L’Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles, a place of exception
In the heart of Paris, just a stone’s throw from the Invalides, lies a place steeped in history. The Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles was founded in 1785 by Valentin Haüy. The world’ s first school for the blind, INJA welcomes 170 blind and partially-sighted children and teenagers every year. A state-run public institution, its students included Louis Braille, inventor of the universal writing system still in widespread use today.
Without the sense of sight, hearing has always been an essential part of training at INJA. That’s why music is so closely linked to the history of the Institut: the school has a jazz orchestra, a choir, and children can even learn to play an instrument.
Anecdotes and curiosities about INJA
1. The first school for the blind
The INJA was founded in 1785 by Valentin Haüy, who proposed the first school and learning model adapted for the visually impaired. During his career, he lived in Germany and Russia, where he also founded a national institute for young blind people in St. Petersburg and Berlin. Today, many institutions around the world use it as a model!
2. A building specially designed for the institute
The institute had to wait until 1843 to get its own building dedicated to its teaching mission. The state-built establishment is located at 56 boulevard des Invalides, and the funds to purchase the land were obtained thanks to Alphonse de Lamartine’s intervention in the Chamber of Deputies. The official inauguration took place on February 22, 1844, marking the start of a new era for the INJA.
3. Louis Braille
Louis Braille was a pupil there and would later become a teacher at the institute. He plays an important role in its history and is at the origin of the alphabetic code built from two vertical rows composed of only 3 raised dots: Braille. This relief alphabet was adopted worldwide and recognized as a writing system.
Candlelight concerts at INJA
At the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles Fever organizes a highly original Program around a vintage Bösendorfer piano. From pop music to rock bands and symphonies, the INJA will be the stage for an enchanting program featuring the greatest classical and contemporary composers, all under the banner of l’éclectisme. Come and share a candlelight concerts with talented musicians.
What else can I do at INJA?
Halfway between the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Champ de Mars, home to the Eiffel Tower, its location offers a multitude of possibilities for strolling around the area. Discover the capital and explore new streets in this district in the heart of Paris.
Metro: Duroc (lines 10 and 13)
Bus: routes 28, 39, 70, 82, 89, 92
Let the magnificent ambience of the INJA (Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles), combined with the charm of candlelit concerts, transport you to a timeless moment. After enjoying phenomenal success around the world, Candlelight is now enchanting Parisian audiences with a series of exceptional places as well as the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles.