Hadley (non-profit organization)

Hadley was founded in 1920 by William A. Hadley.[3] When he lost his sight at the age of 55, William Hadley faced many challenges. A former high school teacher with a lifelong passion for reading, Hadley wanted to learn braille. He was frustrated, however, in his search for a teacher. So, he taught himself braille instead.

Hadley's dream was to share his newfound skills with others like him, empowering them to thrive as much as he. Together with Dr. E.V.L. Brown, an ophthalmologist and neighbor, Hadley found a way to reach others from around the corner and across the globe. The Hadley Correspondence School and the "braille by mail" curriculum were launched in 1920. The very first student, a woman in Kansas, had lost her sight later in life, too, and she was desperate to continue reading. She mailed her lessons to Hadley. He corrected and returned them along with notes of help and encouragement. This was the beginning of the close instructor-learner relationship that is a hallmark of Hadley learning even today. Dr. Brown was also critical to the founding and success of Hadley. He worked to build and manage an organization that could sustain itself while offering education free of charge. In 1922, Dr. Brown was appointed to be Hadley's first President of the Board of Trustees and would serve in this role until his death in 1953.[3]

By the early 1960s, Hadley was exploring new approaches to distance learning, producing plastic braille books and audio recordings all from its building in downtown Winnetka, for distribution to a growing population of visually impaired across the country. In the ensuing decades, Hadley added film and video production to its array of media channels to enhance the learning experience.