Founded in 1949 by Alfred and Mildred Sack, Dallas Services began when the Sacks were looking for an educational option for their 6-year-old blind daughter, Sarah Lee Sack. Blind children were not allowed to attend the local elementary school and the only option was the Texas School for the Blind in Austin, three hours away. Mr. and Mrs. Sack, recognizing the importance of caring for their daughter in their family home, opened the Dallas School for Blind Children. The following year a preschool was added, and Dallas area parents of blind children found a place where they could receive support and education for their child.
Mildred Sack became an advocate for an inclusive school system and through her work, a state bill was drafted requiring Texas schools to provide blind and deaf children educational opportunities at their local schools.
Dallas Services has changed over time, but we still hold to the Sack’s founding promise that all children should be able to learn and play together, regardless of ability.
Dallas Day School focuses on providing a quality learning environment for the children and families we serve. The learning environment is centered on educating children in a way that supports children’s growth in the following domains: language and literacy, cognition and general knowledge, physical development and health, social and emotional development and approaches to learning. Our schools emphasize helping children meet developmentally appropriate school readiness goals and providing inclusive care and education for children with special needs. The Dallas Day School actively recruits children with special needs and serves families of all socioeconomic levels and varying backgrounds.
The Center for Vision Health, formerly Dallas Services’ Low Vision Clinic, was originally started to fill the needs of the blind and low vision children at the Dallas Day School. Community need for low vision care led to an expansion of the clinic and opening to members of the public in need of low vision care. Community need for affordable routine eye care led the clinic to become what it is today: serving people of all ages, abilities, and vision health needs. The Center for Vision Health has now been working to improve lives by improving vision health and has been providing vision care to under-served adults and children in North Texas for over 35 years. The Center for Vision Health increases access to a continuum of quality vision care for adults, seniors and children by providing comprehensive, dilated eye exams and eyeglasses to those with Medicaid, Medicare, other publicly-funded programs, or a limited ability to pay for services.
The programs we offer depend heavily on the support of the community. If you would like more information about giving to the Dallas Day School or the Center for Vision Health, please follow us via our social media links above, join our email list below, contact us, or give now.
