The Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), the nation's premiere accrediting association for distance learning institutions, voted to extend re-accreditation to The Hadley School for the Blind last month. Hadley has been accredited by DETC since 1958.

This award of re-accreditation was made after an exhaustive, year-long review of Hadley by the DETC, in which all aspects of the school were thoroughly evaluated by peer-group evaluators and independent curriculum experts. Under DETC policies, each accredited institution must be completely reevaluated not less than every five years, one of the most rigorous evaluation models in American education today.

The DETC Accrediting Commission has been listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency since 1959. DETC is also a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. (CHEA).

Accreditation is the nation’s principal means for students to be able to indentify reliable and reputable educational institutions. Accreditation is a badge of quality, and it assists institutions in attaining excellence by using a set of standards developed by peers. Accredited status means that an educational institution lives up to its promises to students and the public. It means that the certificate or diploma a student earns at an accredited school or college has real value.

“We are so pleased DETC continues to recognize the quality of the educational programs we offer to people with visual impairments, their families and blindness service providers around the globe.” said Hadley Senior Vice President Dawn Turco. “It is especially gratifying to receive our reaccreditation as we celebrate our 90th anniversary.”

Founded in 1920, The Hadley School for the Blind’s mission is to promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families and blindness service providers. The world’s largest educator of braille, Hadley enrolls 10,000 students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries each year.

Learn more about Hadley at www.hadley.edu or by calling 800-323-4238. For more information on DETC, visit www.detc.org