource center offering outreach consultation, professional development, an assistive technology lending library, and curriculum publications sold through an online store.

Product overview

TSBVI operates as an educational institution providing a comprehensive suite of programs and services for students who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind in Texas. The core offerings include K-12 Comprehensive Programs (on-campus school with residential options), Short-Term Programs (year-round group and individualized classes), and Summer Programs (enrichment and work programs for ages 6-22). Supporting services include the Curriculum Publications store (selling practitioner-created educational materials), the Tech Loan Program (assistive technology lending), Outreach Services (statewide consultation and training), and Professional Development (conferences, Coffee Hour webinars, VISSIT assessments). The institution also offers enrichment programs in Athletics, Fine Arts, and Recreation, publishes the TX SenseAbilities newsletter, and provides family engagement through Family Lynx and related resources. TSBVI serves as the single largest publisher of practitioner-created curriculum for visual impairment education in the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TX SenseAbilities: A bi-annual publication about visual impairment and deafblind education for families and professionals.
• Family Lynx

Products and services

• K-12 Comprehensive Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,000 students served statewide through various programs and outreach services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Printing House for the Blind (APH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSBVI serves as a distribution point for specialized materials from the American Printing House for the Blind, using federal quota funds to provide VI-specific materials to eligible students in Texas. APH Quota Materials contact is Suzanne Slade at TSBVI.
• South Central Association of Schools for the Blind (SCASB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association consisting of blind schools from Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. TSBVI participates in athletic competitions and events with member schools including Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Mississippi School for the Blind, Oklahoma School for the Blind, and Georgia Academy for the Blind.
• Family LynxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily Lynx is a TSBVI community organization that connects families and empowers them to work together to support one another and the school. They partner with TSBVI staff to create resources like the Sites and Sounds video tribute to the campus and publish materials in Spanish.
• Texas Education Agency (TEA)coreOthersTSBVI operates under legislative mandate and coordinates with TEA for statewide VI Registration and Deafblind Child Count data collection. The school provides guidance and coordination of statewide registration of students with visual impairments.
• Regional Education Service CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSBVI Outreach coordinates with regional education service centers across Texas to provide consultation on student programming, evidence-based practices, and transition planning in partnership with local school districts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Perkins School for the Blind: Private nonprofit K-12 residential and day school for students who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind, with national referral catchment and curriculum/AT programs analogous to TSBVI's comprehensive model.
• American Printing House for the Blind (APH): Federally chartered producer and distributor of accessible educational materials for VI students; TSBVI is its Texas distribution point and the two coordinate on quota-funded materials, making APH a direct mission-aligned peer.
• Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB): State-run residential school for deaf, blind, and deafblind students in Alabama; co-member with TSBVI in the South Central Association of Schools for the Blind and operating a directly comparable residential/short-term program mix.
• Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI): Louisiana state school serving blind and visually impaired students with residential and outreach programs; peer in SCASB and operates the same public-school-district model as TSBVI.
• Mississippi School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Mississippi state school providing K-12 residential and outreach programs for blind/VI students; SCASB member with TSBVI and offers comparable itinerant and short-term service models.
• Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB): Oklahoma state residential school for blind and visually impaired students; SCASB peer to TSBVI with parallel statewide outreach responsibilities.
• Georgia Academy for the Blind: Georgia state school for the blind offering K-12 residential, day, and itinerant programs; SCASB peer institution to TSBVI with directly comparable service lines.

Broad incumbents

• Lighthouse Guild: National nonprofit delivering rehabilitation, education, AT, and behavioral health services for people with vision loss; broader scope than TSBVI but overlapping AT, professional training, and direct-service functions.
• American Foundation for the Blind (AFB): National nonprofit focused on advocacy, research, and professional development for the VI community; operates in adjacent space to TSBVI's outreach and curriculum dissemination work.
• National Federation of the Blind (NFB): Largest US membership organization of blind Americans, providing advocacy, education programs, and resources that overlap with TSBVI's statewide outreach and family engagement missions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tsbvi_outreach
• Facebookfacebook.com/TSBVI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tsbvi
• Instagraminstagram.com/tsbvi/?igshid=YzAwZjE1ZTI0Zg%3D%3D

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired